"For the past five years, the lobster population along the coast of Maine has boomed, resulting in a lobster harvest six times the size of the record catch from the 1980s ... [This book] follows three lobster captains ... as they haul and set thousands of traps. Unexpectedly, boom may turn to bust, as the captains must fight a warming ocean, volatile prices, and rough weather to keep their livelihood afloat. The three captains work longer hours, trying to make up in volume what they lack in price. As a result, there are 3 million lobster traps on the bottom of the Gulf of Maine, while Frank, Jason, and others call for a reduction of traps ... Maine lobstering towns are among the first American communities to confront global warming, and the survival of the Maine Coast depends upon their efforts. It may be an uphill battle to create a sustainable catch as high temperatures are already displacing lobsters northward toward Canadian waters--out of reach of American fishermen"--

From the author of Skipjack & The Melting World comes a mystery: the curious boom in America’s beloved lobster industry and its probable crash Maine lobstermen have happened upon a bonanza along their rugged, picturesque coast. For the past five years, the lobster population along the coast of Maine has boomed, resulting in a lobster harvest six times the size of the record catch from the 1980s—an event unheard of in fisheries. In a detective story, scientists and fishermen explore various theories for the glut. Leading contenders are a sudden lack of predators and a recent wedge of warming waters, which may disrupt the reproductive cycle, a consequence of climate change. Christopher White's The Last Lobster follows three lobster captains—Frank, Jason, and Julie (one the few female skippers in Maine)—as they haul and set thousands of traps. Unexpectedly, boom may turn to bust, as the captains must fight a warming ocean, volatile prices, and rough weather to keep their livelihood afloat. The three captains work longer hours, trying to make up in volume what they lack in price. As a result, there are 3 million lobster traps on the bottom of the Gulf of Maine, while Frank, Jason, and others call for a reduction of traps, which may boost prices. The Maine lobstering towns are among the first American communities to confront global warming, and the survival of the Maine Coast depends upon their efforts. It may be an uphill battle to create a sustainable catch as high temperatures are already displacing lobsters northward toward Canadian waters—out of reach of American fishermen. The last lobster may be just ahead.

The Red Lobster chain restaurant perched in the far corner of a run-down American mall hasn't been making its numbers and headquarters has pulled the plug. But manager Manny DeLeon still needs to navigate a tricky last shift with a near-mutinous staff and the final onslaught of hungry retirees, lunatics and office parties. All the while, he's wondering how to handle the waitress he's still in love with, what to do about his pregnant girlfriend and where to find the Christmas present that will make everything better. Stewart O'Nan has been called 'the bard of the working class', and Last Night at the Lobster is a masterclass of precision and empathy.

An anthropologist describes the working world of Maine lobstermen, focusing on the intricate personal network that sustains them.

An insider’s look at the daily lives of Maine’s lobster fishermen. What is it like to live and work in a lobster fishing village in one of the most remote parts of Maine? The extreme weather conditions of the Maine coast, unreliable fishing seasons and an ever-present element of danger are just a few of the challenges encountered by lobster fishermen. They must adapt to constant change and balance exploiting the natural resource for personal profit with a duty to conserve lobster stocks for future generations. Despite the challenges, most would not trade the benefits of their job—from the independence it offers to unique pastimes like lobster boat racing. These fishermen aren’t just the masters of their ships, they are the captains of their souls. From a family of four generations of lobster fishermen, Christina Lemieux Oragano provides a glimpse inside these lobstering communities and celebrates it for those lucky enough to live it—the trials, triumphs and even a few of her favorite lobster recipes. “Her first book is a comprehensive, authentic, and honest insider’s look at the life of a Maine lobsterman. The book covers the strategy involved (they don’t just plunk those traps anywhere), the complexities of the market, the perils of the profession, the finer points of lobster-boat design, and even the unwritten rules that lobstermen use to police their waters (they are strictly, if unofficially, enforced).” —Colby Magazine “With an abundance of romanticized and dramatic fishing stories on the shelves, Christina wanted to tell the story in an accurate way and felt a responsibility not just to the fishermen but to her family also.” —Machias Valley Observer “Christina lived in Cutler, worked in the industry and then interviewed a number of people to make this book possible. My first question for her is when will the next book come out?” —Maine Coastal News

“A thorough and engaging history of Maine’s rocky coast and its tough-minded people.”—Boston Herald “[A] well-researched and well-written cultural and ecological history of stubborn perseverance.”—USA Today For more than four hundred years the people of coastal Maine have clung to their rocky, wind-swept lands, resisting outsiders’ attempts to control them while harvesting the astonishing bounty of the Gulf of Maine. Today’s independent, self-sufficient lobstermen belong to the communities imbued with a European sense of ties between land and people, but threatened by the forces of homogenization spreading up the eastern seaboard. In the tradition of William Warner’s Beautiful Swimmers, veteran journalist Colin Woodard (author of American Character: A History of the Epic Struggle Between Individual Liberty and the Common Good) traces the history of the rugged fishing communities that dot the coast of Maine and the prized crustacean that has long provided their livelihood. Through forgotten wars and rebellions, and with a deep tradition of resistance to interference by people “from away,” Maine’s lobstermen have defended an earlier vision of America while defying the “tragedy of the commons”—the notion that people always overexploit their shared property. Instead, these icons of American individualism represent a rare example of true communal values and collaboration through grit, courage, and hard-won wisdom.

More than five years in preparation, Lobster at Home will teach anyone, from the most inexperienced novice to the seasoned professional, to master the art of cooking lobster.