Born and brought up in Brooklyn, Tommy Carbone retired from his career as an electrical engineer and settled down at Beaver Cove near Greenville, Maine. An avid reader and history buff by nature, he began a few years ago learning about the people and times of Maine’s famous era of lumberjacks and river drivers.
V. Paul Reynolds, Outdoors Columnist
By reading the writings of 19th century Maine outdoor writer and historian Fannie Hardy Eckstorm, Carbone became fascinated with a well-known Maine man from that period: David Stone Libby. Libby was reputed to be a great hunter, observer of wildlife, a river driver, lumberman and skilled boatman. He also became a nationally known outdoor writer of his time, writing for Maine publications, as well as for Field & Stream. Interestingly, he always wrote under the simple pen name, Penobscot.
Libby’s life, eventually, took him far from his Maine river driving and logging vocations. He lumbered in Canada, the Adirondacks, and mined in Nevada. He almost froze to death in the Maine woods. He was shelled during the Civil War and was threatened by armed men out West.
Inspired by Libby’s pioneering life and the essence of the man himself, Carbone researched Libby and that period and parlayed his background work into a fascinating historical fiction novel about the man called Penobscot. Carbone’s novel is called, “I am Penobscot.” Published by Burnt Jacket Publishing, the book is available through Amazon.
As luck would have it, Libby’s contemporary, Fannie Eckstorm, wrote a lot about Libby and published many outtakes from his prolific journals. It is through Eckstorm’s chronicles that Carbone was able to fashion a novel that is built upon authenticity and actual happenings in the life of David Stone Libby.
Historical fiction novels always hold my attention and tend to get stacked up by my nightstand. One of my heroes, Teddy Roosevelt, is the protagonist in another wonderful, recently released historical fiction novel, “The Old Lion,” by Jeff Shaara.
Carbone, like other good historical fiction writers, manages to breathe life into his characters while simultaneously remaining true to the times and people of the era he writes about.
Pure history can be dry and pedantic, but not so when the characters think and talk, as in the historical fiction novel:
“Private, I’m told you and Private Nileson were river drivers back in Maine.”
“That is correct, sir.”
“With that boat,” the Major pointed to a low-sided, flat bottom river boat, “could you and Nileson get ammunition across to the troops?”
Without hesitating, David said, ”Yes, Sir, we can.”
The Major raised his eyebrows.
When you finish the last page of Carbone’s novel, you will come away with a real understanding and appreciation for the life and difficult, dangerous times of the legendary Maine men who spent their winters cutting logs with hand saws and getting those logs down river. David Stone Libby, “Penobscot,” was one of many such Maine men.
V. Paul Reynolds is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal, an author, a Maine guide and host of a weekly radio program, “Maine Outdoors,” heard at 7 p.m. Sundays on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network. Contact him at vpaulr@tds.net.
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