Book and Author Series

May 7th at 3:00 pm

William Sargent, science writer and environmentalist will talk about both the new inlet into Pleasant Bay and his latest book Just Seconds from the Ocean, Coastal Living in the Wake of Katrina. He is a consultant for the NOVA Science series. Formerly a director at the Baltimore Aquarium and a researcher at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, he has taught at Briarwood Center for Marine Biology and Harvard University.

Just Seconds from the Ocean is an analysis of the dangers of living close to the ocean in an era of global warming and megahurricanes, examining the potential for catastrophe for coast dwellers. The book looks at current coastal conditions and recent storms and pairs them with historical events. These subjects are very relevent for all of us living on Cape Cod.

June 9th at 3:00 pm

Sara Young, author and Chatham resident, will discuss her historical novel, My Enemy's Cradle. Sara Young as Sara Pennypacker has previously published many well-known children's books, including the Clementine Series and the Stuart Series. This is her first adult novel and it has been receiving rave reviews.

My Enemy's Cradle is the story of Cyrla who is half Jewish and had been living with relatives in Nazi occupied Holland until the neighbors threatened to expose her. Her cousin Anneke has become pregnant by a German soldier and Anneke's father has enrolled her in a Lebensborn (a Nazi run maternity home whose motto is Have One Baby for the Fuhrer). In a twist of fate, Cyrla is able to assume Anneke's identity and live in the Lebensborn. My Enemy's Cradle is an intriguing story of love and loss, sacrifice and survival.

July 1st at 7:00 pm

Jane Green, will talk about her new novel, The Beach House. Ms Green has written nine novels, Second Chance and To Have and to Hold were New York Times bestsellers. Swapping Lives, The Other Woman, Bookends, and Babyville all appeared on The New York Times extended bestseller list for hardcover fiction. She was recently awarded the Fun Fearless Fiction Award by Cosmopolitan magazine and, her novel Jemima J is being made into a movie. She lives in Connecticut with her family.

The Beach House is the perfect title for the perfect beach read. The main character, Nan, is known in Nantucket as the crazy woman who lives in the rambling house atop the bluff. She doesn’t care what people think. Her husband died twenty years ago, her beauty has faded, and her family has flown. If her neighbors are away, why shouldn’t she skinny dip in their swimming pools and help herself to their flowers? But when she discovers the money she thought would last forever is dwindling and she could lose her beloved house, Nan knows she has to make drastic changes. So Nan takes out an ad: Rooms to rent for the summer in a beautiful old Nantucket home with water views and direct access to the beach. Slowly, people start moving into the house, filling it with noise, with laughter, and with tears. As the house comes alive again, Nan finds her family expanding. Her son comes home for the summer, and then an unexpected visitor turns all their lives upside-down.