Downeast Ledge
A Novel
Norman Gilliland
A wistful comedy of locals and summer people in coastal Maine
Changing times and personal failings have brought life to a standstill for the natives of Ashton, Maine. On the far side of the river that divides the coastal town, the prosperous summer residents come and go, seemingly complacent, without having much to do with the locals.
But when Amber Waits crosses the river to take a job as a caregiver to dementia sufferer Walter Sterling, all bets are off. She finds herself thrown into the troubled lives of Walt, his distracted wife Geneva, and their resentful and reckless daughter Karen. And although he seems unaware of his surroundings, Walt begins to exert a strange influence on Amber and her friends. Karen becomes determined to make a dream come true by taking up with Robin Dunning, a local seafarer with a shadowy past and questionable future. As Amber tries to fend off one catastrophe after another, she has to muster her courage and resourcefulness to save her friends and herself.
 Norman Gilliland is the author of two books about classical music, Grace Notes for a Year and Scores to Settle, as well as two previous novels, Sand Mansions and Midnight Catch. He is also a producer at Wisconsin Public Radio.
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Of Related Interest
 Midnight Catch
A Novel
Norman Gilliland
A Depression-era story of rum-running, politics, and murder in Florida's north country. |
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PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
December 2013
LC: 2013904698
388 pp. 6 x 9
Distributed for Nemo Productions
“You'll be rooting for Norman Gilliland’s well-drawn cast despite all their human flaws—or perhaps because of them. A rewarding, touching read.”
—Kelly Harms, author of The Good Luck Girls of Shipwreck Lane
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