Only When I Dance

Three widowed women overcome hardships in rural Maine. Raising a total of 14 children between them through determination and grit. Each one held their households together with little male influence. Today , they are remembered for their courage and love .

This story takes place in a mill town in rural Maine. Three women sharing the same family roots are widowed by tragedies beyond their control. Each woman guides and leads their families to have successful lives without male direction. Abandonment, homelessness and health problems propelled them to raise their families with discipline , laughter and much love . A journey which spans 120 years from the 1860's until the 1980's.

Rhoda Demchak is a Maine native. She and her husband of 44 years, live in her hometown. They worked with Habitat for Humanity to rebuild in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina. Rhoda retired from outdoor retailer, LLBean. She was a Girl Scout Leader for 10 years and her church's Sunday School Superintendent for over 25 years. To celebrate her 60th birthday , she participated in the 26.5 mile walk-a-thon in Boston. She has three grown children and seven grandchildren. Rhoda loves to spend time with family, write, travel and take long walks in the Maine woods. She published a children's book, The Hat Library in 2020.