Alias Agnes
The Notorious Tale of a Gilded Age Spy
Thursday, June 12 at 6 p.m.
Elizabeth DeWolfe is a Professor of History and co-founder of the Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Program at the University of New England. She is also an author of nonfiction about ordinary women's extraordinary lives.
She will be at the library to discuss her newest book, Alias Agnes: The Notorious Tale of a Gilded Age Spy.
Alias Agnes details the story of Jane Tucker, a Boston stenographer who took a job as an undercover detective with a ten-week mission. Her target: Madeleine Pollard, former mistress of Congressman William C. P. Breckinridge, whom she had sued for breach of promise when he failed to marry her.
Exploring the intricacies of this trial and a scandal that captivated the nation, DeWolfe uncovers the strategies women used to make their way in the world, drawing parallels between the previously forgotten and incomplete tales of Tucker, Pollard, and the women who testified in the trial.
Written in engaging prose with all the intrigue and suspense of a detective tale, Alias Agnes chronicles the lives of women at the cusp of the twentieth century—the opportunities that beckoned them and the challenges that thwarted their dreams.
My Penguin Friend
Wednesday, June 18 at 6 p.m.
Join us for pizza and a movie!
We will be showing My Penguin Friend (rated PG, 1hr 37min)
Inspired by a true story; an enchanting adventure about a lost penguin rescued from an oil spill, who transforms the life of a heartbroken fisherman. They soon become unlikely friends, so bonded that even the vast ocean cannot divide them.
Level Up at Your Library
Summer Reading 2025
Readers ages 0-18 are encouraged to sign up for Summer Reading at Kittery Block Party!
Track the minutes you read (doesn't matter which books!) to be entered to win awesome prizes!
Find us at our booth outside the library from 10-4 for your reading bag, time log, and activities folder.
You can also sign up at the children's desk any time afterward this summer!