The Book
Synopsis
In 1834, three sisters arrive at the old courthouse in Dresden, Maine after the death of their father forces their family to start over. Though once the center of local law, the former Pownalborough Court House has long since become a family home, where their uncles live and work and where the wide courtroom now holds everyday life instead of trials. Beckie seeks justice, Louisa carries quiet grief, and little Sallie finds wonder in the natural world around them. When a letter from Philadelphia reveals that the sugar they use may be tied to slavery, the girls face a question far bigger than themselves: what does it mean to do the right thing when the answer may change the way everyone around them lives?
Details
Format Paperback • Hardcover
Length 256 pages
Publisher A Well-Regulated Press
Historical Background
Beckie, Louisa, and Sallie Prescott were real sisters who lived with their mother in the old Pownalborough Court House in Dresden, Maine during the 1830s. Once a courthouse, tavern, and post office, the building had become a family home by the time the Prescott girls lived there.
Many details in the story come from documented objects connected to their lives, including the samplers stitched by Beckie and Louisa that are still preserved today. Other elements of the story reflect the world around them, including the debates about slavery and the boycotts of goods produced by enslaved labor that were being discussed in churches and communities across the country.
Read the full historical notes and sources in the Teacher’s Guide.
Visit the Historic Site
The original setting of the Prescott family story can still be visited today. The Pownalborough Court House in Dresden, Maine is preserved by the Lincoln County Historical Association and remains one of the most significant 18th-century public buildings in New England.
Lincoln County Historical Association
Pownalborough Court House Museum