Book on the town rejecting Nazis is finalist for award
SOUTHBURY — A fictional book based on the true story of how the town of Southbury kicked out the Nazis has been nominated as a finalist in the 2021 Connecticut Book Awards.
The children’s book, “Lois’s Story: A Young Girl’s Inspiration Helps to Stop Hate and Fear,” was written by former First Selectman Ed Edelson. Danbury artist Betty Ann Medeiros illustrated the book.
The story is told from the perspective of Lois Lindsay, who was the daughter of the Rev. M. Edgar N. Lindsay, the South Britain Congregational Church pastor who preached against the German-American Bund’s efforts to build a Nazi youth camp in Southbury in 1937.
Edelson’s book is one of seven finalists in the Bruce Fraser “Spirit of Connecticut” category, which is an award named in memory of the longtime director of the Connecticut Humanities Council and “celebrates Connecticut’s sense of place,” according to the award’s descriptor.
“I was quite surprised to receive notification of my being a finalist,” Edelson said in a statement. “When I realized I was a finalist in the Spirit of Connecticut category I felt very honored.”
He is the only young readers book in that category, but competes against four nonfiction books, one fiction and one poetry book.
Among the nonfiction books is “The History of
“When I realized I was a finalist in the Spirit of Connecticut category I felt very honored.” Ed Edelson, writer of “Lois’s Story: A Young Girl’s Inspiration Helps to Stop Hate and Fear,” and former Southbury first selectman
Steep Rock Association” by Carol Bergren Santoleri, of New Preston.
Other local authors nominated include Cortney Davis, of Bethel, for her poetry book, “I Hear Their Voices Singing. She is Bethel’s poet laureate.
Kerri Arsenault, of Roxbury, was nominated for her nonfiction book, “Mill Town,” while Amy Poeppel, of Kent, got a nod for her fiction work, “Musical Chairs.” Davis, Arsenault and Poeppel are among 26 finalists being considered outside of the Spirit of Connecticut category.
Edelson was involved in the creation of a 2012 documentary on Southbury’s rejection of the Nazis. That documentary eventually made it to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
“It was while browsing in the children’s section of the bookstore at the Holocaust museum when we attended the exhibit opening that it dawned on me that there could be and should be a children’s book about what happened in Southbury,” he said.
He came up with the idea a few nights later to tell the story through the eyes of a 10-year-old girl.
The book was used as part of the fourth grade curriculum in Region 15 schools. It’s available to be purchased on Amazon, as well as at Newbury Place in Southbury and at Hickory Stick in Washington Depot.