FOLEY — The family of the late Mary Soesbe Haber, who grew up in Foley, donated several copies of her recently published book to the Foley Public Library. Copies of the book, “A Path Returns,” were presented by her husband, Carl Haber; their son, Alex Haber; and her sister, Joan Soesbe Brokowsky. The book is a mystery set in North Carolina and Germany. With the help of her two sons, Alex and Christopher, the book was self-published. It was available for purchase on Amazon two weeks before she died in April of this year.

"Mary was such a wonderful person, who had given so much of herself,” Carl Haber said. “She showed such strength and courage as she dealt with the dreadful disease of ALS while finishing her novel. I'm so glad to know that her book will now be a part of the Foley Public Library she loved and spent so much time in as a child. I can't think of anything that would have made her happier.”

Mary, who lived on Orange Avenue as a child, was an avid reader according to her family. She and her sisters, Sandy, Joan and Susan, enjoyed walking to the Foley library, which was then located at the corner of Highway 59 and Highway 98, to check out books. When they were young, Mary’s name could be found on the check-out card for most of the books in Foley’s library, according to her sister Joan Brokowsky.

Haber enjoyed reading and traveling. She and her husband, who grew up in Elberta, were married for 47 years. They divided their time between Fairhope and Los Angeles.

The Foley Library is honored to accept these copies of “A Path Returns” according to Foley Library Director John Jackson.

“The library is especially proud to receive and house books by local authors and/or works that focus on our local history and the people that settled and developed the Gulf Coast region,” said Jackson.

One of the copies of “A Path Returns,” was provided by her cousin, Anna McKenzie Woerner.

The Foley Public Library is open Monday – Wednesday from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., Thursday from 1 p.m. – 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. For library events, visit FoleyLibrary.org.