Fiddler's Green: Or a Wedding, a Ball, and the Singular Adventures of Sundry Moss

The Moosepath League #5

by Van Reid

Devoted fans of the endearing characters in Van Reid’s nineteenth-century Maine are in for a fabulous summer treat with Fiddler’s Green—an old-fashioned mulligatawny of high and low comedy, unabashed romance, adventure, and eerie mystery. Escape to a seemingly simpler world and visit Maine in 1897, where Reid’s evocative, expansive writing delivers the fifth escapade in the saga of the Moosepath League and a host of supporting characters whom readers have come to love.

Opening with a long-awaited wedding, this delightful yarn features a society ball, a kidnapping, and a mystical rural netherworld where a bitter family feud comes close to causing the death of the preternaturally cool Mr. Sundry Moss. With its signature mix of romantic yearning, knockabout comedy, and touching drama, Fiddler’s Green is sure to please fans and newcomers alike as they keep company with the honorable “Gentlemen of the Club.” Fiddler’s Green is a worthy successor to its wonderfully reviewed predecessor, Mrs. Roberto: “It would be a crime and a sin, and just plain un-neighborly, to miss this novel” (Kirkus Reviews, starred).

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor, Historical

320 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2004

Reviews

[Mandolin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though hasty in its preparation and beset by sinister unknown forces that attempt to thwart it, the long-anticipated wedding of Mr. Tobias Walton and Ms. Phileda McCannon goes forth beautifully and the two set sail for Halifax for a brief honeymoon before meeting Toby's nephew. The members of the Moosepath League find themselves at sea in his absence but they are quickly diverted by the prospect of a society ball and some very interesting widows they encounter. Sundry Moss feels Mr. Walton's absence even more acutely, wishing for his advice as he tries to woo Priscilla Morningside despite her mother's clear and snobbish objection. When Priscilla leaves town quickly after the ball, Sundry very nearly loses heart. Not one to feel sorry for himself for long, however, he devotes his time to Melanie Ring and her alcoholic father, joining them on a trip to find family in Northern Maine. As usual for a Moosepathian adventure, the trip is eventful and
includes a kidnapping, an encounter with two rival witchy clans, a dead man who comes to life (several times, in fact!) and a sailor searching for the paradise of Fiddler's Green. Dark at points but overall rich in imagery and imagination, this book is a satisfying addition to Van Reid's Moosepath series. Its ending leaves a promise of more to come, which I hope is the case! I would be very sorry to see the end of these wonderful books.

[Brian Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any and all of the Moosepath League books are delightful. Really, that's the only word for them. These narratives of members of the titular social society in late 1890's Maine performing good deeds and getting in small adventures with, in the terms of their motto, "Tolerance, Curiosity, Humor".

This book, as the title suggests, spends much of its time with Sundry Moss, the youngest, most worldly, and most clever of the team, but the start of the book focuses with unabansed joy and sincerity on Mr. Walton's nuptuals. Van Reid seemingly effortlessly moves from one emotion to another through the wedding, into the ball where Sundy and his potential beloved Priscilla Morningside, and finally to a strange adventure driven by the call of duty and society over the protection of an innocent child getting leading to... well that would be telling.

This book has my all time favorite line from the Moosepath League books, though it requires a a lot of set up to explain why "Do I know you?" cracks me up every time.

[Karis Campeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part of an intriguing, charming, and simply fun series with delightfully colorful characters!

[Paulina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but not as much as others in the series. The spooky parts didn't resonate with me.

[Janet Renda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the quirky characters in this book, but it was also a wonderful story. I didn’t realize this was fifth book in the series, so now I have to go back to number one!

[Dollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly cannot get enough of these stories. I’ve enjoyed every one of them so much. In this one, Mr. Walton and his new bride, Phileda, go to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on their honeymoon. Sundry Moss has been staying at the Waltons' house, but thinks he may make a trip home to Edgecomb. He stops by the Faithful Mermaid and finds out from the Sparks that Melanie, the little girl they've taken in, is going to Brownville with her father, Burne Ring, who is in a very sickly way, but wants to see if he can find some long-lost relatives. Sundry volunteers to accompany them and Horace McQuinn nominates Maven Flyce to accompany them, as well. On the train ride to Brownville, Maven falls asleep and Burne needs some medical attention. When Sundry leaves the train to find Burne some relief, a personable gentleman he had been talking with, Mr. Normell, whisks Burne and Melanie off to his home on Dutton Pond. Sundry and Maven follow. This is a big adventure for Sundry, not to mention for Maven. Sundry’s not crazy about someone making off with the little girl he and Maven are responsible for. That’s all I’ll share about the story. The writing of these stories is so good, that I can really imagine what the Portland wharfs and the backwoods of Maine must have been like a hundred years ago. The characters and the situations Mr. Reid puts them into are wonderful and every one of these books has made me laugh out loud (as well as fill me with sorrow, at times). I am always so glad when I find a new one of these Moosepath League books. They’re great stories.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fifth book in Van Reid Moosepath League series, which follows the adventures of a very amusing men's club in late nineteenth century Maine. It's been a long while since I had read one of them, but Reid's prose style is so easygoing and his stories so enjoyable that I had not trouble at all remembering everything and getting right back into the setting and characters. Since Fiddler's Green begins with the wedding of Mr. Walton, chairman of the Moosepath league, the bulk of the narrative centers instead on Walton's friend and factotum Sundry Moss. Over the course of the books, Moss falls in love, helps a destitute child, and gets involved with a very strange pair of clans in central Maine. There's plenty of humor, romance, and mystery rolled up into a really fun and engaging tale.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the books in this series but this is definitely one of the best, on a par with my very favorite, Daniel Plainway or the Holiday Haunting of the Moosepath League. This episode stars Sundry Moss and there in fact isn't much about the rather silly members of the Moosepath League, which is a little bit of a relief. Even Mr. Walton is out of the story, on his honeymoon. There is a little more darkness at the edges of this book, and a very satisfying slightly creepy central adventure, which Sundry handles perfectly. There are also hints of an Evil Genius/Nemesis to appear in future novels but it seems that Viking has stopped publishing these books, which is disappointing. I think there might be more of the books online, I am on my way to search for them now.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another time when I started on Book 5 in a series. The Moosepath League
is a group of men in Maine in the 1890s. The distinction of the group
is the "absolute good nature of the protagonists." There is a fair
combination of laughter and romance, mystery and adventure. I do like
the wholesomeness of the books set in the 1800s. Two such books in a
row. This one I listened to on tape while I scrapbooked. It was long!

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all of Van Reid's Moosepath series. I felt that this one lacked a strong central theme to the story and I also felt that it lacked strong resolution to the book. I'm also worried that the series may be over, since this book was published in 2004 with no more books in sight. However, Fiddler's Green was very enjoyable and I hope to see more from Van Reid in the future.

[Trish Remley · Rating 3 out of 5]

When in Maine read a book about Maine. In this case, a story that takes place in the late 1800's in the Portland area. Liked that I can vividly imagine all the streets and places. Actual story was ok. I think this is a second of a series, but really didn't get all that attached to the characters to have to read more about them.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's about time that Sundry had an adventure of his own. It was rather creepy with the whole cult thing, but just made me read faster wanting to find out how that whole situation resolved. I'm looking forward to more books in this series.

[Joni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent! My only question is, How can Van Reid leave me hanging like this? He has created the best cliff hangers and hasn't written any more books since! This borders on cruel and unusual!

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better the second time through. A great book, but the end in China left me a little confused. The first half was excellent.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I liked it well enough...it lacked a lot of what I really enjoyed about the other books. As much as I like Sundry, it just wasn't the same without the rest of the Moosepath League.

[AuntieS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not his best one of series. The place Sundry Moss was led by those who kidnapped Melanie and her father was not very realistic, nor very well explained in the end. Several loose ends concerning some unexplained animosity toward Toby Walton and Sundry's relationship with Priscilla require another book to be published and yet none has been forthcoming. The absense of Toby and his bride for much of the tale was not a positive plot device--I think Sundry needs Toby and the others to shine brightest. I love the series, but this was the weakest of the tales of the Moosepath League.