Gifts for the Book Lover
Celebrate Maine’s literary talent with these female authors whose books make great gifts for the readers on your list
By Jodi Hersey
Maine has a plethora of talent. Artists, musicians, and authors all draw inspiration from this state in one way or another. We’ve compiled a short list of female Maine writers whose work is worth a read — and perfect for gifting this season.
Ellen Baker of Round Pond is the author of several books including “Summerland Cove.” Baker highlights the love, complexities, and secrets within families in her book which follows three generations who reunite annually at their summer cottage in Maine. They’ve planned a summer of a lifetime — only for everything to go wrong.
“Mainers will recognize some beautiful and wonderful spots,” Baker said. “King Eiders Pub, Gelato Fiasco, and Moody’s Diner are all in the book.”
Suzanne Carver of Hampden is the author of “Flight Path.” It’s a fictional story about two women seeking answers after their husbands die in the same plane crash.
“I like stories about people that are in difficult situations that have to find their grit and determination to survive or thrive in it,” Carver said.
Tess Gerritsen of Camden is the author of more than 30 mystery novels including her latest release, “The Shadow Friends.” The story is the third in her Martini Club series. It’s about a disease expert that mysteriously dies at a global affairs conference in Maine. Gerritsen based her novel off the annual global affairs conference known as the Camden Conference.
“I thought there’s a lot of speakers from around the world here. What if there was a murder? I’m sorry. That’s just the way my mind works as a mystery writer,” she said. “My job is to entertain and hopefully I’ll make you think as well.”
Ardeana Hamlin of Hampden is the author of several books including “Pink Chimneys,” which was released back in the 1980s but is still finding its way into the hands of readers today. This work of fiction is about Bangor in the early 1900s, where a midwife, a housemistress at a brothel, and a seamstress form an unlikely friendship.
“One of the things that surprised me is the number of men who have read it, which I didn’t expect,” Hamlin said. “My sister said it was almost as good as ‘Gone with the Wind,’ but not quite.”
Maureen Milliken of Augusta is the author of the Bernie O’Dea mystery series.
“No conversation is safe around me now because it will end up in a book,” she said.
Milliken’s novels follow a small-town newspaper owner and reporter in Franklin County who is uncovering crime after crime. Bernie’s close work with the town’s police chief leads to some questionable choices.
Michelle Shores of Brewer is author of “The Gathering Room” and its prequel, “Henceforth and Unstoppable.” Shores’ works of historical fiction dig into Maine’s first documented ghost sighting and the supernatural events surrounding the Blaisdell family.
Her love of research led her to writing.
“I kept researching the families involved and couldn’t satisfy my curiosity of what they claimed to have seen,” Shores said. “So, I created a story of what we do know.”
Monica Wood of Mexico, Maine is the author of several books and plays including “How to Read a Book.” This work of fiction follows a 22-year-old woman from Abbott Falls, Maine, who has just been released from prison after serving time for a drunk-driving crash that killed a local teacher. While trying to reacclimate into society, she connects with several unlikely people in a bookstore.
When asked about her writing, Wood said, “I feel like I am doing what I was meant to do.”
