Island Apart

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What to expect

Claire Doheney, recovering from a serious illness, agrees to house-sit an oceanfront mansion on Chappaquiddick Island in Martha's Vineyard. The New Yorker book editor hopes to find solace, strength, and sufficient calm to finish a biography of the iconoclastic psychotherapist Wilhelm Reich. The last thing she expects to find is love. Then she meets a mysterious man the locals call the Hermit. No one knows his real name or where he lives. Quite by accident and to their mutual surprise, Claire and the stranger discover that they share a passion for cooking. As Claire gets to know the Hermit, she finds rare qualities in a man most people have long since dismissed as an outcast. As Claire comes to appreciate this tiny island, with its colorful inhabitants, she experiences healing, redemption, and a happiness she hasn't known for years … until she discovers what drove the Hermit into seclusion. Will his terrible secret bring them closer together? Or drive them apart forever? The clock is ticking. Can Claire make peace with her disaffected daughter, callous ex-husband, and cynical boss? Can she let love into her life once more before it's too late? Told by a New York Times bestselling author and international TV host with a keen eye for Chappaquiddick's extraordinary natural beauty, Island Apart has it all—romance, history, travel, crime, lovemaking of exquisite intensity, and cooking scenes so vivid, they'll make your taste buds ache with hunger. Funny, tender, engaging, poignant, and ultimately triumphant, Steven Raichlen's novel is a smart love story—not to mention a terrific beach read.

Critics Review

“Much more than a promising first novel by a formidably talented writer;
it is a literary achievement of the first order…a heartfelt,
redemptive, and irresistible novel. Raichlen handles this complex tale
of romance, family, illness, and dark secrets with intelligence, grace,
and abiding tenderness.”

John Dufresne, author of Requiem, Mass

“Steven Raichlen presents a kaleidoscope of personalities with insight
and compassion, while reminding us that good food, prepared with love,
may not heal all wounds, but it can’t hurt and it often helps. A
splendid beach read!”

Mary Doria Russell, Pulitzer Prize nominee and author of Thread of Grace and Doc

“Steven Raichlen has written a magical novel about a magical place.  He
deftly captures the subtleties, oddities, and beguiling charm of
Martha’s Vineyard and Chappaquiddick. Take this literary ferry.  You’ll
enjoy your stay.”

Lucia St. Clair Robson, New York Times bestselling author

“Rich in character, incident, and mouthwatering food. A triumphant fictional debut.”

William Martin, New York Times bestselling author

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