NORWICH – Local author Ginnah Howard will be signing copies of her novel “Night Navigation” at the First Edition Bookstore in Norwich on Saturday.

Howard, a Gilbertsville native, worked as a teacher for nearly 30 years in the New Berlin School District before beginning her writing career. In the late 1980s, she began writing, and upon retiring, she was able to dedicate more time to the craft.

“Night Navigation” is Howard’s first book to be published. The novel tells the story of a family dealing with mental illness, drug addiction and the ups and downs of their journey along the road to recovery.

Howard explained she chose to write about this subject matter because of personal experience and because it was a subject so many people could relate to. “Like most writers of fiction, we begin with something from our own experience and from there it becomes fiction,” Howard said.