Island Light

In the summer, Snow Island is overrun by New England’s well-heeled families looking for recreation and relaxation. With the coming of the off-season, the island is left to its hardscrabble residents, an eclectic and stoic community bound by connections that run deep. In the fall of 1990, the islanders include a Vietnam veteran, an ageing lesbian, and a photographer seeking to redefine herself and her art, an unlikely trio who find their lives unexpectedly linked.

Though Snow Island remains a world away from the mainland, it is not immune to the effects of war. Old wounds and new uncertainties come to the surface as the United States prepares to go to war again, this time in the Persian Gulf. In the silence of a New England winter, former residents and prodigal wanderers return to Snow Island in search of refuge from wars both private and public.

Through a rich collection of characters and a tightly-woven story, Island Light traces a path from the scars of the past to the promise of the future. This taut tale of love and perseverance, told in stunning prose, evokes the isolation and connection at the heart of every community.