Mae

by Dick Martin

"MAE is a most beautifully and compellingly written, heart-breaking, life-and-love-affirming tale all at once. I read it in one sitting I was so unable to put it down. This is creative nonfiction at its finest." -Acclaimed novelist Sophie Powell A tale of love, challenges, determination and faith, MAE chronicles the life of L.Mae Martin, whose journey starts on her family's farm in Scituate, Rhode Island, a small New England town, during the depression. A strong willed girl whose favorite motto is "It's a great life if you don't weaken," Mae faces a myriad of obstacles in her life from both strange and overbearing relatives to friends who encourage and help her on her way to her dream of becoming a teacher and mother. Though she always keeps a positive attitude, she must make her way through a maze of tragic and challenging events and experiences which she encounters along the way. Regardless, she refuses to give in or give up on her dreams. MAE is a story about a strong woman with a zest for life who fights for what she believes in to the very end. She is a shining example of family values and virtues for modern day women. Dick Martin is an award winning writer whose feature stories and columns have appeared in a number of magazines and newspapers including Your Smithfield Magazine, The Woonsocket Call, The Providence Journal, Providence Magazine, and The Observer, among other venues. Martin, who grew up on a small farm in Glocester, Rhode Island, based the story of Mae on his own mother, who kept diaries growing up on the family farm in Scituate, Rhode Island. Tales were a common pastime for the family, whose strong Irish heritage is evident in the stories which fill the pages of MAE. It is a book which is both humorous and sad as it winds through the path of Mae's long life, a life of fulfillment, promise, and hope, but most of all, love.

198 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2012

About the author

Dick Martin is an award winning writer and teacher, who has worked for over 30 years as a professional writer for various magazines and newspapers, as well as having worked as a high school English teacher for a combined 40 years at both Burrillville High School in Rhode Island and at Killingly High School in Connecticut. Martin has earned a wealth of top awards from both the Rhode Island Press Association and the New England Press Association for his columns and feature stories. Martin's students have also garnered a number of writing awards over the years in both schools thanks to his efforts on their behalf in spreading his knowledge and talent in writing. He has been recognized for his contributions to education by the National Education Association, as well and has appeared regularly in the Who's Who Among America's Teachers. He is a 1971 graduate of the University of Rhode Island.

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book!! It was written by my senior year English teacher, Mr. Martin, who was a part of an extremely small handful of my favorite teachers. I remember how he spoke, and I couldn't help but feel like the story of his mother Mae, though told from a 3rd person POV, was told to me by him in a discussion in his classroom, or through casual conversation elsewhere. His mother's story is also probably the untold story of so many others, who sacrifice for those they love, of being honest just because it's the right thing to do, of true love to the core, and of living a long, fulfilled life through what seems to be from accepting what the winds brought her way and taking it in stride and with patience. By the end of her story, for a moment I felt an ache because I wished I could have met Mae. But then, I thought about my own family, and how Mae's story IS the story of so many of our families. Absolutely, the circumstances of each family will be different, but I think sometimes we tend to forget the lives our parents and our grandparents have lived that have gotten US where we are, right this moment. And for that, even if Mr. Martin won't see this, I want to thank him and his mother for making me remember that.

[Hailey Beaupre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written by my high school English teacher, but I wouldn’t be biased to say how absolutely incredible this book is. Not only does he captivate you by telling you the all-too real story of his beloved mother’s life, but he takes the reader right along side that journey with his family. Mae lived an extraordinary, heartbreaking, and very beautiful life. Mr. Martin is a born writer and storyteller, and this book proves just that.