Join us on Friday, October 9 at 5:30 PM for an Author Talk with Ron Romano! He’ll be here to discuss his latest book, Stories from Maine Cemeteries: Lives Cut Short. Copies of the book will be available purchase and signing at the event.

About the Book

Maine gravestones from the 1800s were decorated with snapped flower buds, broken tree branches, and cracked columns to reveal that those buried below died before their time. From lightning strikes to shipwrecks, accidents to disease–and even a sensational murder–there were many causes for these untimely deaths. Bessie Oliver came home to South Portland to die, bringing secrets she’d kept from her family that wouldn’t be revealed for one hundred years. In Biddeford in 1878, Rose Vincent became a victim of a sensational murder perpetrated by her jealous boyfriend. Priscilla Burnham was a pauper in Scarborough who lived most of her life under town care and was buried twice without a gravestone. Award-winning cemetery historian and guide Ron Romano uncovers how mysterious symbols, epitaphs, monument forms, and cemetery landscapes tell the stories of those whose lives were cut short.

About the Author

Ron Romano is a cemetery historian and author of five books about Maine gravestones and cemeteries. He designs tours of historic cemeteries and offers gravestone symbolism classes through local Adult Education programs. The national Association for Gravestone Studies named Ron the 2026 winner of the Forbes Award, its highest prize, in recognition of his exceptional work to advance the study of historic cemeteries and gravestones.

This program is free, open to the public, and no registration is required.
Please be mindful that parking is limited, carpooling is encouraged.