Adam White (2)

Compelling story of class and progress in a small Maine town, Damariscotta, with great character development and a bit of mystery/true crime element to it. This is the author's debut novel and there are some striking similarities between him and the narrator, including the advice to "splice a little of your own DNA into everything you write." (323) But as far as the novel goes, Andrew is the narrator and witness to Ed Thatch's rise to wealth and power in Damariscotta, but also the price paid show more to achieve it. As teenagers/young adults they worked together on the Thatch family lobster boat, but that was only ever temporary for Andrew who went on to Dartmouth and lived in NYC and Boston early in his marriage to Maeve. That they found themselves (with 2 children) back in the small town was a bit of a life twist, but then to see Ed and his wife Stephanie's change of circumstance was a bigger one. Steph had gotten pregnant senior year, missing out on college to marry Ed and have EJ and much later, Allie who at this point is an Amherst freshman and the first family member to make good in the conventional way. Though the Thatches live in the biggest house in town, and Steph is the town mayor (manager), and EJ is a police officer, supposedly their success is the result of good old-fashioned hard work with the lobster business. That is undercut early in the story when the police show up at an elaborate party for Allie's visiting LAX team. Andrew takes it from there, piecing the story together, becoming slightly obsessed, interviewing relevant participants when they agree, and planning to write a book, perhaps a frustrated goal from the outset, when he has had to settle for teaching English and coaching LAX. It does reel out slowly, hooking the reader with theories and details, and it seems whatever it is Ed has done (it's all revealed by the end) he did it for love of Steph and to give her the life she wanted - and he thought she deserved. "Perhaps you could call it a noble outlook, but it's also a dangerous one, and doubly so when held by someone who gets away with something for as long as Ed did." (198) It's a little Gatsby-esque and the description of the town and its love-hate relationship with change, and the widening gap between labor and neighbor had a Richard Russo vibe, with a little less humor. What I couldn't figure out - and might be a good book club discussion - was Andrew's motivation: jealousy, interested observer, cautionary tale? He questions himself: "Why would I ever wish , if not for a deeper relationship with a tragic event, for a more unusual relationship with a tragic event? I don't know, but maybe, or definitely, it has something to do with storytelling. When we narrate the past, it helps to place ourselves as close as possible to the center of the action. But the problem is: the vast majority of humans, or maybe just well-to-do Americans, never get all that close to the center of anything." (302) But overall, I appreciated being in his capable hands as the story progressed and reached its somewhat surprising conclusion. show less

Enjoyed this book, but did not love it. I loved that it took place mostly in Maine, where I live, so it was remarkably relatable in the setting, and accurately portrayed as well. The structure of the novel was disjointed....on purpose of course, but I seemed to struggle with it in that I was often unclear what time-frame we had just jumped to. The story was a first and second-hand account of the rise and eventual downfall of a midcoast lobstering family, as told by an acquaintance of the show more family who seemed somehow compelled to write a book about the sad result of the decline. This required interviews with family members that I find hard to believe would willingly support and participate in such a book, thus diminishing the believability some. Was uncertain of the ending until it happened and that is always good. A first novel, and a fairly quick read......no regrets. show less

The midcoast region of Maine, with its tiny villages clinging to rock-bound promontories, is a most delightful place to visit, but if you're not wealthy summer people, it usually takes two or three jobs to keep the lights on. In this novel, Ed, son of a lobsterman, meets Steph and is determined to give her everything she wants. What Steph really wants is to become the mayor of Damariscotta and turn it into a tourist village along the lines of Wiscasset, but Ed just doesn't get it and becomes show more deeply involved in criminal activity to please her and to shove his wealth into the faces of anyone who ever looked down on him. Andrew, who formerly worked for Ed, returns with his family to settle down in Damariscotta and is intrigued enough by Ed, Steph, and their two children to investigate their luxurious lifestyle and maybe even turn it into a novel. This novel does capture the feel of the area and the residents very well - but it just wasn't truly mysterious enough for me.

Quote: "The hardest thing about so much of your ambition going unfulfilled becomes finding out that you're basically okay with the way things have gone." show less

Andrew and his family return to live in the area where he grew up, along the midcoast of Maine. A teacher, coach, and would be writer, he unravels the sordid story of just how Ed Thatch, an uneducated, struggling lobsterman became wealthy and his wife the political and social leader of the town.

Don’t read this expecting a thriller or great mystery to be solved, but rather for a well written, character driven, atmospheric narrative. White’s descriptions help the reader imagine the show more different midcoast locations, feel the weather, experience the environment. In addition to the main storyline, he explores class distinctions and provides a good exposition of the pressure sometimes exerted in small towns trying to promote themselves just to end up losing what makes them desirable.

The book goes back and forth in time and sometimes I found myself trying to figure out just where we were in the timeline.

All in all, a great debut offering!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the DRC. show less