April 2006    

The Encyclopedia of New England: the Culture and History of an American Region Editors: Burt Feintuch and David H. Watters Publisher: Yale University Press $65.00 Cloth (1564 p.) ISBN: 0300100272 B&T         YBP Reviewed by Marcia Lusted, Statusing It doesn't seem possible that someone could actually compile an encyclopedia of everything that makes New England what it is, but The Encyclopedia of New England is a browser's paradise. Feintuch and Watters have created an all-in-one reference book about this region of the country, and it is both fascinating and well-organized. Divided into twenty-two chapters such as agriculture, architecture, history, folk life, gender, politics, and tourism, this volume covers everything that the reader might want to know about New England. Under each heading there are many individual headings for specific topics: for example, under gender there are headings for the Beecher sisters, bundling, ecofeminism, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, mill girls, and women's publishing, to name a few. The result is a wealth of information, and if the reader needs to go beyond what is provided, each entry includes a bibliography that can be used for further reading. The encyclopedia has a lengthy list of over a thousand contributors; most of them linked to colleges and universities, but on the whole the entries are not overwhelmingly heavy in tone and are accessible and interesting even for the casual reader. There is also an excellent introduction written by the poet Donald Hall, as well as many illustrations and photographs to accompany every subject. This is a book that belongs on every New Englander's bookshelf and in every library, simply because it is an inexhaustible resource of everything that makes this part of the county unique. It will be referred to time and time again, as well as being one of those books that you pick up for a moment's browsing and find yourself still reading many hours later! Published by YBP Library Services 999 Maple St., Contoocook, NH 03229 USA v: 800.258.3774   f: 603.746.5628 w: www.ybp.com   e: academia@ybp.com All rights reserved.