Richmond, KY Author Publishes Southern Fiction

October 19, 2016 - I'll Be Looking at the Moon, a new book by Shirley Spires Baechtold, has been released by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc.

In 1943, twelve year-old Maggie Beeler is determined to play a greater role in the war effort, and she is not above using her manipulative skills to make her schemes work. Maggie is instrumental in getting a church canteen started and, despite her mother's distrust of soldiers, she and her sister Annabel are allowed to help out. But the canteen doesn't draw many soldiers, and Maggie feels that her efforts to make a difference have failed.

While the war has brought significant changes to the small Kentucky town where the Beeler family lives, Maggie sees other changes that need to be made. In her world, racism is not a familiar concept, but she recognizes unfairness when she sees African Americans standing in the rain to buy tickets to a movie. When her German grandfather is accused of being a spy because he speaks with an accent, Maggie looks for a way to protest discrimination.

In her spirited desire to help her country and her hometown, Maggie is a modern and engaging heroine.

With an informative introduction and discussion questions, I'll Be Looking at the Moon is ideal for use in schools.

About the Author:
Shirley Spires Baechtold is retired from the English Department at Eastern Kentucky University, where she taught courses in composition, world literature, vocabulary studies and study skills. She has published essays, academic articles in juried journals, and columns in a large regional newspaper. She is currently working on a second edition of her memoir, The Unqualified Widow - Love, Loss, and Basketball, and a sequel to I'll Be Looking at the Moon.

I'll Be Looking at the Moon is a 158-page paperback with a retail price of $14.00. The ISBN is 978-1-4809-3506-8. It was published by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more information, or to request a review copy, please go to our virtual pressroom at www.dorrancepressroom.com or our online bookstore at www.dorrancebookstore.com.