The Penguin Podcast is back! Listen Now
The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club

Summary

2016
Fresh from her mother's funeral, Mari arrives on Martha’s Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts to study under the enigmatic painter Elizabeth Devereux.

But she soon realises that her relationship to the island runs deeper than she ever thought possible.

1942
It’s World War II, and Smith sisters Briar and Ginny are faced with the impossible task of holding their failing family farm together as the US army arrives on their island.

In an attempt for normalcy, the sisters start a book club that quickly grows in numbers and becomes a lifeline for the women who remain on the island.

That is, until a German soldier's arrival casts shadows of doubt and danger. Who can they really trust in their tight-knit community?

In this spectacular novel inspired by true events, New York Times bestselling author Martha Hall Kelly weaves a captivating tale of love, loss, and resilience.

About the author

Martha Hall Kelly

Martha Hall Kelly is a native New Englander who lives in Connecticut and New York City with her husband Michael and dog Oliver. She worked as an advertising copywriter for many years and raised three wonderful children, who are now mostly out of the nest. All three of her novels have been instant New York Times bestsellers.

Her first novel, Lilac Girls - published in 2016 - tells the story of Polish women imprisoned at Ravensbrück Concentration Camp and New York socialite Caroline Ferriday's fight to help them recover. It is currently published in forty-nine countries. Her second novel, Lost Roses, tells the story of Caroline's mother Eliza's struggle to help displaced White Russian aristocrats, and Sunflower Sisters is a Civil War novel about Caroline Ferriday's abolitionist great-grandmother's family. Martha is working on her fourth novel, The Golden Doves, which tells the story of two best friends, former WWII resistance fighters who unite in the 1950s to bring their Nazis tormentors to long-overdue justice.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more