“Jonathan Moldover has gifted us a full history of the Connecticut River’s “Oxbow,” the one made famous in Thomas Cole’s iconic 1836 painting “View from Mt. Holyoke.” Cole himself would have loved delving into Moldover’s readable and beautifully illustrated book, which covers the history of that storied place from Native times to the present. Moldover brings the Oxbow alive with his description of the Oxbow’s natural history and through the voices of the people who still live along its banks. Highly recommended for lovers of American history and landscapes.”
—John Sinton, historian and author of Devil’s Den to Lickingwater
"I enjoyed reading this solid, well-researched history of a place that millions have seen pictures of, yet remains largely unknown. The stories collected from local residents are important additions to the historical record, useful for future generations."
—David Glassberg, Professor Emeritus, Department of History, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
“Jonathan Moldover’s engaging book takes us beyond Thomas Cole’s idyllic view of Northampton’s Oxbow community from atop Mt. Holyoke. Residents on the ground tell us in their own words what it was like to witness farming decline, forests turned into lumber for external markets, and factories come and go. His is a veritable microhistory of economic change and the uneasiness that prevails in a once-self-sufficient neighborhood that has become a recreational destination for outsiders.”
—Dr. Robert E. Weir, labor historian