County native pays tribute to rural roots
A Belfast man is in northern Maine this week to present his book “Whoop and Drive ’er – Growing up in Aroostook County, Maine” to several libraries.
David Estey has written an affectionate and humorous, illustrated memoir of colorful family, friends and situations he remembers while growing up in Fort Fairfield, Presque Isle, and Belfast. For the writer it has been a labor of love, a personal piece of Americana. 
“Friends long have urged me to write down many of the stories I’ve loved to tell over the years. I was inspired recently by sentimental exchanges with Fort Fairfield resident Phil Christensen and the history of Fort Fairfield by Rayle Reed Ainsworth and Sarah Ulman,” said Estey, a fine-arts painter in coastal Penobscot Bay and a retired IRS public affairs manager.
The 144-page book, published by Rockland-based Maine Authors Publishing, was designed as an art book with 41 photos or drawings and paintings done by the author over his career. The cover features a panoramic view of a potato field painted by the author in 1999 and on loan to the UMaine Hutchinson Center.
Estey’s book describes what it was like growing up during the 1940s and ‘50s in Fort and in Presque Isle.
“It’s not just about Aroostook. I go on to include funny or unique characters and experiences after moving to Belfast, going to RISD, studying art in Italy for a year, spending two years in the army, doing public affairs for IRS, dealing with the news media, living in the South, and navigating the art world,” he said.
This week the author will hold two book-signing events — one in Fort Fairfield Thursday from 6-8 p.m. in the public library and another on Friday from 4-6 p.m. at Turner Memorial Library in Presque Isle.
His book will be available in some local stores, at www.maineauthorspublishing.com, at www.amazon.com, and directly from the author at www.davidestey@roadrunner.com
