In Memories of a Small Town, Lisa Bondeson presents short stories about major events in the town's history. Some of these incidents affected the country such as escaped slaves, prisoners of war held during the Civil War and the Influenza Pandemic of 1918. Other events are purely local including a fire that destroyed most of Readfield's business district and the beginnings of a new enterprise in town. What ties these stories together is the author's focus on how the residents of Readfield experienced these events.