The Hedges: The Story of Twelve Precious Acres on Blue Mountain Lake
By Roger Kessel
Availability: Paperback edition on sale through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at gift shops in the Adirondacks. Suggested retail price $17.95. Kindle edition at Amazon.com for $7.99.
Book Synopsis: Like the smooth entry of an Adirondack guideboat, The Hedges transports the reader to the golden years of Blue Mountain Lake when a Civil War hero and extraordinary businessman built a private camp on its shore. This book traces the camp’s fascinating history and its conversion from private use by a socially elite family to a rustic resort open to the public. The remarkable story of the first innkeepers, the former caretakers of the Vanderbilts’ Great Camp Sagamore, is followed by those of subsequent owners facing their own unique challenges. In recounting their experiences and our changing perspectives on the Adirondack wilderness, the author unlocks the secret of why generations of guests have so deeply treasured The Hedges.
Reader Reviews: “delightful”, “thorough”, “love…the writing style”, “really, really great”, “a hit”, “interesting information”, “a remarkable work that will occupy a place of honor on my shelves”, “loved your book”, “was impressed with your writing skills, as well as by the extensive research involved”, “an excellent history of The Hedges”, “liked how you integrated The Hedges story into larger themes in Adirondack and cultural history”, “a lovely, timely gift to The Hedges and wider Adirondack community on the occasion of The Hedges’ 100th anniversary as a public accommodation.”
About the Author: Roger Kessel is a member of a group of about 60 families and individuals who purchased The Hedges for the purpose of keeping it open to the public and preventing its reversion to private use. His love affair with the Adirondacks began seven decades ago when as a boy from the city he first fished in Raquette Lake and remote brook trout streams. To this day, even in his advanced years, the lakes for fishing and the snows of winter for cross country skiing relentlessly pull him back to the land of lakes and mountains. For most of his career Roger practiced law in Rochester, N.Y. His poetry has been published in various literary journals and other periodicals. Roger received a B.A. degree from Columbia College (NY) and, after serving as an officer in the U. S. Navy, a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School.