Cape Elizabeth author Claudia Finkelstein will speak at the Thomas Memorial Library, from 7-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1. She will give a reading of her first novel, "Imperfect Strangers" and take questions for discussion afterward.

"Imperfect Strangers" tells of the relationship between a young delinquent and his court-appointed attorney. It spans a number of years as each character, together and separately, deals with his own inner demons. It is a story of redemption and rebirth, of growth and change, and of our need for trust and friendship.

The book placed among the top 15 entrants in this year’s national competition for the Independent Publisher Awards.

Finkelstein is a graduate of Colby College where she majored in psychology and American literature; she also has a master’s degree in clinical psychology at the University of Maine. For several years she was in private practice as a psychological examiner in Portland and has been a school psychologist in Portland since 1993.

She was previously a guest columnist for the Portland Press Herald, and has performed as a jazz vocalist in a number of venues in Southern Maine and throughout New England.

Although "Imperfect Strangers" is her only published work, she has completed a novella which she is currently expanding into a full-length novel. Entitled "Shuffleboard Wars," the first scene will be quite familiar to anyone who remembers the adult swims at the old Cape Elizabeth pool.

Finkelstein lives in Cape with her husband, Martin.