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A Newfoundland Odyssey
by Robert Finch
An acclaimed nature writer's moving recollection of his two decades as a summer resident of a Newfoundland fishing village originally known as Squid Tickle.
Robert Finch arrived in Newfoundland in the summer of 1995 heartsick, directionless, his old life on Cape Cod in tatters. Burnside―traditionally known as Squid Tickle―seemed like a good place to heal. Located in the province's rugged northeast, this coastal village was home to just fifty year-round residents. Drawn by a landscape of low ridges and archipelagos of rocky islands. Finch returned to Burnside each summer for its strong sense of community and the possibility that it might provide a new pattern for his new life.
Offering an exploration of the Newfoundland character and culture, Finch depicts how three generations of the village grappled with the changes of the past century. With characteristically elegant prose and deep sensitivity, he introduces us to Burnside's inhabitants―and to the woman who would become his wife. Summers in Squid Tickle speaks to our era's desire for quietude and a greater connection to the natural world and to each other.
What’s the best nonfiction book you read in 2025?
...eads, including the top two which were beautifully written "quiet" reads: The Place of Tides by James Rebanks.(non-fiction / nature / travel, Norway) Summers in Squid Tickle by Robert Finch. (non-fiction / memoir / travel, Newfoundland) Madame Fourcade's Secret War by Lynne Olson. (non-fiction / amazing women / history) Birding to Change...
-Gabi_J
What percentage of the books you’ve read this year have been nonfiction? Did you have a favorite?
10% of my books are non-fiction this year, but they are disproportionately represented among my favorite 10 books for the year (*). Here are my six non-fiction favorites - loved them for different reasons. Some are new books, others are older, two are quiet marvels, while others are thought-provo...
-Gabi_J
What are you reading this week? (8/7/2025)
Summers in Squid Tickle by Robert Finch. About 50% into this non-fiction book and love it so far. A book about people and place.
-Gabi_J
"Warm, engaging recollections." —Kirkus Reviews
Summers in Squid Tickle, but offers us, once again, another glimpse into his elegant soul on the page and in the world. This is his legacy of love. And it is ongoing. My deepest bows to his sparkling intelligence, wit, and grace as a writer and friend." ―Terry Tempest Williams, author of Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place
"Robert Finch captures, with clarity and affection, the daily rituals and enduring tenacity of his Newfoundland neighbors. [In stories] ... shaped by the rigors of the land and sea―'on the edge of terror and sublimity'―Summers in Squid Tickle reminds us of all that is essential about life's journey. This is a book resonant with beauty and meaning." ―Jane Brox, author of Clearing Land: Legacies of the American Farm
This information about Summers in Squid Tickle was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Robert Finch (1943―2024) was an award-winning nature writer, radio journalist, and author of several books about Newfoundland and Cape Cod, including The Outer Beach. He lived on Cape Cod for more than fifty years and spent two decades of summers in Squid Tickle.
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