ELLSWORTH – Martha Tod Dudman will discuss her latest novel, Sunrise and the Real World (2023), at the Ellsworth Public Library. This is a free and open-to-the-public event. Books will be available for purchase and signing, cash or check only. Please register: 207-667-6363 or at info@ellsworthlibrary.net.
Sunrise and the Real World (2023) is a twisty, character-driven coming-of-age mystery partially set at Sunrise Academy, a camp for troubled teenagers in the 1980s. Lorraine, the protagonist of this story and camp staff member quickly finds herself absorbed in a world very distant from the idyllic lobsters-and-lighthouses fairy tale she had always associated with Maine. Years later, disheartened and battered by life, Lorraine is unexpectedly drawn back to that world to confront the person she was, the choices she made, and the bitter ghosts that still haunt her.
As May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, this event serves as an opportunity to not only highlight current works of literature that are set in Maine but also to engage in meaningful conversations about mental health and well-being within our community.
Martha Tod Dudman describes her inspiration to place the story in Down East Maine as follows:
“Sunrise Academy is loosely based on a residential treatment program where I worked in the 1980s. The people, events, and circumstances are all invented, but I tried to capture the feel of the place: teenage desperation, quickly erupting violence, the sense of ongoing emergency and, occasionally, shards of love.”
Martha Tod Dudman’s previous books include Expecting to Fly, Black Olives, and the memoir Augusta, Gone which was adapted into a Lifetime movie in 2006 and recognized with the Prism Award for Best TV Movie or Miniseries in 2007. PRISM Awards are entertainment industry awards that honor nuanced and accurate portrayals of substance abuse, addiction, and mental health in entertainment programming. Dudman was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in Washington, D.C. She moved to Maine in 1975 where she lived and worked in Ellsworth for some time. She currently calls Northeast Harbor home.
The Ellsworth Public Library has been residing in the historic Tisdale House since 1897. It hosts a collection of more than 46,000 items in-house including books, large print books, audiobooks, movies, music CDs, and its growing Library of Things. In 2023, the library ran a total of 470 programs for all ages. Patrons have access to over 8 million items from 63 libraries statewide as well as subscriptions to 50 print publications and online access to streaming and download services as well as to the New York Times. An EPL library card also gives its holder access to free passes to many renowned Down East museums. http://www.ellsworthlibrary.net/
Contact: Berit Becker
Communications Director
Ellsworth Public Library
bbecker@ellsworthlibrary.net
(207)-667-6363
