Reviews
Lake Isle is receiving enthusiastic reviews, reproduced here in their entirety. Three of the reviews, that of Kirkus, the I.P.Vt. Historical Society, and the Small Press Bookwatch, all point out that Lake Isle is “suitable for all ages,” as the author intended it to be. The book is targeted for dog lovers and not for any particular age group, so it can be listed appropriately in General Fiction. Nevertheless, the reviews from Reader Views Kids are written by young persons with their parents’ help, and Lake Isle’s reviewer in this instance is 12 years old. This review demonstrates Lake Isle’s appropriateness for young people, too, for whom it merits a Young Adult listing, as well.
Kirkus Review
Tobi Little Deer
Tobi Books (312 pp.)
ISBN: 978-1-949596-00-7; February 12, 2019
“A small city dog, lost in the rugged backcountry of Vermont, relates his eventful struggle to find his way home. In the same league as Ann M. Martin’s touching novel A Dog’s Life, this beautifully observant story, told from the point of view of a big-hearted Chihuahua, will stay with canine-loving readers long after the tale is finished. A sequel to the New York-based Little Deer’s (Little Tramp, 2014) first book—both inspired by his real-life dog companion—the YA novel begins when the Chihuahua is uprooted from his contented life in a New York City apartment. The dog, named Tobi, travels with his beloved human, Ted, to northern Vermont for a summer on the family farm. Tobi is confused and bereft when one day Ted is gone, unaware that he will be traveling and can’t take the canine along. Ted’s gruff dad doesn’t help, banning Tobi from the house and forcing him to share farm dog Rex’s quarters. A tragic loss and other incidents periodically bring Ted back, but he always leaves Tobi behind when he departs again. The pooch suffers but gradually adjusts, finding comfort with gentle Rex and Ted’s grandmother until, caught up in the thrill of a dog pack’s wild deer hunt, he is lost in the woods. Danger, refuge, companionship, and a hint of uncanny mystery follow, as Tobi encounters memorable animals and people during his months long ordeal. Tobi’s internal dialogue (he doesn’t speak with other animals) has a compelling authenticity, encompassing eloquent ponderings about the bond between humans and dogs, canine devotion, and forgiveness—and the awakening of his own ancestral memory. Driven to join in the howls of a pack of Native American sled dogs one night, he observes: “I was carried into timeless moonlit wilderness, and I, too, became a wild thing.” The novel’s rural, woodsy, and lake setting, described from Tobi’s perspective, is vividly detailed in sights, sounds, and smells. Little Deer (a pen name) seamlessly connects the intersecting stories of all his well-drawn characters, both human and animal, with a poignant thread—keep the tissues handy.
“Delivering suspenseful storytelling, colorful and believable characters, and a deeply moving tribute to canine loyalty, this tale should resonate with dog lovers of any age.”
I.P.Vt. Hist. Society Review
Lake Isle
by Tobi Little Deer
ISBN: 978-1-949596-00-7; December, 2018
“The latest literary offering from IPHS member & author [Tobi Little Deer] of New York is his book Lake Isle which will be published Spring 2019. This wonderful book features the adventures of Tobi, a thoughtful little dog from New York whose perceptive observations – and his adventures in the fictional small Vermont town of Lake Isle, are touching and poignant. Every reader who loves [our town] might recognize the landmarks Tobi passes through as he tries to find his way home in this fictionalized work. This book is suitable for all ages and resonates with imagery so realistic you’ll believe you can pick up Tobi or reach out and touch the braided rug ‘Mémère’ lovingly made for this little dog!”
Small Press Bookwatch
Lake Isle
Tobi Little Deer
Tobi Books
9781949596014, 312pp
“An utterly charming and inherently entertaining read from first page to last, Lake Isle showcases author Tobi Little Deer’s genuine flair for originality, narrative storytelling, and the creation of truly memorable characters in a story that will linger fondly in the mind and memory long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf. While very highly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that Lake Isle is also available in a paperback edition (9781949596007).”
Reader Views Kids
Lake Isle
Tobi Little Deer
Tobi Books (2019)
ISBN 9781949596007
Reviewed by Ciara (age 12) for Reader Views Kids (3/19)
[By a young reader:] “I enjoyed reading Lake Isle by Tobi Little Deer. The author must be very close to his dog to have written a story that gives the reader the experience of what a dog is feeling, when he is separated from his owner. Tobi, a small dog living with his owner in New York, ventures out to a family’s farm in Vermont to stay for the summer while his owner Ted goes away on business. The story portrays a dog who has to adapt to new surroundings and new experiences while waiting for his owner to return.
“I liked how the author had Tobi interact with different kinds of animals throughout the story, but only wrote about what Tobi was thinking as he was exploring his new home, while waiting for Ted to return. There were a couple of sad parts in the book, but mostly a story of a dog’s adventures on a farm.
“It was interesting to see how Tobi got along with the different characters in the story, and how each character had their own story to tell. They all had different hardships to overcome, but it seemed like the community was close and helped each other out.
“I think my favorite part in the story was how Tobi and Rex got along. It was like Rex was a big brother figure to Tobi and they took care of each other. I also liked how Tobi would explain his excitement and fears of exploring on his own – like the time he went by the chicken coop and the rooster ambushed him, or how he thought that at the end of the farm’s driveway you would go into a black hole. Mostly because he could not see beyond that point, so in his opinion it just swallowed you up. Lake Isle by Tobi Little Deer is a wonderful story, especially for a person who loves animals. The reader gets to experience life through a dog’s eyes. The storyline is realistic and will keep the reader’s attention to the end. I can see how this book could continue on into several more stories of Tobi, and his interesting adventures!”
Praise by Readers, 5-Star Reviews
“In 1968, within a year of his ordination as a Catholic priest, Father Thomas Shea was assigned to the Peruvian mission of his religious community, the Congregation of Holy Cross. He lived and worked in Peru for the next forty years. Shea had to learn Spanish as well as become familiar with the culture of Perú. His first assignment was as parish priest in a company town on a sugar plantation owned by an American company. When the Peruvian government expropriated the plantation in 1969, Shea and the other Holy Cross priests stayed on until 1974.
“Early on in Perú, Shea was influenced by the Liberation Theology movement and became acquainted with one of its prime spokesmen, Gustavo Gutiérrez. He helped organize small Christian communities, a goal of the movement. He became a licensed teacher of religion and taught in the state schools in rural areas and organized training sessions for teachers of religion classes.
“In 1974, Shea moved to Chimbote in northern Perú where he worked in parish ministry and as a teacher in an urban setting. In 1985, he was assigned to the altiplano region of Perú, near Lake Titicaca. This move involved learning the local Aymaran language and culture. Again, he organized and led training sessions for religion teachers. Traveling to meetings involved some threat from a secretive guerilla movement, The Shining Path (Sendero Luminosa). Following a sabbatical year in 1993 back in the United States, Shea returned to the altiplano. In 2004, he transferred to Tacna on the southern coast of Perú, where many Aymaran people had moved and was involved in starting a new parish for them.
“Shea repeatedly gives thanks for those who helped him in his ministry and in learning languages and the various cultures in which he worked. While his religious community chose to establish itself in the Lima area with a large parish in Canto Grande, Shea always preferred to work in rural areas and small towns because he thought the needs were greater there. As a vociferous critic of the large parish, Shea was expelled (his word) from the Congregation’s Peruvian mission in 2009. He has subsequently settled in Florida where he works with the Spanish-speaking.” –James Connelly, CSC, Notre Dame, Indiana
“Tom Shea’s Gracias Peru manifests a modern-day way of the Cross. When Tom entered religious life many changes were taking place in all religious communities, some very painful, others were a hit and miss. Through all of the changes Tom shows us how the Spirit can direct our lives if we will let go of our false self and begin to live our authentic self. Tom did that for me. The Congregation of Holy Cross is an international one. We are presently moving from being international to being intercultural. Tom, I believe, had that intercultural sensitivity. He was ahead of his times, but his spirit lives among the people he ministered and loved. Tom shows how to empower lay leaders which is critical in the church today whether it be in the United States or other places on this planet. Tom also highlighted areas where clericalism kills the spirit, is not a gospel value and certainly is an evil that Pope Francis says the Church must rid itself. Tom is a visionary for all those who are thinking about working with various ethnic cultures wherever they may be. Certainly, the dioceses here in the US need to pay attention to inclusiveness in all facets of their ministry.” –Doug R.
“The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) generated intensely felt discussion on the nature and application of ministry by Catholic priests worldwide. This well-written and thoughtful book illustrates how these factors concretely were enacted over the past 50 years in the role of ministry to the Church in Peru, particularly by the community of Holy Cross and more broadly by other groups as well. Tom Shea has presented an excellent historical overview of Holy Cross involvement in Peru in many areas. Within this context he has shown how two different interpretations of the directives of Vatican II led to different visions of community life within the Holy Cross community: 1.) Increased centralization of scarce personnel so as to maximize the opportunity for community support in a common goal and 2.) a vision which placed greater emphasis on meeting the needs of a broader Peruvian Catholic population which sometimes involved less community living, but achieving the goal of ministering to the needs of a more remote population. These competing visions led to sharp disagreements and, ultimately, the ordering of Tom Shea by his superiors to leave Peru and return to the USA. Anyone interested in the ongoing role of ministry to the Church in Peru and elsewhere in Latin America will benefit from reading and reflecting upon the insightful comments contained in Gracias Peru.” –Greg A.
Kirkus Review
“A widower reflects on his decades-long relationship with his wife in this debut memoir. Claire Lyons’ childhood, as Callahan documents, was dominated by her alcoholic and abusive father, referred to in the book’s opening lines as ‘the demon.’ While her mother was ‘frozen in fear and denial’ in spite of academic prowess that could have set her up for a successful independent career, only Claire’s big brother, ‘a fearless five-year-old,’ stood up for her. To make matters worse, her father was a pillar of their small Massachusetts town (he served for decades as the volunteer captain of the fire department). Like many abusers, his charming public persona allowed him to terrorize his family within a community that admired him, going so far as to cast him as a local leader. After taking in a multi-chapter litany of abuse, it is no surprise when readers learn of Claire’s decision as a young woman to become a nun. Written in the weeks after Claire’s death in 2016, the rest of the book centers around the blossoming love between the author, who was a young, idealistic Roman Catholic priest in the 1960s, and Claire, a sister of the Holy Cross. What began as a friendship evolved into a romance in which both Claire and Callahan were ‘transformed by love’ and decided to leave their religious vocations.
“The memoir chronicles Callahan’s half-century together with his wife . . . including their move to Washington, D.C., where they witnessed the fallout from the Nixon administration’s Watergate scandal firsthand. Callahan provides frequently insightful commentary on religion throughout; while reminiscing about his marriage, the author notes that one surefire way to increase membership and joy within the Church would be to foster a ‘spirit of love’ that accepts divorced and remarried couples, gay married couples, and married priests. On another occasion, Callahan notes his frustration with the Church hierarchy following the Boston Archdiocese sexual abuse scandal uncovered by the Boston Globe. Claire would also speak out on Catholic issues, writing to the Globe following a local controversy sparked by a parochial school that had refused to admit a child whose parents were lesbians, for instance. (‘Another case of child abuse,’ she wrote at the time.) Writing in an intimate prose style, the author devotes the book’s final chapters to his grief following Claire’s death. ‘The routine I had constructed to keep me active was helpful,’ he writes, shortly before questioning whether he will ‘spend the rest of my life in grief and in routines created to contain it?’ This remembrance is not only a beautiful love story, but also a spiritual memoir exploring how a couple’s faith—both collectively and individually—evolved alongside their relationship. Callahan’s spiritual formation in the priesthood remains ever-present throughout the book’s narrative, which is peppered throughout with religious commentary, prayers, and relevant Bible verses that are cited in the ample endnotes. At just under 200 pages in total, this is an accessible book; its brevity, however, should not be confused with shallowness, as it bravely tackles questions related to childhood trauma, abuse, spirituality, love, and the meaning of life head-on. A touching love letter from a grieving husband that stresses the transformational power of love.”
“Great for fans of John Strausbaugh’s The Village, Jeff Kisseloff’s You Must Remember This.” – BookLife Reviews
A BookLife Reviews Editor’s Pick!
“Minichiello compiles a celebratory collection of ninety short interviews, originally published in the neighborhood paper West View News between 2008 and 2020, conducted with the lively personalities of New York City’s bohemian West Village, which has “nurtured generations of artists and activists.” People featured, many of whom have been part of the community for decades, range from internationally known figures like Calvin Trillin and Mimi Sheraton to more local influencers like Ralph Lee, founder of the storied Village Halloween Parade. These profiles evoke deep feeling-including nostalgia-for a connected and vibrant community equal parts cozy and wild.
“Though the flow of Minichiello’s interviews is somewhat formulaic—a bit about the interviewee’s childhood, their arrival to the West Village, and their professional and personal experiences in the neighborhood—he lets each subject’s spirit shine through. Crucial themes tie together multiple pieces, such as frustration with the gentrification that has led to some interviewees losing their homes, but the overall mood stays upbeat. Including activists and business owners illuminates the heart of the community.
“Each piece packs a strong punch in about 800 words, and Minichiello’s consistent style facilitates a clean, compact layout, enhanced by photo portraits of each subject. This volume makes an attractive coffee table read, ready to be browsed or searched for a favorite’s story.”
“Lovers of New York history will find inspiration and insight in these profiles of West Village residents!”
BookLife Reviews, December 21, 2021
An Article by the West Village Originals Author
I’m probably not the only writer who created a body of work over the years without thinking that it would eventually lead to a book. It was only after reading a series of 90 interviews of mine that the cumulative effect of them dawned on me.
My recently published book, West Village Originals: An Oral History of New York City’s Most Unique Neighborhood, covers a 12-year period when that Oz-like neighborhood of New York was going through enormous changes. The interviews are taken from a column I wrote for a local paper, WestView News.
The idea to create the column came about when I was writing movie reviews. One day it occurred to me that there had to be many longtime West Village residents with interesting things to say about their lives, their careers, and the changes that had taken place in the area.
It turned out they did. They shared insights into times now past, amusing anecdotes of people and places that no longer exist, and poignant tales of what makes the Village such an inspiration to this day. They certainly reflected on the changes that have occurred through the years, but even this wasn’t necessarily with regret. Instead, there was an overwhelming theme: spending so many years-oftentimes —40, 50, or 60— in the West Village had given them a quality of life they felt certain they never would have found anywhere else.
The funny thing is that I’ve never personally met most of the people featured in the book; all my interviews were done over the telephone. It was surprising how quickly people agreed to talk when the option to do it by phone was on the table. Interestingly as well, it created an atmosphere in which my focus was on their every word, without the distractions of in-person conversations.
Afterward, I felt like I had truly taken an intimate journey through someone’s life. Some of the questions I asked were to provide backstory, but it was the more disarming personal questions that brought the full person into view. My favorite was “Tell me about your parents.” For most, this elicited touching and revealing responses, confirming that what their parents did for a living or enjoyed as hobbies had profound influences on their choice of a career.
After an interview, I had up to three pages of single-spaced copy that needed to be honed into an 800-word article. The challenges were to find a “hook” that introduced a defining theme and to show how interesting each person was—in other words, to do them justice.
Finding that hook was always more difficult than I imagined it would be. I discovered a way to solve it for myself, though: I would begin with the last paragraph and work backward from there. Like using a map, it was easier to start out when I knew where I was going.
Next was the greater challenge of giving life to each person’s words and allowing their individual voice to shine through. A colleague of mine used the phrase “curating words” to describe that process. As each published profile almost entirely draws upon quotes from the interview, my greatest satisfaction was having subjects express their delight in being presented just as they might have hoped.
This led me to propose the regular interview column, West Village Original, that would later become the book. There was a good lesson for me here and one that I imagine applies to many writers: take any opportunity that you are given to write. It just might lead to a particular style of writing that best suits your talents and interests. Even better, you might discover that you love doing it.
When interviewing people, there’s something else to remember: it’s not about you. Recently, I was doing a radio interview about West Village Originals and the host asked me if any people featured in the book had been a dull or uninteresting interview. When I hesitated, he laughingly said, “You don’t have to answer that!” However, I wanted to. I think everyone is interesting and, at the very least, everyone has a story. It’s the writer’s challenge to uncover that story and then present it in a way that makes one’s subject the most interesting person in the room.
A couple of final decisions had to be made before publishing the interviews as a collection. One was not to update any of them. As a result, they became timely snapshots of both the people interviewed and of the West Village itself.
The other question was how best to present the interviews. I assumed that I would organize them chronologically, but as I sorted through them, a more relevant idea came to light. The subjects fell into 13 different categories of professions that very much defined the nature of the West Village: from writers, artists, and business owners to activists, dancers, poets, and performers. Suddenly, the breadth of the project became apparent. As fascinating as each story might be on its own, together they defined the West Village in a way that no one story could.
One reviewer called the book a “celebratory collection,” and I appreciate that observation. West Village Originals does indeed joyfully celebrate an era, a neighborhood, and a group of personalities both fiercely loyal to it and full of love for it. Writing these columns and publishing them as a book made me realize that I’m also a West Village Original. I’m proud to be one and even prouder that my neighbors trusted me to tell their stories.
From Publishers Weekly
“In this charming love letter to a historic New York neighborhood, reporter Minichiello collects over a decade of his “West Village Originals” columns from WestView News. In these 90 short interviews, he asks West Village residents for their thoughts on the neighborhood’s roots, its sense of identity, and recent changes wrought by big money and big business. As Minichiello points out, “since 1916, when it first became known as ‘Little Bohemia,’ the West Village has nurtured generations of artists and activists.”; through the turn of the 21st century, the neighborhood was still known for its low rent, gay diaspora, and struggling artists. Many of the long-term Village residents interviewed by Minichiello mourn the loss of this uniqueness, and identify gentrification as the culprit. “Businesses… can no longer afford to be here,” explains naturalist Keith Michael. “The very thing that attracts people… is disappearing because of the influx of money.” Filled with nostalgia, each interview also brings a unique take on what continues to make the Village special. For jazz guitarist Peter Leitch, it’s the surprisingly small-town feel of a still star-studded community: “You never know who you’re going to meet, particularly among the older residents…. There are still some very interesting people here.”
“An alluring mosaic of voices paying tribute to one of America’s famous neighborhoods!”
Publishers Weekly, April 2024
From Kirkus Reviews
“A compilation of interviews with accomplished residents of New York City’s West Village. Minichiello, a reporter for Westview News (the West Village’s local paper), has compiled his first book from two decades’ worth of interviews with neighborhood residents who are prominent in a variety of fields, including business, community activism, and the arts. The youngest interviewees are from Generation X, although the majority are older. They include some well-known names, such as authors Barbara Garson, Calvin Trillin, and Susan Brownmiller, but even those who are less celebrated have achieved things worth knowing.
“The interviews, with minor variations, follow a clear format, beginning with a short autobiography that includes a survey of the interviewee’s career and how they came to the Village. Almost all end with the person’s assessment of the Village today compared to times past. A very few of them, such as painter Marjorie Colt, have left the Village and speak about that. When comparing the Village of the past with that of the present, most agree that the neighborhood residents are wealthier than they used to be and that the Village is no longer a haven for the struggling and creative—the very environment that brought many of the interviewees there.
“Overall, they see this gentrification as a mixed blessing, but they differ as to whether the arrival of high-end retail has stripped the Village of its character. More controversially, some talk about how the Village’s gay identity was clearer in the past in a variety of ways—a subject addressed by several LGBTQ+ interviewees, including Richard Eric Weigle, longtime president of the Grove Street Block Association, who says, “When I moved here [in 1973] it was 80% gay and now [in 2017] it’s 80% straight.” The interviews also raise the question of whether the Village can ever return to being the affordable place for the creative that it once was—and a couple believe so. In any case, the stories of these “West Village Originals” may make many others wish they could live and create in the Village, as well.”
“A delightful group portrait of the West Village as it has been and can be!”
Kirkus Reviews, November 2021