FREEPORT

On April 27 at 6:30 p.m., Brunswick author Deborah Gould will give a talk on her novel, “The Eatern: The Early Years,” at the Freeport Community Library.

Gould’s historical novel, the first of two volumes, is a fictional account of five families who lived along the Eastern River in the town of East Pittston. The novel spans 45 years of social change from 1820 to the end of the Civil War in 1865. Throughout the novel Gould explores themes of community, reciprocity and working for the common good. It also explores the rise of Maine’s agricultural society and its eventual replacement by an economy built upon industry and manufacture.

“My fiction tends to push out of my fascination with social history and the common experiences and truths we share with those who have lived before us. These families did, in fact, exist; their names appear in town and state records, in local newspapers, in probate court documents, and I’ve drawn heavily from those historical resources,” said Gould.

In the 1990s, the Gould purchased and lived in one of the few remaining farmhouses of the Pittston community. Her research into its former owner, Joel Thompson, motivated her to begin writing “The Eastern” and ultimately led to her being awarded the 2014 Maine Literary Award in the short works fiction category for a chapter from the book.

“There’s something special about the Maine Lits: an award granted by other Maine writers, readers and booksellers; it’s a homegrown affair, a source of pride,” said Gould.

The event is free and open to the public.