Inventing New England

Praise

“Brown . . . writes with charm and cautionary insight about the beginnings of what has become one of New England’s major industries. . . . Inventing New England would be the perfect book to read before heading off down to the Cape, up to the lake, or . . . for a day at the beach.”—Boston Globe

“A marvelous examination of the economic, cultural, and ideological foundations of the development of regional tourism. . . . Combines the best of local history with strong thematic analysis. . . . An examplary book.”—American Historical Review

“The chapters are eye openers. . . . Few studies of New England are as perceptive in their appreciation of the complex relationships between place, time, economics, and society.”—Journal of Interdisciplinary History

“Brown provides her readers with a richer portrait of early vacationing in New England than any previous writer. . . . Inventing New England will come as a breath of fresh air to readers who have had their fill of Puritanism, the writers of the ‘flowering,’ and the victims of industrialization.”—New England Quarterly

“Along with John Sears’ Sacred Places, Inventing New England ranks as essential reading for students of nineteenth-century tourism and leisure.”—Journal of Social History

“A solid contribution to the history of tourism and the understanding of tourism’s cultural and economic significance. Brown’s discussion of tourism as one of the earliest forms of industrial capitalism is particularly impressive.”—John F. Sears, author of Sacred Places