If you've ever been to Maine, you'll love this book. If you've never been to Maine, you'll start scheduling your first visit to Maine before you finish the book. The "Frank" in the title Speaking Frankly, is Frank Connors, a true born Mainer who's lived his life, other than serving time in Viet Nam, in Mid-Coast Maine as a reporter, photographer, travel guide, lobster bake chef, town sexton. At this point Frank would say, "Know what a town sextion is? Well, ya better look it up because if I tell you, you'll forget it. Frank's stories are stories of that life. His words carry a scent of salt sprayed air, a fragrance of fresh cut pine timber, and the taste sweet taste of fresh brewed amber maple syrup. His words reflect the expanse of Maine, from its densely pine-forested mountains to the crashing waves of the Atlantic on its granite storm walls. His view reflect the hard working, honest people of Maine who for generations have fought the elements to scratch out a living, helping each other whenever necessary: People whose word is as solid as any written contract. Most of all, his words give us a remembrance of times past in our own lives...times we know are gone forever...times we miss...times when kids could go out the back door and be gone all day playing without their parents worrying about their safety...times when you remembered at 3AM that you left the car unlocked, and just rolled over and went back to sleep...times when people stopped to help a stranger in trouble beside the road...times when every town held Memorial Day and Veterans Day parades to honor their veterans...times that still live in Maine. As if the stories are not enough, Frank writes the way he speaks. Four of five pages into Speaking Frankly you'll feel you're not reading, you're part of a fire side chat with an old friend remembering old times. And, if you look over the top quickly enough, you just might see Frank's rosy red check, his mop of gray hair swept back to the right, his penetrating bright blue eyes looking back at you, saying "How ya doin'?" So buy your copy, start reading, then call your travel agent to book your next Maine trip to have Frank sign your copy. He's waiting for you now. ENJOY Oh, one last thing. All the proceeds from Speaking Frankly go to the People Plus of Brunswick, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping and serving senior citizens and teen youth in the greater Brunswick, ME area. People Plus...The Center That Builds Community. As the editor of the People Plus News, the monthly newspaper published by Frank Connors and other staff, Connors has written over 130 columns called "Speaking Frankly." 101 of these have been compiled into a wonderful book of local stories and anecdotes. The artwork for this book has been generously crafted and donated by Jack Gable. There are two new original acryllic paintings as well as several original black and white pen and ink sketches scattered throughout the book. These images are available for purchase through People Plus. Former Maine Governor (and current Maine Senator), Angus King wrote the foreword, adding his own particular style of charm and setting the stage for a lovely ride. A Maine native and a life-long resident of the Bowdoinham-Brunswick area, Frank Connors likes to describe himself as a "pointman" for the baby-boomer generation. A former newspaper reporter-photographer, town manager, home designer and truck driver; Connors still busies himself as a cemetery sexton, local historian, gardener and canoe paddler when he is not managing the membership registration and logistics at People Plus. He loves to talk and tell stories, and continues to work on his listening skills.