A book launch celebration for “The Amethyst Stone” will take place from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, March 1, at the Harlow Gallery at 160 Water St., Hallowell. Author Lloyd Ferriss will read from his novel, answer questions and sign books. Light refreshments will be provided, and the event is free and open to the public.
“The Amethyst Stone” is a bittersweet love story set on the north shore of Long Island, New York, in the 1950s. Paul Howland, the novel’s young protagonist, is 11 in the opening chapter. In trouble at home and in school, he considers suicide his best escape. But two people intervene: Classmate Jenny Moran, and an adult mentor who discovers in Paul a latent artistic talent.
The novel has seen a good early response:
“Beautifully written and richly rendered, Lloyd Ferriss’ entertaining and at times heartbreaking coming of age novel explores who we are, how we find our place, and illuminates essential truths about life, love, family, and most of all, hope,” said Melissa Senate, author of “The Secret of Joy,” “The Love Goddess’ Cooking School” and several more novels.
“In The Amethyst Stone, Lloyd Ferriss tells the story of a community on Long Island at the moment of awakening to the modern world. And he brings us to the moment of artistic awakening in his young protagonist, Paul. With convincing detail and rhythm of his poignant tale the author truly evokes another era,” said Phoebe Stone, author of “Romeo Blue,” “The Boy on Cinnamon Street” and “The Romeo and Juliet Code,” among other novels.
Lloyd Ferriss is a longtime resident of Richmond who lives with his wife, artist Jane Frost. Frost created the pastel painting that is the cover of “The Amethyst Stone,” and contributed a line drawing for the book’s title page. Both Ferriss and Frost are active participants in Harlow Gallery art shows, where Frost submits primarily pastel works and Ferriss’s interest is traditional film photography.
Before writing “The Amethyst Stone,” Ferriss wrote two non-fiction books. The most recent, “Harry Stump, Maine’s Psychic Sculptor,” received honorable mention at the 2013 New England Book Festival in Boston. Prior to 2001, Ferriss wrote features and a garden column for the Maine Sunday Telegram.
“The Amethyst Stone” is published by Maine Authors Publishing in Rockland. It’s an adult novel that’s also appropriate for older teens. For more information visit the Harlow Gallery online at harlowgallery.org or call 622- 3813.
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