BELFAST — The expression "working mom" is familiar to most everyone today, but mothers as family breadwinners have been a significant part of the American scene for generations. A new book by Belfast author Sid McKeen, No Time for Moss — The Book a Gritty Maine Mother Never Wrote, tells the story of his mother's struggle to persevere through wars, depression and times of family tragedy.
The story recounts the rocky and nomadic journey of Verna McKeen through the 1900s — running away at age 12 from her Millinocket home to join the circus, eloping to wed in Canada at 16, and stoically making do through the doleful decade of the thirties.

In all, she moved no fewer than 50 times in her native state of Maine alone. In her 70s and a great-grandmother — having worked as a waitress, hostess, seamstress, cook, saleslady and store clerk — she was still shaking cocktails as a licensed bartender at such colorful watering spots as the Lucky Cuss Saloon in Tombstone, Arizona.

Her legacy: Despite limited means, none of her six children ever felt disadvantaged.

McKeen, with the help of three siblings and a score of audio tapes and diaries left by their mother, tells the family's story in this paperback, available later this month in many Maine bookstores and gift outlets.

His weekly essay column, Wry & Ginger, has appeared for half a century in the Worcester Telegram, making it one of the nation's oldest published commentaries.

The column won a first prize for humor from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, and is seen in Maine in the Machias Valley News Observer and The Notes of Yarmouth.

Inquiries may be directed to Patty at (207) 998-2273 or email Patty at Vernakpublishing@gmail.com