A hundred years ain't a very long time on the Eastern Shore, " local farmers and watermen used to say, and that is a telling refrain. Past and present mix easily on the Shore, and in this respect, as well as in certain local customs and habits of language, the region is very much still an old-fashioned English society. This same mix of history and social commentary is what makes this book about Maryland's Eastern Shore unique.Until fairly recently, the peninsula was one of the most geographically isolated regions on the Atlantic coast. In this isolated society, the most important factors have been agriculture, seafaring, and race -- a blend of soil, sea, and soul. In his attempt to convey the special character of the region -- before accelerating change effects its transformation -- John Wennersten has used these themes as a framework for an absorbing narrative.