In lush and descriptive prose Shartle invents an Adirondack hermit, a woman who shoots at low-flying military aircraft on a cold winter day.” — Adirondack Explorer
“…the strength of the writing in The Truth and Legend of Lily Martindale made it a pleasure to read.” — North Country Public Radio
“Shartle has written a rich novel. She captures the ‘otherness’ of the Adirondack camp, with its family and seasonal rituals, and its solitude. She has created a troubled character who finally puts the pieces of her life into a whole. And she creates the story within the larger context of bits of prayers people have sung for centuries.” — Adirondack Daily Enterprise
“Mary Sanders Shartle paints a strong portrait of New York’s rugged Adirondack region in her debut novel, The Truth and Legend of Lily Martindale. It’s an atmospheric tale about a great tragedy that devastates two little girls. One refashions her life, finding love, faith, and a rewarding career, while the other struggles for many years to forge herself anew … Shartle’s memorable novel will find a ready audience with readers who are already fond of the Adirondacks, but it is so studded with rich detail and scenery that others will want to transport themselves to this wild, dangerous, yet achingly lovely place.” — ForeWord Reviews
“Mary Sanders Shartle has created an unforgettable character in her female hermit, subtly evoking the diverse moods of our North Country seasons along the way. This well-paced first novel kept me riveted from the poetic opening paragraphs to the unexpected conclusion. The Truth and Legend of Lily Martindale has all the makings of an Adirondack classic." — Bibi Wein, author of The Way Home: A Wilderness Journey
“What to make of Lily Martindale? In this poignant tale of a woman whose heart remains, for both better and worse, in an idyllic Adirondack childhood while she is buffeted by the storms of adolescence and adulthood, Mary Sanders Shartle has given us a deeply moving and penetrating portrait of human memory, longings, and motivations. Shartle’s thorough knowledge of Adirondack social, political, architectural, and natural history allows her to paint a convincing picture of diverse people, their environments, and their interactions, from the ‘Great Camp’ set to natives of remote northern pockets of the park. Will Lily ever retrieve the love and happiness she knew as a child? Perhaps only a raven knows for sure.” — Neal Burdick, coeditor of The Adirondack Reader: Four Centuries of Adirondack Writing, 3rd Edition
