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The Making of Theodore Roosevelt by Robert DeMayo Wayward Publishing
book review by Karolina Blaha-Black
"There is no one (referring to his Maine guide, William Sewall) who could more clearly give the account of me when I was a young man and ever since."
DeMayo gives an account of a young Theodore Roosevelt when he spent a period of time in the wild woods of Maine. His guides through the wilderness, Bill Sewall and his nephew Wilmot, show Theodore all that is needed to survive in the backwoods. The hardship changes Theodore from a sickly youth to a strong, determined young man, who is ready to accomplish anything he wishes. The book weaves in and out of his three visits to Maine during the course of one year with Bill as his guide, and his trips back to New York where he attends Harvard and courts the love of his life, Alice Hathaway Lee, whom he wishes to be his wife.
Throughout the challenges that Theodore experiences in the wilderness, be it scaling Mount Katahdin, taking a grueling expedition to the Munsungen Lakes, or embarking on a never-ending caribou chase, young Theodore learns a lot about human nature, the natural world around him, and life itself. As they explore the Maine backwoods, Theodore and Bill quote poetry by H.W. Longfellow and other period thinkers, which gives the roughness of the subject matter a softer edge. The reader meets other interesting characters, such as Coty, a cook at the logging camp; Cecil, the logging camp boss; Theodore's best friend Dickey from Harvard, and wealthy cousins Emlen and West, whose views on life contrast sharply with those of the open-minded and toughened man that Theodore had become.
This was a truly enjoyable read, a jam-packed adventure full of logging camp humor, canoe trips, hunting, and buckboard rides, not just for Roosevelt fans but for anyone who loves and appreciates tales of unspoiled nature at its wildest.