Jessie's Gift - Paperback

by Helen Brooks Regan (Author)

In her memoir, Jessie's Gift, Helen Brooks Regan chronicles the impact her grandmother had on her life. Through writing, Helen comes to understand how her grandmother lived her life, and why she made the choices she did. As the nature of their relationship emerges, Helen becomes aware, to her surprise, that it was her grandmother who taught her how to love. Carefully researched, we learn about the culture of the Eastern Shore which shaped Jessie as she grew up in Snow Hill Maryland at the turn of the century. This is more than a story of the author's grandmother, it is a multigenerational saga with all its drama and contradictions.

Raised in Wilmington, Delaware, Helen Brooks Regan moved to Connecticut after college where she enjoyed a long career in education. She spent the first third of her career in secondary education as a chemistry teacher and then as a high school principal. After earning a PhD in education, she spent the majority of her career in higher education at Connecticut College as a professor and dean. After she and her husband retired to Maine, she concluded her career at Bates College. Today, Helen lives with her partner in Brunswick, Maine, where they enjoy sailing, volunteering and extended visits with family and friends.