Catherine McLaughlin, a Padanaram resident, grew up in New Bedford. She has just published a historical novel, Blue Collars, set in New Bedford in the late 1950s and 1960s. The novel tells the story of a young girl growing up in New Bedford's multicultural South End, mostly composed of tenement houses. Her father works at a textile mill while her mother tries to raise the family.

McLaughin will be appearing in the Elsie Haskell room from 6 to 8 p.m. for a reading. For more information, contact Lynne Antunes at lantunes@town.dartmouth.ma.us or by calling (508)999-0726, ext. 4105.