THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB by Martha Hall Kelly

5 stars

Another amazing historical fiction from Kelly, who turns her focus to Martha’s Vineyard where her own family comes from. The novel’s time frame shifts between present day and WWII, and opens with a grieving daughter, Mari Starwood, whose beloved mother died suddenly of an aneurysm in L.A. Going through her mom’s things, Mari comes across the name and address of an older famous painter, Elizabeth Devereaux, who lives on an estate on Martha’s Vineyard. Intrigued and unsure of the connection, Mari travels to the island under the pretext of wanting a painting lesson.

Elizabeth has agreed to meet with Mari as she has history of her own to share, that will eventually tie Mari to the island. Over the course of several days, Elizabeth shares the stories of two sisters growing up impoverished on a farm on the Vineyard: Cadence, a 19-year old aspiring writer and editor who has a beloved and humorous column in the island’s newspaper, and Briar, her 16-year-old brilliant sister who spots German U-boats off the island’s coast. There’s also their beloved older brother Tom, who enlists in the war as a front-guard ranger and leaves behind his posh and unexpectedly pregnant girlfriend who’s left her family to live on the farm with Cadence, Briar and their intrepid grandmother.

Add into the mix an escapee from a German sub, a budding romance for Cadence during WWII with the Brit in charge of training troops on the island to prepare for the Normandy invasion, a suspicious FBI agent keeping a close watch on Briar, and and a budding romance for Mari in present day Martha’s Vineyard, and the intrigue, thrills and secret revelations cascade together. Another phenomenal achievement by Kelly.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.