PORTLAND, Maine — Virginia Oliver of Rockland has a story that’s irresistible. You may not recognize her by name, but chances are excellent that you know about her. She is, after all, one of a kind and still lobstering with her son at the age of 103.
Alexandra S. D. Hinrichs ought to know a good story when she sees one, given that she’s a middle school librarian. She’s also the author of children’s books, the latest of which is a story about Oliver entitled "The Lobster Lady."
"I found a way to contact her and when she said yes, please come. I met her the very next day," Hinrichs recalled. "That cemented it. I knew it was a story that needed to be told."
The illustrator of the book, Jamie Hogan, also wanted to spend some time with Ginny before tackling her part of the job.
"I met her, was in her kitchen taking pictures," she said. "It was short, but it was very sweet."
This is not the first children’s book about Oliver and as Hinrichs and Hogan are quick to acknowledge, it won’t be the last. As a bonus, it offers Ginny’s recipe for a lobster roll, which consists of exactly three ingredients: lobster, mayonnaise, and a roll.
"If I’m going to have a lobster roll," Ginny says, "I want lobster!"