Is It Possible? Stories from Lost History by Doug Ohman (2021)
Ah, Metal Detecting: “The hobby of champions,” according to Quarter Hoarder, and I tend to agree. Given a cloudy Saturday morning in the Spring, you’ll more likely than not find me out on the hunt in some old farm or park in WI or MN…or at least wishing I was there.
I’m a man of many hobbies (my wife will tell you), but few of my outdoor adventures are as satisfying as this: swinging my Nox 600 over a yard dating back to the 1850s, every inch promising the potential of a crisp high-tone that informs me before I even dip my shovel into the ground that I’ve got silver in the hole—well, either silver or a pull-tab. It’s a hobby of genuine treasure hunting and of lessons in history, at least to those willing to take the time to research their finds.
That’s precisely what we have in this book by Doug Ohman, a fascinating collection of short historical fiction based upon the possible backstories of his metal detecting finds. Set mostly in the small towns of Minnesota, this impeccably researched book is both entertaining and enlightening and definitely one of the gem-finds of my reading year.
Ohman breaks up his stories into the following categories, based on the type of find he’s discovered:
- Coins and Tokens (3)
- Transportation (33)
- Toys (51)
- Personal Relics (75)
- Household (103)
- Military (127)
- Miscellaneous (143)
- Special Hunts (157)
He then adds to the end of his book a series of short chapters on the following topics:
- Metal Detecting Q&A (167)
- Code of Ethics (171)
- Added Benefits (173)
- Additional Finds (179)
Apart from the clear photos of the finds themselves and the properties from which they came, Ohman also adds a vast number of photographs which illustrate the historical setting for the stories he writes. Normally I’d view so many pictures as filler, but each was tastefully selected and really served to enhance the book as a whole.
Each entry follows a rough outline that really kept me engaged as a reader. 1) Ohman opens each account with a description of the Facts: a little about the setting of his dig, the permission, the friends he was with, the reason he was there, etc. 2) He then records the story as he imagines it, where we either get to meet the person who may have once held the object as a prized possession or get to witness the circumstances during which the object was lost. We meet children and soldiers, immigrants and lovers, and each little story is a slice (a deliciously believable slice) of Minnesota history imagined by the guy who took an afternoon to swing his detector and get dirty in the field. 3) Ohman then follows these stories with the year in which his story is set and some historical highpoints from each.
Beyond all this entertaining and education meat, I feel it important also to praise the designers of this book (whether that’s Doug Ohman himself or the Barb Lappi listed in the front matter). I’ve read a number of self-published books in my time, but I’ve never seen one done so impeccably well as this. I don’t know if they still call it “typesetting,” but I was constantly impressed with the book’s balance and consistency throughout as I read and kept thinking, “Man, if I could ever produce something half as creative is appealing as this with my own finds, I’d be thrilled.” And I don’t even know these people, so don’t think I’m just pandering for friends! I was just really impressed.
All told, this was one of my favorite books to read this past winter. It kept my detectorist’s pilot-light burning, knowing that Spring’s just around the corner and I’ll be able to get out there myself soon and start finding my own history. I’m sure all detectorists like to imagine how our prizes found their way 6 inches underground, but Ohman takes those imaginings to a whole new level, and I loved every minute of it.
©2023 E.T.
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