“BON HOMME” is a coming-of-age story told through the heart of West Chapman resident Leonard Hutchins. The words come from the many students he taught over the years since 1954. In the book Hutchins wraps his love of teaching, cross-country skiing, the working Maine woods, and the people who make a living there, around the lovable character of Eddie Clark, his family, and friends.
The year is 1925 and the protagonist, Clark, is graduating eighth grade at the one-room West End School in the northern Maine town of Ashland. Salutatorian in a class of two, Eddie realizes Janice Chase is more than just his smart, pretty classmate. He senses his world is about to change, but he doesn’t yet have a clue how much.
Leonard Hutchins
On Graduation Day, Eddie’s reputation for working part-time jobs and paper routes lands him a real job as cookee at a logging camp 30 miles west of town — a place where he soon becomes known as Bon Homme. Eddie, whose father was killed in a woods accident, understands work and responsibility, but his life is growing in a laundry list of ways far beyond his wildest imagination. The discovery of cross-county skiing would certainly top the list if it wasn’t for Janice. In “BON HOMME”, you’ll learn why.
Hutchins’ imagination is brought to life through the illustrations of Oxbow artist and longtime friend Judy Sherman. Sherman captures the book’s characters, and logging scenes in the 1920s, with an eye trained by her own experiences growing up on the doorstep of the great North Woods. She also relied on family history, old photos, and observations at the Ashland Logging Museum.
Over the years, Sherman has created many illustrations for Hutchins including those for his two “tall tales” books, “Gram Is He Telling Me the Truth” and “Legends and Lore.”
Hutchins grew up the youngest child of an eighth-grade English teacher. His mother also doubled as the school librarian. His father owned a garage, but Leonard cared more about books, athletics, and the outdoors than he ever did about engines and how they worked. He still does.
Born in Fort Fairfield, Hutchins graduated from Fort Fairfield High School in 1948. During his years at the University of Maine, 1948–54, in the Army, 1952–54, and teaching at Brownville Junction High School and Hampden Academy, 1954-62, he noted that County people have a thing, a nuance. He was pleased to return home to Aroostook to teach at Ashland Community High School, 1962-80.
Hutchins’ daughter Dottie, who helped move the book to print and ebook format, said her father’s longtime teaching career, and the students he taught and mentored, were was a huge impetus for “BON HOMME”.
“His ‘kids’ explained with pride their home and history — and sent their parents to parent-teacher meetings so he would get a better picture (not kidding, this happened). The parents sometimes brought neighbors to fill him in. The anecdotes filled newspaper and magazine articles. Over the years, this information took shape as ‘BON HOMME’,” she said.
“BON HOMME” is available at amazon.com and at Deep In The Woods Gift Shop in Oxbow.
