Journalist and author Ted Reinstein has reported all around New England for 25 years, telling the colorful stories of this historic yet ever-changing corner of America. Now, he condenses his countless travels into a single, unique labor of love in his newest book: Travels Through the Heart and Soul of New England. It's a journey through the heart and soul of New England, meeting the most memorable people—and their unlikely stories—all along the way. People whose struggles, toughness, triumphs, and humor not only define the very essence of New England, but represent the timeless best of America as well.

In all six states, in their own words, the stories unfold. From a stalwart surfer on New Hampshire’s tiny seacoast, to Maine’s “Slim” Andrews and his one-man museum, to the Vermonter who builds extraordinary havens in the trees for those without hope of reaching them. Meet a couple in the Berkshire Hills determined to save a place they were told doesn’t exist, and a cartoonist in Rhode Island who found an ingenious way for an entire city to say goodnight to those who need to hear it most.

It's a legendary part of America that’s often caricatured, but rarely caught with such real-life candor and intimacy. Indeed, the Old Mainer in the tired-old joke was wrong: you can get there from here. And along the way, see New England in a whole new light, through the stories of some everyday Americans you’ll never forget.

About Ted Reinstein

Since 1995, Ted Reinstein has been a reporter for Boston/WCVB’s celebrated “Chronicle,” the nation’s longest-running, locally-produced nightly newsmagazine. He has been a contributing member of the WCVB editorial board since 2010. Elsewhere on television, Ted has hosted specials for the Discovery Channel and HGTV. His first book, New England Notebook: One Reporter, Six States, Uncommon Stories, was selected by National Geographic Traveler as one of its “Best Picks.” His newest book, Travels Through the Heart and Soul of New England came out this past summer. Ted is a native of Winthrop, Massachusetts, and lives with his family just west of Boston.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Lincoln Library and the Friends of the Lincoln Council on Aging.