Outskirts Press, INC.

Penobscot reservation on Indian Island in 1853… “Madeline was born singing. She sang melodies like chants, like forecasts, like conversations with flowers and birds.” While her mother Hannah was comforted by Madeline’s sonorous melodies, her father, Jeremiah, a Calvinist preacher lived in fear of his daughter’s unique voice and spirit. As hard as he tried, he could not contain her. “In addition to being a captivating transgenerational saga, ‘Song of the Split Elm,’ also grapples with issues such as women’s rights, artistic freedom, and the reverent, symbiotic way that indigenous peoples relate to the earth, as opposed to the destructive, proprietary way of the dominant culture. The characters are fully alive on the page, their stories engaging and the writing at times intensely lyrical.” —Mikhail Horowitz, Performance poet, social commentator, author

There was never a mystery that shrouded my Nana's mother. It simply seemed she never existed. As the names of the dead and living ancestors wove through the scrapbooks or invites for Christmas dinner, my great grandmother's name was never mentioned. Almost at the end of our interview, the long-awaited story of nana's mother is the final one. A short story with very little detail, just her name and where she was born. Nana unfolds her hands from her lap, reaches for her hanky always tucked at her bosom. She wipes the tears from her eyes and mer mother's name escapes...."Madeline from Wells, Maine." Review Amazon 5 stars Master Choreographer and Tap Dancer Brenda Bufalino's imagination, combined with historical references, soars and sings this amazing story of her great grandmother. She writes words & phrases of the past, recreating the voices of her ancestors in this compelling historical drama set in 19th century New England. I was mesmerized. Valborg Fletre Linn