Five Local Authors to Read

It's no secret that Massachusetts has produced many great famous authors -- Poe, Kerouac, Emerson and Whittier, to name a few. In honor of National Read Across America Day, here are five local authors and some of their works.

1. Andre Dubus III: Raised in the Merrimack Valley, Dubus followed in his father's footsteps to become an author and has written several books. His book House of Sand and Fog -- about an Iranian exile and a single mother battling for a house California -- has won massive acclaim and was even part of Oprah Winfrey's Book Club. Dubus' latest book, The Townie, is the author's memoir and details life in Haverhill mixed up with drugs.

2. Jeanine Malarsky: Malarsky has lived in North Andover for decades and writes fiction. "Maggie's Mirage" focusing on a woman's ambitious pursuit of wealth and power. And "Black Raspberries" is her more recent novel about an abused child dealing with daily life -- a parallel to Malarksy's unhappy childhood.

3. Coralie Jensen: Another North Andover resident, Jensen writes fiction about drama in far-away lands, and her work often deals with the clashing of church with modern society. In "Let's Gift," an orphan born out of wedlock must deal with abuse and cruelty from her pastor and grandmother. In "Passup Point," a young defrocked priest relocates to a remote village to start his own church and must deal with resulting isolation.

4. Anne Bradstreet: In the mood for something a little more classic? Anne Bradstreet was and members of one of the founding families of North Andover. Back then the town was called Andover. Her works include books of poetry published in England and the United States.

5. Anne Broyles: We can't forget about the kids. Children's author Anne Broyles has traveled across the nation to find her home in North Andover. Broyles is originally from Arizona and has also lived in California and Illinois. She is a minister and has written religious books for children. Her recent book, "Priscilla and the Hollyhocks," is based on the true story of an African American slave girl sold to a Cherokee family and then forced to walk the Trail of Tears, and the story is one of hope through turmoil.

Works by these authors and more can be found at the