The biography girl watermans lobster

Booklist

This sweet, beautifully illustrated tale of one exceptional seafaring grandmother and her life in the Pine Tree State follows “the Lobster Lady,” Virginia Oliver, the oldest person lobstering in Maine.

As the 102-year-old goes out on the boat for the day, she’s given a chance to reflect on over 90 years of lobstering and how, in the many decades of her life, she’s seen changes in her town, on the water, and in the trade. In a narrative told largely in short vignettes of flashbacks sure to resonate in places where traditional industries are a cultural touchstone, Virginia reflects on her pioneering life as the Lobster Lady to her family, friends, and the doctor stitching up a gash from a crab.

While the illustrations are beautiful and soft, and the story is quiet and reflective, a child reader will likely need some adult assistance to grasp the context. For fans of picture-book biographies that are quiet, gentle reflections on a life lived boldly.