PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 18, 2026
Paul Guernsey lives in Warren, Maine. His fourth novel, “Rolling Back the River,” explores an eroding world with a guide who knows the last of what’s left on the map. Vincent Mapp, like Guernsey himself, is an expert angler on a mission to catch a fish native to Maine in the waters of Argentina. Along the way, he learns to adapt to adventure, loss and the whims of literature at every turn. Guernsey uses humor, grief and field guide precision to take readers on an adventure to Argentina and through time as we roll back the river of his devising. He says, “If we sit around thinking about the good old days, we’re just wasting our time because we’re in a different spot. We have to make the best of our short time in that place. Too many people spend their time trying to roll back up the river. You just have to step out where you can and fish that spot, make the best of that spot and then keep moving.” ~ Lisa Hiton