Gilbert Byron, a native of Chestertown, MD, arrived in Lewes, DE in 1926 to teach History at Lewes School. Mollie Ingram, a recent widow raising 6 children, rented young Gilbert a room in her home on Kings Highway. Thus began a love affair between Gilbert, the town, and the families who lived there. Though the love never died, Gilbert left Lewes heartbreakingly, in a cloud of controversy, seven years later. He would continue to teach but is best known for his lyrical prose, becoming known as The Voice of the Chesapeake and The Chesapeake Thoreau. He wrote countless poems, essays and novels about his beloved Eastern Shore and his brief but lasting connection to Lewes-its people, the town, and the natural beauty surrounding it. Refreshments will be provided.

The author, Mollie Ingram’s granddaughter, tells Byron’s story and how it intersected with early 20th century Lewes and the Ingram family. The second part of the book is a collection of Byron’s Delaware poems; his love letters to Lewes. Accompanying these poems are the author’s photographs that reflect each poem’s written imagery.