Cover courtesy of Liveright Publishing

“In March, I normally make reservations for summer camping. I love the outdoors in the Pine Tree State and picked a park near Dover-Foxcroft, close to our son. Then came the pandemic, my personal beliefs tested in this time of trauma and tragedy. I watched an interview on Zoom with the feisty Mira Ptacin, and I was drawn to check out her book.

“Camps are common in Maine. I enjoy visits to state campgrounds all year, ran summer camps for kids and adults in the past, dream of a secluded cabin by the lake or the sea. A Spiritualist camp in the foothills of Maine, though, who knew? According to the book, Camp Etna, founded in 1901, drew thousands in its heyday, the early part of the 20th century. Today, it draws a few hundred (barring a pandemic) .

“Documentary journalist Mira Ptacin paints a rich portrait of a special place, its unique people, its history and their religion. Like all seekers, she looked for answers on faith: ‘This was something I’d been noticing by then — when I went with it and didn’t think about it, when I accepted the medium’s message, a small, hidden hurt part inside me let itself feel a little better.’

“Fascinating and quirky. For me, as a non-fiction fan, “The In-Betweens,” though not perfect, was just the antidote I needed.” — Susan E. Yorston, York