New Book Explores How Maine’s Lighthouses Are More than Guiding Lights
Lighthouses…they are beautiful, stir our emotions, charm us with their romance and lend character to a coast that mirrors the hardiness of its people.
In his seventh book – Beacons of Wonderment: A Fascination with Maine’s Lighthouses, author Bob Trapani, Jr. takes you on a lighthouse journey for both the mind and the eyes—guided by the heart every step of the way. His thoughtful prose invites you to consider the boundless significance of lighthouses as the pairing imagery captivates you with the grandeur and intrigue that embodies these venerable sentinels.
The full color, 164-page book is sure to delight even the most casual of readers. Topics, such as light, storms, fog, time and the dedication of those who kept our lighthouses shining bright, are pondered without limits.
“My appreciation for Maine’s lighthouses is directly underpinned by a love and fascination with the coast of Maine” says Trapani. “The craggy coastline, the many islands crowned in green and the wild wave-swept ledges that make the Pine Tree State’s lighthouses, well – distinctly Maine, hold sway with the lights throughout this volume. Together, they reveal remarkable perspectives of Maine’s lighthouses, as well as the coast they preside over.”
Along his unique and winding lighthouse journey, Bob has sought any shred of evidence that could be gleaned in an effort to gain a deeper comprehension, including every sight, sound, feel and smell. He combed shorelines and lingered at innumerable nooks and crannies. He waded through thin waters, climbed over rockweed-covered ledges and admired mirrors of reflection that shimmered atop thin brine in tide pools.
Intrigued by winter’s frigid countenance, Bob steeled himself against sub-zero temperatures when the air burns cold. He stared straight into the face of galloping northeast gales, trudged through snow – sometimes drifts waist deep, and clamored about rocky surfaces encrusted with ice.
Each experience built upon the next as he delved into the deeper meaning and symbolism of Maine’s lighthouses. Such insights were collected at the crossroads of the heart, where history and philosophy forever intersect.
Trapani notes, “I believe in letting times of reflection flow, enable what’s heartfelt to manifest and capturing a smattering of thoughts that inspire. At lighthouses, I have come to learn that within the shadows, rocky crevices and random tide pools, nothing may be seen and yet everything is revealed. It all depends on your perspective!”
Bob blends his passion for writing and photography in a way that endeavors to capture both the beauty and depth of meaning along the Maine coast. He has authored six other books, including Gleams and Whispers: Maine’s Lighthouses and Their Allure and Rockland Breakwater: A Journey through the Seasons.
For 25 years, Bob has worked in the field of historic maritime preservation, presently serving as the Executive Director for the nonprofit American Lighthouse Foundation. Bob is also a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliarist and has served as a lighthouse technician for 23 years assisting the USCG in maintaining the lights and fog horns at twenty-six lighthouses from Port Clyde, Maine, to the Canadian border. Bob resides in Camden with his wife Ann-Marie and three of their children.
Beacons of Wonderment: A Fascination with Maine’s Lighthouses is available for purchase through Moments in Maine by visiting shop.momentsinmaine.com or calling 207-691-8400.
