Androscoggin Historical Society Lecture Series: Peggy Deblois
~Androscoggin Historical Society Guest Lecture Series~
Come hear Peggy Deblois talk about her book: The Toll Road North on Tuesday, July 18 from 5–7PM at LA Arts
“Dee is living a charmed life in Connecticut until she and her son are taken hostage while on a
college visit in her hometown of Lewiston, Maine. When Dee recognizes the gunman, she is
forced to face her secret-filled past. The French-Canadian, Catholic community of her youth is
filled with betrayals, abandonment, and secret pregnancies.
Dee begins to uncover the answers to questions she never dared ask as a child. We meet Dee’s
and the young gunman’s ancestors who set the tone for the future generations of each of their
families. Dee’s father is a master manipulator who has forever marked the lives of his best friend
and high school girlfriend. As the reader follows Dee, her younger parents, and their friends, The
Toll Road North explores the universal truth that we create our adult persona, and often, no one
in our present world really understands where we came from.”
Author Bio:
Peggy Lafreniere DeBlois grew up in Lewiston, Maine, and is a proud graduate of Bowdoin
College. She enjoyed careers in journalism, marketing, and teaching prior to devoting her time to
writing. The Toll Road North is her first novel, and she continues to be inspired by the gritty
beauty in her hometown.