I grew up on the Pemaquid Peninsula in Maine where Samoset and the Wawenock lived, and like many people of European descent, I knew little about the Indigenous people who called the area home for thousands of years. With a background in library work, I began my research with the question, “What was Samoset doing in Plymouth?” The journey to find the answer was both enlightening and surprising.
I worked for many years in the Hall-Dale school system in Farmingdale, Maine, first as an educational technician in the library, and then as the librarian after I got my Master's degree. In 2013 I was extremely honored to be named the Walter J. Taranko Maine School Librarian of the Year.
This is me at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, standing next to the replica of Stephen Hopkins’ house where Samoset spent his first night with the colonists.
When I was writing Here First, I could always see it visually. So, why not turn it into a graphic novel? This has been in the works for a while as I search for an Indigenous illustrator. I think I may have found one, so it can move forward.
Writing that graphic novel was so much fun, I've been at work on another one. I guess all those years as a school librarian had an impact on me. I am almost finished with a draft of a book tentatively titled On to Quebec! Benedict Arnold’s Revolutionary War Expedition to Canada. I love this story. Stay tuned!
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