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Readers enter this tale on the cusp of deep change in Montauk as the traditional fisherman’s life is in jeopardy, and many residents contemplate the hard choices they must make to create balanced new lives. Clancy, a New Yorker who once enjoyed Montauk during his family-deprived childhood, revisits the peninsula. He rediscovers Otto, the man who mentored him in a program for disadvantaged orphans. This places Clancy in conflict with Theresa, Otto’s estranged daughter, who resented the boy during her childhood. She feels doubly betrayed in adulthood by her father after he cheated on and divorced her mother. Unfortunately, Otto is ill and soon passes away, leaving his legacy to Clancy because Theresa refuses to reconcile with her father or to receive any property. Clancy must balance sorting out Otto’s wishes and gaining Theresa’s trust while navigating Montauk’s social order and the community’s challenges with climate, housing, and open space.
Award-winning author Keating examines the beauty of place and the cohesion and conflicts within a small seaside community threatened by coastal erosion, sea-level rise, and gentrification. She deftly explores the evocative individual struggles of Montauk natives and the resident summer season “immigrants,” an ensemble of relatable characters who embrace the Montauk peninsula as the home of their hearts. Keating’s writing is nearly seamless, and her eye for setting, characterization, and plot is remarkably nuanced. The history and beauty of Montauk come alive with the author’s skilled storytelling, offering many memorable passages that educate as well as entertain fortunate readers. There are no details too small in this story, lending authenticity to sundry scenes that far surpass the narrative description in many novels. What could be an interesting but forgettable story is made magical in this contemporary tale encompassing family drama, romance, mystery, and environmental adventure with an empathetic, visionary bent.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
A 2024 Eric Hoffer Book Award Category Finalist