A Good Read: A successful return

“A Good Read” was a mainstay of the “old” Harpswell Anchor, before its relaunch in June 2021. We didn’t bring back “A Good Read” right away, but submissions would trickle in anyway.

When we finally took the hint and reintroduced “A Good Read” in October 2024, the response was immediate and enthusiastic. We run two photos in each edition, but we have a growing backlog of submissions.

We decided to publish this “special edition” to catch up — a little bit — and say thank you to everyone who brings the Anchor along on their travels.

We love to see where the Anchor ends up, from the top of a mountain in the Swiss Alps to the “end of the world” in Argentina. But the place doesn’t have to be exotic.

We ask for photos from “distant or unusual locations.” The latter could be right here in Harpswell.

One of our favorite recent photos depicts the “Harpswell Mountain Mamas” on a stoop Down East, using “A Good Read” to share a story about decades of friendship and adventure.

“A Good Read” is a testament to readers’ pride in their hometown — and, we like to think, in their hometown newspaper. 

Nick Hooper reads the Harpswell Anchor in Worcester, Worcestershire, England, on Nov. 2, 2025. Hooper, of Worcester, had recently returned from a visit to his friend Paul Wild, of Harpswell Neck. (Jo Hooper photo)

Sam Fortier enjoys the Harpswell Anchor near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., in July 2025. Fortier, from Bailey Island, now lives in Washington, where he works as a sports writer. (Mike Fortier photo)

Eric Zelz relaxes with the Harpswell Anchor after a day of exploring Wassaw Island, off the coast of Savannah, Georgia, on Dec. 30, 2024. Anchor readers know Zelz for his illustrations and infographics about topics such as aquaculture and the geological history of Harpswell. (Abby Zelz photo)

Bisi Cameron Yee reads the Harpswell Anchor’s August 2025 special report, “Cultivating the Coast: The Growth and Growing Pains of Aquaculture” at Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park in New Brunswick, Canada, on Aug. 23, 2025. A freelance journalist and frequent contributor to the Anchor, Cameron Yee photographed sea farmers and wrote about how to buy and eat Harpswell oysters for the report. (John Yee photo)

Betty Ann Kane, of Harpswell Neck, reads the April edition of the Harpswell Anchor in Tessionniere, France, on April 11, 2025, next to a plaque that commemorates the 1631 baptism of Louis Tetreau. Kane is a seventh great-granddaughter of Tetreau, who arrived in what is now Quebec around 1660. (Photo courtesy Betty Ann Kane)

Molly Tannatt, of Harpswell Neck, reads the August 2025 edition of the Harpswell Anchor at the National Science Museum in Daejeon, South Korea, on Aug. 24, 2025. Molly Tannatt’s daughter, Abigail Tannatt, recently moved to Daejeon to teach English. (Abigail Tannatt photo)

Ann and Geoff Johnson, of Stover’s Cove, enjoy the September edition of the Harpswell Anchor on a beach in Nice, France, on Sept. 28, 2025. The Johnsons were traveling with their son and daughter for a milestone birthday celebration. (Sam Johnson photo)

Norma Jean Loftus, left, and Sue Devine share the October 2025 edition of the Harpswell Anchor in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, on Oct. 6, 2025, with the Cologne Cathedral visible in the background. Loftus and Devine are summer residents of Bailey Island. (Christine O’Shea photo)