A Shared Library Becomes an Unlikely Front in the ‘51st State’ Debate

Bestselling mystery author Louise Penny set her latest novel at the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, a unique building that literally straddles the border between Derby Line, Vermont and Stanstead, Quebec. The historic library's entrance is in Vermont, but its collection sits in Canada, visitors can cross the international border simply by walking through the reading room. These photographs by Kelly Burgess document Penny at the Haskell Free Library, the atmospheric border setting that inspired her book. The images capture both the acclaimed author and the remarkable binational building where patrons can stand in two countries simultaneously, a fitting location for Penny's mysteries that often explore themes of community, justice, and belonging.