Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club

Kelly (Lilac Girls) delivers a transporting tale of a grieving 30-something woman who uncovers family secrets during a visit to Martha's Vineyard. After Mari Starwood's mother dies of an aneurysm in Los Angeles, she finds the name and address of famous painter Elizabeth Devereaux among her mother's belongings. Wondering what her mother's connection was to the painter, Mari travels across the country to meet the elderly woman on Martha's Vineyard. There, Elizabeth tells Mari the story of two sisters on the island during WWII--19-year-old aspiring writer Cadence Smith and her 16-year-old sister, Briar, who is obsessed with looking for German U-boats off the New England coast. Kelly adds plenty of intrigue to the plot, as Elizabeth reveals how Briar's interest in the enemy's activities gets her into serious trouble. Meanwhile, a tragic subplot follows the Smith girls' older brother, Tom, who ships out with the Navy just after getting his blue-blooded girlfriend pregnant. The connections between the story lines come into focus as Mari grapples with a newfound understanding of her relationship to the island. This twisty tale is not to be missed. (May)