Finding Martha's Vineyard


Book Description

A portrait of the thriving African-American community on the island of Martha's Vineyard describes the various groups who settled in Oak Bluffs, including vacationing families, local domestics, and multi-generational professionals.




African Americans on Martha's Vineyard


Book Description

African Americans of Martha's Vineyard have an epic history. From the days when slaves toiled away in the fresh New England air, through abolition and Reconstruction and continuing into recent years, African Americans have fought arduously to preserve a vibrant culture here. Discover how the Vineyard became a sanctuary for slaves during the Civil War and how many blacks first came to the island as indentured servants. Read tales of the Shearer Cottage, a popular vacation destination for prominent blacks from Harry T. Burleigh to Scott Joplin, and how Martin Luther King Jr. vacationed here as well. Venture through the Vineyard with local tour guide Thomas Dresser and learn about people such as Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates and President Barack Obama, who return to the Vineyard for respite from a demanding world.




Fighting for My Life


Book Description

Michael Blanchard had just received his third DUI in three months—this time after falling asleep on the side of the road with the engine running and being wrestled to the ground by a state trooper.Life had just gone from bad to the very worst. Thirty years of drinking had narrowed his choice to a simple decision between jail and an addiction rehab center.Michael chose a three-month rehab program; and when he came out, began to dedicate his life to staying sober. This is his story— painful, provocative, and, because he has used photography as one of his mainstays in his efforts to keep from drinking, both beautiful and moving.




Show Me a Sign (Show Me a Sign, Book 1)


Book Description

Don't miss the companion book, Set Me Free Winner of the 2021 Schneider Family Book Award ∙NPR Best Books of 2020 ∙Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2020 ∙School Library Journal Best Books of 2020 ∙New York Public Library Best Books of 2020 ∙Chicago Public Library Best Books of 2020 ∙2020 Jane Addams Children's Book Award Finalist ∙2020 New England Independent Booksellers Award Finalist Deaf author Ann Clare LeZotte weaves a riveting story inspired by the true history of a thriving deaf community on Martha's Vineyard in the early 19th century. This piercing exploration of ableism, racism, and colonialism will inspire readers to examine core beliefs and question what is considered normal. * "A must-read." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review "More than just a page-turner. Well researched and spare... sensitive... relevant." -- Newbery Medalist, Meg Medina for the New York Times "A triumph." -- Brian Selznick, creator of Wonderstruck and the Caldecott Award winner, The Invention of Hugo Cabret * "Will enthrall readers, but her internal journey...profound." -- The Horn Book, starred review * "Expertly crafted...exceptionally written." -- School Library Journal, starred review * "Engrossing." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review "This book blew me away." -- Alex Gino, Stonewall Award-winning author of George "Spend time in Mary's world. You'll be better for it." -- Erin Entrada Kelly, author of the Newbery Award Winner, Hello, Universe Mary Lambert has always felt safe and protected on her beloved island of Martha's Vineyard. Her great-great-grandfather was an early English settler and the first deaf islander. Now, over a hundred years later, many people there -- including Mary -- are deaf, and nearly everyone can communicate in sign language. Mary has never felt isolated. She is proud of her lineage. But recent events have delivered winds of change. Mary's brother died, leaving her family shattered. Tensions over land disputes are mounting between English settlers and the Wampanoag people. And a cunning young scientist has arrived, hoping to discover the origin of the island's prevalent deafness. His maniacal drive to find answers soon renders Mary a "live specimen" in a cruel experiment. Her struggle to save herself is at the core of this penetrating and poignant novel that probes our perceptions of ability and disability.




To the New Owners


Book Description

The Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist “gives a familial face to the mystique of Martha’s Vineyard” in a memoir with “gentle humor and . . . elegiac sweetness” (Kirkus Reviews). A National Book Critics Circle Award finalist In the 1970s, Madeleine Blais’s in-laws purchased a vacation house on Martha’s Vineyard. A little more than two miles down a dirt road, it had no electricity or modern plumbing, the roof leaked, and mice had invaded the walls. It was perfect. Sitting on Tisbury Great Pond—well-stocked with delicious oysters and crab—the house faced the ocean and the sky. Though improvements were made, the ethos remained the same: no heat, television, or telephone. Instead, there were countless hours at the beach, meals cooked and savored with friends, nights talking under the stars, until, in 2014, the house was sold. To the New Owners is Madeleine Blais’s “witty and charming . . . deeply felt memoir” of this house, and of the Vineyard itself, from the history of the island and its famous visitors, to the ferry, the pie shops, the quirky charms and customs, and the abundant natural beauty. But more than that, this is an elegy for a special place—a retreat that held the intimate history of her family (The National Book Review).




Walking to Martha's Vineyard


Book Description

In this radiant new collection, Franz Wright shares his regard for life in all its forms and his belief in the promise of blessing and renewal. As he watches the “Resurrection of the little apple tree outside / my window,” he shakes off his fear of mortality, concluding “what death . . . There is only / mine / or yours,– / but the world / will be filled with the living.” In prayerlike poems he invokes the one “who spoke the world / into being” and celebrates a dazzling universe–snowflakes descending at nightfall, the intense yellow petals of the September sunflower, the planet adrift in a blizzard of stars, the simple mystery of loving other people. As Wright overcomes a natural tendency toward loneliness and isolation, he gives voice to his hope for “the only animal that commits suicide,” and, to our deep pleasure, he arrives at a place of gratitude that is grounded in the earth and its moods.




Find Her, Keep Her


Book Description

Betrayal shattered her world, but this alluring billionaire is determined to convince her to forget about her past and become his future. Travel writer Daisy Blanchard has just discovered the worst news ever. Her boyfriend is now engaged to her best friend! To add insult to injury, she learned about their blasphemous relationship from a Facebook post. To escape her life in shambles, Daisy takes a last-minute work assignment, which leads her to the island of Martha's Vineyard. She doesn't know it yet, but this one decision will lead her into the arms, and definitely in the bed, of a tempting, daring, and mysterious billionaire named Jack Lord. But is Daisy ready to betray her broken heart and jump two feet into the most sensual love affair of her life? Find out now in Find Her, Keep Her: A Martha's Vineyard Love Story, the first steamy contemporary romance in the LOVE in the USA series.




Hitchhiking with Larry David


Book Description

A memoir about a brokenhearted, middle-aged man who stumbles upon solace, meaning, and Larry David while hitchhiking around Martha’s Vineyard One summer day on Martha’s Vineyard Paul Samuel Dolman was hitchhiking, and none other than Larry David pulled over and asked, “You’re not a serial killer or something, are you?” The comedic writer and actor not only gave Dolman a ride but helped him find his way. Dolman found himself on Martha’s Vineyard that summer in the wake of a painful breakup. Desperately seeking companionship, he began hitchhiking around the island and met a wide array of characters: the rich and the homeless, movie stars and common folk, and, of course, Mr. David. Written with disarming honest humor, Hitchhiking with Larry David will leave readers simultaneously laughing and crying as they ponder the mystery and spirituality of life.




A Vineyard Wedding


Book Description

Finding love on Martha’s Vineyard has been a dream come true—but for the bride-to-be, the price of happiness may be too high . . . With her long-awaited wedding to police sergeant John Lyons only weeks away, bestselling author and Vineyard Inn proprietor Annie Sutton is faced with more drama than usual. Between the hideous heirloom gown her new family expects her to wear and the challenges of bonding with John’s contentious daughter Abigail, Annie’s having serious doubts. But when the baby she once found on her doorstep goes missing, Annie has bigger concerns, including that the little girl’s pregnant, older half-sister is in no condition to hear bad news . . . Desperate for answers, Annie combs the island, questioning friends and even her family-to-be. Because suddenly it seems as if Abigail will do just about anything to stop her father from marrying Annie—even if it means putting a child at risk. But if scaring Annie half to death is the plan, it’s working. Nothing else matters now except finding the little girl. And if postponing her future with John—indefinitely—is the only way to make that happen, it’s a sacrifice Annie may have to make . . . Praise for Jean Stone’s Previous Novels “Filled with heart. . . . Perfect for long summer days. For fans of DebbieMacomber or Elin Hilderbrand.” —Booklist “Lie down on the couch, put a pillow under your head and enjoy the ride.” —The Vineyard Gazette