On Main Street

Book excerpt: On Main Street illuminates the lives of people from earlier generations who influenced the author. The book captures the essence and innocence of a Maine town when communities were more insular and self-sufficient. While the individual events are those of Dexter, they reflect an era of great change in America. The stories’ universal themes combine the child’s sense of wonder with the adult’s observations and experience. On Main Street is about change and loss, connections and ironies, nostalgia and realities. It is told with subtle, self-deprecating humor, new found wisdom, and insight. This book will be enjoyed by an audience spanning several generations. On Main Street celebrates the lives of the author’s family members—a grandfather who is known for his egocentricities and eccentricities, his children who grew up in two very different worlds, and a great-aunt whose strength of character shines through. This book also details the lives of ordinary people and unusual characters in the community from Louis Chabot, who worked the looms at Amos Abbott Woolen Mill, to Jere Abbott, son of the mill owner, who became a co-founder of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and a benefactor of Colby College’s art museum.