"What a deliciously irresistible novel! This book is a five-star read. I guarantee you’ll love it.” — Elin Hilderbrand

"A wry, aching, life-affirming novel about cancer, motherhood, and the mess of being human. Caitlin Shetterly writes with unsparing honesty and grace. A tour de force.” — Christina Baker Kline

Join us for an riveting discussion between Freeport's own Caitlin Shetterly and bookstagrammer Matt Chisling for Shetterly's newest novel, The Gulf of Lions. From the acclaimed author of Pete and Alice in Maine, comes a standalone and evocative sequel about a mother who, recovering from the trauma of breast cancer and a mastectomy, takes a once-in-a-lifetime trip across France with her two daughters, determined to fully live. There, she finds herself newly awakened by beauty and desire but when the trip takes a turn for the worst, she must decide between a life of pleasure or the deep tethering of family.

In addition to the sequential novels Pete an Alice in Maine and The Gulf of Lions, Caitlin is the author of three other books: Modified, Made for You and Me, and the bestselling Fault Lines: Stories of Divorce. Her work has been featured in the The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, Orion, Elle, Self, The Boston Globe, LitHub, Romper, and on Oprah.com, as well as on This American Life, Hidden Brain, Studio 360, NPR’s Weekend Edition, and various other public radio shows. She lives with her two sons and husband in her home state.

Matt Chisling @mattyandthebooks became a bookstagrammer (book blogger) in 2020 to have a place to channel his fervent reading energy while on lockdown. He has been featured on Buzzfeed and Food and Wine. When not reading, Chisling works on Broadway.

Interested parties will be able to purchase copies of The Gulf of Lions courtesy of Print: A Bookstore. 

This event is free and open to the public. For questions or directions to the library, call 207-865-3307 or visit freeportlibrary.com.