The State of Maine and the Ku Klux Klan… It’s an improbable antithesis, but indeed the KKK took root in Maine in the 1920s. Mark Alan Leslie will tell the tale of the rise and fall of this organization which, now and again, still makes headlines in Maine today. Leslie’s new novel The Crossing tells the story of a fictional, tight-knit town in western Maine, where a charismatic Klan leader draws a large following when he targets Catholic immigrants, Jews, blacks and illegal alcohol. The winner of six national magazine writing awards, Mark Alan Leslie has written 11 books, including three historical novels and two modern-day mystery/thrillers. A Maine native, he holds a journalism degree from the University of Maine-Orono.

The talk will be followed by a book signing of “True North: Tice’s Story” as well as “The Crossing,” “The Last Aliyah,” “The Three Sixes,” “Chasing the Music,” and “Midnight Rider for the Morning Star.”