Tales from Misery Ridge by Paul J. Fournier

ABOUT THE BOOK
Paul J. Fournier has been a registered Maine Guide, bush pilot, sporting camp owner, nature photographer and videographer, a television producer and a longtime official with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Tales from Misery Ridge, One man's adventures in the great outdoors is his first book about his experiences and adventures in Maine's great North Woods and beyond.

Readers will soar with him on his first solo flight in a Piper Cub, see how a master builder makes Fournier's dream canoe a reality, meet brave flying Maine Wardens on rescue calls, net some spectacularly large salmon, and take part in an historic mission to transplant caribou from Newfoundland to Maine. Tales from Misery Ridge is a collection of those and other stories from a special time — and place.

NEWS and REVIEWS
"Fournier accumulated a stack of good stories that are all in this book. It's a wonderfully rich book, honestly and beautifully written. ... Tales from Misery Ridge has what I consider two vital components of a worthwhile Maine outdoor book: a spellbinding story to tell and a skilled writer to tell it."
— V. Paul Reynolds for The (Lewiston) Sun Journal

A collection of the type of love stories Mainers can identify with — those between one man and the great outdoors.
— Down East Magazine

"I doubt that you will set this book aside after you begin reading. Fournier's life experiences are many and varied ... From rampaging bears to giant brook trout, bush flying to treks down the Allagash, this book moves along faster than our spring-flooded rivers. It's a great ride."
— George Smith, writer, TV show host
Read the complete review.

His stories evoke stunning images of Maine's outdoors and the fun, adventure, humor and danger of enjoying time in them. One of Fournier's greatest strengths, something that seems to carry over from his work as a guide, is his willingness to teach and share his understanding and love for the Maine wilderness. Anyone with a fondness for this state would do well to read this book. If nothing else, it will make you yearn for the great outdoors and find a way to enjoy it and preserve it.
— Katy England, The Maine Edge

One Maine man's outdoor life
In 'Tales from Misery Ridge,' Paul Fournier shares tales of his adventurous past.
Read a profile of Paul Fournier by Associated Press reporter Glenn Adams.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fournier is a native Mainer with a long career in the Maine woods, starting out as a registered Maine Guide and bush pilot. For twenty years he was the public information officer for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. He also produced a weekly television program, Maine Fish and Wildlife, for the Maine Public Broadcasting Network. He has written and photographed extensively for a number of magazines, including Audubon, Natural History, National Geographic, Yankee, Down East, Field & Stream, and Outdoor Life, among others. He now divides his time between Maine and Florida.

Q AND A
We asked Paul Fournier about his experiences, favorite stories and more

Q. What do you miss most about Brassua Lake?
A: My youth! My sense of freedom. So many things: The great fishing; the wonderful people we met – neighbors and customers; the flying and enjoying the gorgeous northern Maine scenery; the time spent just exploring the woods and studying nature ... and much more.

Q: What advice would you give today to a young Maine outdoorsman?
A: If that's your dream, go for it!

Q: What's your favorite story in the book, and why?
A: I guess the "Return of the Caribou." It was such a great adventure, involving so many fine and dedicated people who had a vision of restoring this magnificent creature back to the Maine wilderness. Despite the critics' attacks, I'm convinced the motive was pure – if perhaps misguided and with a tragic end. It's a tossup between that and "Foster Eagle," – in which Maine played such a vital role in restoring our national symbol.

Q: Have you ever gotten lost in the woods?
A: I've been "turned around" a few times for a short period; but always made it out on my own.

Q: Guiding, flying, camping, fishing, hunting and filming. Preferred activity?
A: All of the above! Plus wildlife observation, which perhaps tops all.

Q: What are you most proud of from your long career?
A: My years at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. It provided many opportunities to spend time with woods professionals – wardens, pilots, biologists – and to pursue some of the activities I love, including filming wildlife, providing information and education in the form of press releases, films, etc., to the general public.

Q: How do you fulfill your love of the outdoors these days?
A: During the warm months we live on a beautiful lake, and I take daily walks through a "tree farm" forest of 100-year-old pines and mixed hardwoods. I occasionally see deer, etc.

Q: What book or books are you reading now?
A: I'm currently reading one of Stuart Woods'. I enjoy his writing style, plus the fact that he's a pilot and incorporates flying in his stories, some of which are based in Maine and near the area in Florida where I now winter. The best book I've read (and re-read) in recent years: Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth.