The author of an award-winning memoir chronicling her mother’s murder in the lakeside resort town of Bridgton, Maine, is joining the online discussion in the Finding Our Voices bookclub during Domestic Abuse Awareness Month. 
 
Sarah Perry was 12 when 30-year-old Crystal was murdered in 1994 in Bridgton. After the Eclipse is a celebration of her mother as well as a chronicle of the 12 years it took for the murder to be solved.  
 
The hour-long and free discussion is Monday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m., over Zoom. Sign-up is by visiting https://bookclubs.com/clubs/23834/join/0c701b/  or emailing Patrisha McLean, founder/president of the grassroots, survivor-powered nonprofit at hello@findingourvoices.net 
 
Patrisha McLean is the founder/president of the grassroots and survivor-powered nonprofit Finding Our Voices that is breaking the silence of domestic abuse across Maine, and host with Mary Lou Smith of Scarborough of the group’s online book club where the author often joins the discussion.  
 
After the Eclipse is a perfect choice for October since a theme of the Finding Our Voices Maine fall library tour is the impact of domestic abuse on children, according to McLean, in a news release.

“This is a tale of multi-generational domestic abuse,” said McLean. “And what I also found particularly interesting and chilling is Perry’s page and a half listing of men who could have murdered her mother, either abusive boyfriends or those with a creepy fixation on her.”

The fall tour is bringing a survivor-led discussion and short films to public libraries in Millinocket, Northeast Harbor, Bar Harbor, Camden, Damariscotta, Kennebunk and York.

The Finding Our Voices online bookclub, said McLean, “is one more way that we are opening eyes, minds, hearts to the domestic abuse all around us. We like to choose books that aren’t obvious selections for the domestic abuse theme, for instance we did a number of books about cults because of how much domestic abuse is like being in a cult. Most of the time the author joins us for the discussion, even when they live in a different time zone as was the case with Kate Moore of the U.K. for The Woman They Could Not Silence.   
 
McLean said she is thrilled that Perry is joining the discussion for the Finding Our Voice Domestic Abuse Awareness Month’s book selection. 

“I couldn’t put it down myself, and am getting rave reviews from everyone in our book club who is reading it,” she said. 
 
The Finding Our Voices tour of public libraries features a panel of survivors talking about emotional abuse, and the impact of this on children, as well as short films on the subject. Tour dates are Northeast Harbor September 27, Bar Harbor October 4, Millnocket October 11, York October 17, Kennebunk October 18, Damariscotta November 7, and Camden November 28.

The Rockport Public Library is turning over a bank of windows for an outdoor Finding Our Voices exhibit for the month of October.  

These libraries as well as supporting ones in Somesville, Southwest Harbor, Bass Harbor, Kittery and Wells are receiving a Finding Our Voices gift pack of seven domestic abuse-themed books. All the libraries are also distributing the Finding Our Voices bookmarks, sponsored by First National Bank, that feature the photo portraits of 45 Maine survivors including Governor Janet T. Mills. 
 
For more information about these Finding Our Voices events can be found at https://findingourvoices.net