Behind the Maltese Cross

Book about firefighters… and more

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Garrie Madison Stoutimore grew up in western Massachusetts and graduated from UMass Dartmouth. Her debute book, Behind the Maltese Cross draws readers around the firehouse kitchen table where she relates their tales of comradery, danger, and the quiet moments that rarely make the headlines. A die hard New Englander, she is devoted to her family, friends, and the Atlantic Ocean. 
Garrie Madison Stoutimore grew in western Massachusetts and graduated from UMass Dartmouth. Her debute book, Behind the Maltese Cross draws readers around the firehouse kitchen table where she relates their tales of comradery, danger, and the quiet moments that rarely make the headlines. A die hard New Englander, she is devoted to her family, friends, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Category: Book

  • It’s Here- Finally!

    “Did you know that I saw a Boston fire truck on its way to a call tonight, and it occurred to me that I will never look at a fire truck or a firefighter the same way again?”

  • Making a Difference

    Making a Difference

    These words were spoken by Dave, a fire chief I met when doing research for my book Behind the Maltese Cross.  He explained that when he first interviewed for a firefighter position, he was asked why he wanted the job, and his reply was, “I think I can make a difference.”

  • Strength to Cry

    Despite the fact that my typical alto timbre changed to a very squeaky soprano, I was able to finish my explanation, but my cheeks burned with embarrassment and I was happy that the judge declined to question me further.

  • Coffee and Conversation

    “If the kitchen table was the mecca for conversation, coffee was the vehicle by which it was served.” In my childhood home, the coffee pot was rarely empty. Often joined by friends and neighbors, my parents sat at our old kitchen table and sipped the stuff several times a day. Before I was old enough…

  • Knights of an Unknown Order

    I look out my kitchen window and I see my grandsons hard at play. They are pretending they are knights of an unknown order, on a quest to conquer a fire breathing dragon. Wielding wooden swords, they charge into the wooded area surrounding the yard, heedless of mosquitoes, poison ivy and thorny bushes. No obstacle…

  • Behind the Maltese Cross

    Behind the Maltese Cross

    The conversation I had with Eric that chilly October evening ignited my curiosity.  I wanted to know more about the men and women who have chosen firefighting as a profession and what motivates them to charge into danger while the rest of us run away from it