“Escape from Bunker Hill” is a story about the Underground Railroad. The storyline tells of the escape of enslaved people from a plantation named Bunker Hill in Jacksonville, FL, all the way to central Maine. This is arranged by the plantation owners Dr. Joseph & Myra Mitchell. They are western Maine natives, born in Newfield, who resided in Manchester, NH, Calais, ME and then Jacksonville before returning to Maine at the outbreak of the Civil War. The Mitchells were actual people, but the storyline sprung from the author’s imagination as she researched the couple’s home in Readfield, ME. The appendix provides information about the real Mitchells and other actual people, events, places, publications and organizations in the novel, that really did exist during that era.
340 pages, illustrated with 35 pg appendix. $16.95 + tax Order NOW via PayPal – see the top button in the right column. FMI, or to arrange for payment by cash or check email crossings4u@gmail.com or call (207) 441-9184.
AVAILABLE VIA THIS WEB SITE AND AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS:
Ye Olde Sale Shoppe, 1543 Province Lake Road, Effingham, New Hampshire
Oliver & Friends Bookshop and Reading Room, 87 Main Street, Belgrade Lakes, ME
Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shops at these nine locations: Rockland, Windham, Portland, Bar Harbor, Boothbay Harbor, Topsham, Damariscotta, Freeport and Falmouth.
Kennebec Cabin Company, 915 Western Ave (Rte. 202), Manchester, ME
Hussey's General Store, 510 Ridge Road (Rte. 32), Windsor, ME
The Weathervane, 1030 Main St. (Rte. 17), Readfield, ME
Monmouth Museum gift shop, 758 Main St. Monmouth, ME
Cross Hill Farm, 959 Cross Hill Road, Vassalboro, ME (call ahead 207-441-9184)
Great Northern Motor Works, 1697 Main St. (Rte. 17) Kents Hill, ME
Winthrop Heritage Center, 107 Main St. Winthrop, ME
Kennebec Historical Society, 107 Winthrop St. Augusta, ME
Readfield Historical Society, 759 Main St. (Rte. 17) Readfield Depot, ME
UPCOMING TALKS AND SIGNINGS (see the bold, red font for future talks):
Thursday, August 11, 2022 6 p.m. at the Winthrop History Center, 107 Main St. Winthrop
Wednesday, August 31, 2022 6 p.m. at Readfield Community Library, 1151 Main St. Readfield
Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022 2:00 p.m. at Kennebec Cabin Company, 915 Western Ave, Manchester
Saturday., Feb. 18, 2023 2:00 p.m. Vassalboro Public Library, 930 Bog Road, Vassalboro
Monday, Feb. 27, 2023 6:30 p.m. at Cumston Public Library, 796 Main St, Monmouth
Sunday, March 5, 2023 2:00 p.m. for "Readfield U", Readfield at Gile Hall, 8 Old KH Rd.
Sunday, April 16, 2023 2:00 co-hosts Dr. Shaw Library and Vienna Historical Society. This will be held at VIENNA GRANGE HALL, route 41 Vienna.
Saturday, April 29, 2023 2:00 at Underwood Memorial Library, 2006 Main St. Fayette
Saturday, June 3, 2023 2:00 p.m. co-hosts Albion Library and Historical Society. Held at the Albion Public Library, 18 Main Street, Albion
Saturday, June 10, 2023 2:00 p.m. at Alfred Shaker Museum, 118 Shaker Hill Rd, Alfred
Wednesday, June 21, 2023 6:30 p.m. for Kennebec Historical Society, at the Augusta City Center, 16 Cony St. Augusta (adjacent to Old Fort Western)
Saturday, June 24, 2023 6:00 p.m. at Sidney Masonic Hall, 2986 Middle Road, Sidney following their Strawberry Festival public supper.
Sunday, July 16, 2023 1:00 p.m. at Parsonsfield Seminary, 504 North Rd (Route 160). The annual Parsonsfield Seminary Victorian Tea is this same day. For reservations call 207-625-4449
Saturday, July 22, 2023 2:00 p.m. co-hosted by Bonney Memorial Library and Cornish Historical Society at the Library 36 Main Street, Cornish.
Saturday, September 9, 2023 1:00-3:00 p.m. at Sherman's Book Store, 49 Exchange St. Portland, Maine. This is a book signing and chat.
Saturday, September 30, 2023 11:00 a.m. at Farmington Public Library, 117 Academy Street. Farmington. (NOTE this has changed from Sept. 23rd to 30th)
Saturday, October 7, 2023 2:00 p.m. at Mechanic Falls Public Library, 108 Lewiston St. Mechanic Falls. This will be held in the conference room on 2nd floor. (NOTE, this is changed from Sept. 16th to Oct. 7th
Thursday, October 12, 2023 9:00 a.m. Talkin' Maine with Tom Saviello on Mt. Blue Community Access TV, airing in Farmington, Jay, Livermore Falls and Wilton.
Saturday, October 14, 2023 10 a.m. - 12 noon I will be co-leading a history walk with Bill Adams, that will include the Readfield Town Forest and Poor Farm. Those who have read my book "The Paupers and the Poor Farms..." may be interested in this. FMI contact me at crossings4u@gmail.com
Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at the Lake Region Senior Center, 40 Acorn St., Gorham, ME. This event is open to the public. Located at Little Falls Elem School.
Saturday, October 28, 2023 2:30 p.m. hosted by Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society at their "The History House" 92 Main Street, Kezar Falls village.
Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at the Roxbury Historical Society. This will be held at the Roxbury Town Hall, 1095 Roxbury Road, Roxbury.
Tuesday, April 23, 2024 7:00 p.m. Hebron Historical Society. This will be held at the Hebron Town Hall, 351 Paris Road, Hebron.
Thursday, June 27, 2024 1:00 p.m. for the Livermore-Livermore Falls Historical Society. The event will take place at the North Livermore Baptist Church, 619 Federal Road (route 4), Livermore. FMI contact Ruth Gammon at 897-6600 or email cgammon@roadrunner.com (Note this has been changed from June 26th)
If you would like to schedule a book talk and reading contact crossings4u@gmail.com
CHECK BACK AS MORE WILL BE SCHEDULED SOON...
BOOK REVIEWS and FEEDBACK:
“I just finished reading ‘Escape from Bunker Hill.’ This is a historical novel about the Underground Railroad with a particular emphasis on the role played by people in Maine. The Maine characters are real. The author, Dale Potter-Clark, hews to the historical record where it exists and uses her novelist license to fill in the gaps where the historical record is silent. The novel succeeds in pulling the reader into the historical period with a compelling narrative. It moves along nicely, because the supporting historical detail has been provided in the form of appendices so that those who don’t want it can just read the novel."
Portland Sunday Telegram, Jan. 1, 2023
Vernan Adams, Stockton Springs, Maine
"Dale Potter-Clark has an easy style of writing that flows easily and made it hard to put down. It certainly will appeal to a wide range of people. It’s got the regional interest that they like, but it will also appeal to American History buffs too. The appendix is equally as interesting as the story itself. For a work of fiction, I am very impressed with it."
Stu Tinker, Betts Book Store, Bangor, Maine
"I just finished reading Escape from Bunker Hill. This historical novel made this courageous journey, travelled by so many, very real for me. I have read many nonfiction and fiction books about the UGRR, but being a lifelong resident of Ohio, most were the journeys taken through Ohio and then north. This book opened my eyes to what the escapees had to endure, going so much further north. Not only the added distance but constant concern for who would help, who could be trusted, being hunted, and also extreme weather conditions on land and sea going into the northeast. Being a frequent visitor to the area of Maine where the story takes place helped me to visualize as well. Dale did a remarkable amount of research, noted in the appendix of her book, providing information about people, places, events and publications from this time period. I would highly recommend Escape from Bunker Hill to anyone interested in the history of the Underground Railroad."
Mary Engle, Canfield, Ohio
