BELFAST — Left Bank Books in downtown Belfast invites the public to a free talk and book signing by Maine author Martha Tod Dudman, whose most recent novel is Sunrise and the Real World, a thriller set in and around Ellsworth. Dudman has previously published four previous books, including Augusta, Gone, which was adapted as an award-winning Lifetime production.

Sunrise features a recent college graduate, Lorraine, who works at a residential treatment center for troubled teens. There, she finds herself absorbed into a world very distant from the lobsters-and-lighthouses fairy tale she had envisioned in Maine. (“The first day on the job, I got twenty-seven black fly bites.”) Instead, she discovers a landscape of abused and angry teenagers and illicit romance. Years after leaving the center Lorraine is unexpectedly drawn back to that world to confront the person she was, the choices she made, and the ghosts that still haunt her.

“Sunrise is a spellbinding coming-of-age novel that stays with readers well into the night,” said Left Bank, in a news release.

Dudman lives in Northeast Harbor and is a director of the Maine Humanities Council and a selectman for the Town of Mount Desert. She was president and general manager of a group of radio stations in Ellsworth and Bangor, and worked as a professional fundraising consultant, helping to raise millions of dollars for Maine nonprofits.

Seating for this event is limited and reservations are recommended by calling the bookshop (207-338-9009) or sending an email to: info@leftbankbookshop.com.

Ample parking is available in front of the shop and in an adjacent public parking lot.