History can be exciting and fun. This book proves it. Imagine a dangerous ocean crossing, a shipwreck in which few survive. Join the hunt for clues to solve a criminal mystery. Watch as the husband, wife, and their small children, housed together in prison, struggle to survive. A real-life treasure hunt for valuable coins causes a frenzy. It's all here in this amazing but true story. Colorful illustrations bring it all to life. The reader becomes an eyewitness.

Who was Peter Gilkey? Some will say he was that counterfeiter who lived before Prospect, Connecticut was a town. But he was far more than just a counterfeiter.

The reader will follow Peter Gilkey's journey from his boyhood in Northern Ireland and then across the Atlantic in a perilous voyage to America. As he grew to a young man, he served in two military conflicts, survived a shipwreck going to Cuba, and settled into family life as a husband and father while working as a cobbler. But then came the counterfeiting of milled Spanish dollars, which changed his life forever.

If Prospect was not yet Prospect, then where did he live? Five towns in Connecticut could rightly lay claim to him: Milford, Wallingford, Cheshire, Waterbury, and now Prospect. His family settled in Milford when he was a boy. Then, as a young man, he made his mark in Wallingford, which later became Cheshire. In another few years, he became infamous in Waterbury. After his death, Prospect was incorporated. It absorbed the parts of Wallingford, Cheshire, and Waterbury where Peter Gilkey spent a considerable portion of his life. 

This program is co-sponsored by the Cheshire Historical Society.

John R. Guevin became interested in writing while publishing a monthly newsletter for an industrial filtration company, where he worked for most of his career. In 1991, he founded Biographical Publishing Company. Since then, he has authored five books. In addition to his own books, he has assisted nearly 100 authors in getting their works published. Beginning with local authors, Guevin expanded his reach to authors from all over the United States, as well as several other countries. His clients include authors who have struggled to find publication elsewhere. Authors praise the customized services they receive. The company provides individual attention to each book to ensure its success. Books from Biographical Publishing Company cover fiction and nonfiction works of all genres. Guevin is currently assisting several incarcerated individuals, allowing them the opportunity to see their writing talents displayed in print.

Registration required.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Cheshire Public Library.