“Forty-Something: An Adirondack Tale by Michael Keeler, with illustrations by Sara Keeler, alternates between a small lens – the engaging story of a city kid tackling the highest peaks in the Adirondacks – and the bigger picture of local history, geology and ecology.
-Adirondack Life, Regional Reads, Winter 2023
“Bran, a kid from New York City whose single mother sends him to work at an expensive High Peaks summer camp, meets Mr. Kutschner (“Kootch”), who handles the camp maintenance. Bran and Kootch develop a friendship as Kootch starts Bran on a mission to become a 46er. Bran matures, learns Adirondack history, and gains confidence; Kootch grows up, too, and makes some important decisions. One senses that they will never forget this life-changing summer and their quest to climb the High Peaks.
– Adirondac Magazine, Winter 2024
“So begins a tale of one summer, two friends, 46 mountains, and 5 million years.” This succinct explanation of Forty-Something: An Adirondack Tale, is the essence of the tale but there is so much more to discover in this coming-of-age story of a young teenager and a young college drop-out.
Both young men have emotional baggage that impedes the development of their friendship, but both are hard workers who quickly become committed in the 46-peak challenge. Along the way, Kootch teaches Bran about the far-reaching history of the Adirondacks…Algonquins…“Bark-Eaters”…Haudenosaunee…“Rattlesnakes.” Other stories teach about the important historical roles played by Hiawatha, Christopher Columbus, and Samuel de Champlain…Melville Dewey and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
-Adirondack Daily Enterprise