IF THE SHOE FITS now at the Book Oasis

A just-published book of stories about Stoneham, titled If the Shoe Fits, is now available at Stoneham’s Main Street bookstore, the Book Oasis.

The book is a collection of columns local author Ben Jacques has written about Stoneham and its people--from colonial days to the present.

“The stories are about early settlers, farmers, shoemakers, and factory workers,” Jacques said. “They tell of preachers and pranksters, slave owners and abolitionists.”

In a series of Civil War profiles, Jacques reveals the courage and sacrifice of Stoneham’s men and women during the great “War of the Rebellion.” These include stories of colonels and privates, surgeons and nurses, some of whom never returned from the war.

In another story, he traces a young Irish laborer’s escape from famine-stricken Ireland and his remarkable success as a leading shoe manufacturer in Stoneham.

“Once again, an excellent New England historical contribution from a talented author,” writes Mark Haggerty, editor of the Stoneham Independent, where many of Jacques’ columns appeared.

“A novel way of telling your town’s story,” writes Medford poet, Terry Carter.

This is Jacques’ second book about Stoneham. Two years ago he published In Graves Unmarked: Slavery and Abolition in Stoneham, Massachusetts, also available at the Book Oasis.

“We’re lucky to have our own independent bookstore in town,” Jacques said, “and I’ve chosen the Book Oasis as the primary distributor of both books.”

A retired professor of English, Jacques has written stories, essays and articles for dozens of newspapers and magazines, including the Boston Globe, Country Journal, and Maine Sunday Times.

He has spoken at schools, libraries, book stories and historical societies in Stoneham, Reading and Woburn. Available for story-telling and illustrated presentations, he can be contacted at hbjacques@gmail.com.