We're teaming up with Falmouth Memorial Library to welcome young adult author and Cumberland resident Cameron Rosenblum. We’re celebrating the release of Cameron’s second novel The Sharp Edge of Silence with refreshments, door prizes, and a “no-spoilers” author Q and A. Podcaster/therapist/author Susan E. Casey, also from Cumberland, will kick off the conversation.  Audience participation is encouraged! A longtime teacher in Cape Elizabeth, Cameron will discuss her road to publication, writing as art therapy, and why we need books that open difficult conversations. Her debut, The Stepping Off Place was named a Kirkus Best of 2020 and Best Book Dealing with Mental Health. Both books will be available for purchase at the event courtesy of Back Cove Books. 

Though sexual assault won’t be a big focus of the reception, please be aware we recommend this event for ages 14+. 

NOTE: This event will be held at Falmouth Memorial Library, in the Russell Room.

School Library Journal’s starred review of The Sharp Edge of Silence: 

Quinn (artist, musician, and legacy student), Charlotte (dancer and high achiever), and Max (scholarship student and math genius turned varsity crew coxswain) all attend the elite boarding school Lycroft Phelps. When Quinn is raped after their spring formal, she returns to school the next fall changed. Her roommate, Alex, can tell and even her “Big Sister” Charlotte from the year before can see something is wrong, but Q doesn’t want to tell anyone. Told from the multiple perspectives of Quinn, Charlotte, and Max, this novel examines elite athletics, secret societies, male toxicity, and a culture of silence. Once Quinn’s secret is exposed, who will rise to help her and who will choose to support the status quo? Rosenblum’s thoughtfully crafted, moving narrative allows for the time and space needed to address the complexities of how sexual assault is dealt with on a high school campus. She deftly weaves the stories of three very different students whose lives are intertwined and who must all find the person they want to be. VERDICT A beautifully written novel that tells a powerful story of survival, support, and finding voice.