Just Fred wrote:
I side with the people who suggest using YouTube tutorials. I find them easier to follow, and the book-led (do this, do that, and your results will be like ours) to be frustrating.
YouTube videos can be paused, rewound, examined, and replayed. If you don't like one tutor's approach, try another.
I've used Anthony Morganti, lynda.com, Serge Ramelli, and Julianne Kost. Search for them in YouTube, and be prepared to learn! :)
We're all different. I have never been able to learn much from those videos but I can take a book and follow precisely. The books that helped me most were not the generic ones I usually see recommended (that are the size of an old fashioned dictionary) but little ebooks that targeted my interest, which is primarily landscape and were written by photographers whose work I admired.
Even rural areas often have a nearby community college that a course can be found at. And online courses with an instructor that provides feedback might also be an option.
The OP lives in coastal Maine not far from Acadia NP, which is a photographic hotbed even though it isn't an urban area. There should be some options nearby but they may have to be sought out. Hopefully someone else who lives up there will offer some knowledgeable guidance.