October 2014 - Gardiner Public Library

Please plan on joining the staff of the Gardiner Public Library as they celebrate the publication of a new book by Gardiner author Gay Grant on Tuesday, October 28^that 7PM at the Gardiner Public Library.

Destination Unknown: An Evacuee’s Story is the story of a young girl just coming of age when war breaks out. The Second World War was declared on the day Patricia Phillips turned seven years old. A year later she and her older brother John became “evacuees” when their parents made a life or death choice to send them to live with strangers in order to escape the Nazi bombs. Like millions of other British children, the government’s wartime evacuation scheme helped ensure Pat’s safety, but left deep emotional scars. It took an unlikely friendship with an American writer a generation her junior for Pat to bring back the traumatic memories and heal the wounds of a life forever changed by war. This inspiring memoir is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the healing power of friendship.

Join Ms. Grant as she explains the process of writing this story and the inspiration behind this unique perspective of the bombing of England during World War II. Copies of the book will be for sale and all proceeds from the event will be used towards the renovation of the library’s Community Archives Room. Refreshments catered by students of the Capital Area Technical Center Culinary Arts program lead by Chef Charles Izzy.

Gay M. Grant owns and operates The Write Way consulting service, through which she has secured millions of dollars in grants for Maine non-profits, and helped clients tell their own stories. She is the author of Along the Kennebec: The Herman Bryant Collection (Arcadia Publishers) and her articles have appeared in local newspapers and historical publications. Inspired by her participation in the University of Southern Maine’s exchange program with King Alfred’s College in England in 1979, she has travelled frequently to that country to visit friends and to research this book. Grant is serving her first term in the Maine House of Representatives and lives with her husband Ron in South Gardiner, Maine.

The Gardiner Public Library is located at 152 Water Street, Gardiner. This event is free and opened to the public and for more information call 207-582-3312.

Did you know that there was a booklet published in 1981 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the library? It was written by Jody Clark, illustrated by Betty Heselton, and gives a concise history of the first centennial.

Recently we found a small box of these booklets tucked into the back of a closet. They are now at the front desk and can be yours for the price of any monetary donation.

Here’s a taste of what you will find in it:

A lovely sketch of the fireplace in the Hazzard Reading Room

A poem written by Laura Richards which she recited before the Library Association in 1916

An extensive list of Gardiner authors

A list of the officers of the Association in 1981 along with the names of the staff of the library at that time.

Scott Handville, Assistant Director

Autumn at the Gardiner Public Library!

Gay Grant Publication Launch Party!

100 Years And Counting!