While growing up, I was fascinated with the world around me. I had an admiration for animals and a love for both the food and culture of the time. Being raised on a campground in rural southern New England was exciting, but transitioning to city life was challenging. It was difficult for me to let go of the 1970s; I felt it was the best decade to be a kid. No matter what challenges the future would bring, I always found myself returning to the woods to find solitude. The vast campground teeming with wildlife manifests itself in both majestic beauty and eerie encounters. It is a splendid forum for the exploration of youngsters' full of imagination. The waterfront is the defining feature of the campground, the epicenter of activity; like the sea, it is both aesthetic and haunting. Somehow, the waterfront possesses an intrinsic quality that is a crucial ingredient in both creating and preserving memories; it is truly the thread that binds the novel together . . .