Little Great Island

by Kate Woodworth

ON LITTLE GREAT ISLAND, CLIMATE CHANGE IS DISRUPTING BOTH LIFE AND LOVE

After offending the powerful pastor of a cult, Mari McGavin has to flee with her six-year-old son. With no money and no place else to go, she returns to the tiny Maine island where she grew up—a place she swore she’d never see again. There Mari runs into her lifelong friend Harry Richardson, one of the island’s summer residents, now back himself to sell his family’s summer home. Mari and Harry’s lives intertwine once again, setting off a chain of events as unexpected and life altering as the shifts in climate affecting the whole ecosystem of the island…from generations of fishing families to the lobsters and the butterflies.

Little Great Island Illustrates in microcosm the greatest changes of our time and the unyielding power of love.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Book Club, Contemporary, Novels

356 pages, Paperback

Published May 6, 2025

Reviews

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rated up.

[Erin Van Rheenen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m drawn to novels where setting is so important it functions as its own character. Little Great Islands is an excellent example of such a story.

While environmental and economic forces imperil the island, loss and fear plague the two main characters, who arrive off-season, on the ferry, to a community “which seems both intimately familiar and eerily abandoned in comparison to its usual summer bustle.”

Mari is a young woman escaping a strict religious community with her young son. Harry is a middle-aged man mourning the death of his wife and trying to sell the family home. “The number of buyers for old farmhouses on remote islands in northern climates is tiny, but the pandemic, market factors, remote work possibilities, and a general queasiness about the vulnerability of urban life has created something of a demand.” The two characters once knew each other, as everyone on the island knows everyone else. But now, their lives begin to intertwine and overlap in surprising way—which changes not only their lives, but the lives of those around them.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, both for the compelling human story and the captivating setting.

[Stacy40pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Great Island by Kate Woodworth. Thanks to @getredpr for the gifted Arc and seeds to plan to attract butterflies ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Little Great Island is threatened by climate change. Mari McGavin has just come back to the island after fleeing a religious cult and takes on a fight to save the town.

If you enjoy saving a small town stories, you’ll love this one. The town is really the heart of the story, even having its own short chapters interspersed within the story. There’s a really interesting religious cult back story, which I wish we got even more of, but the story mostly focuses on recovery and assimilating back into town as the town learns new ways as well. The end gets very exciting and ends on a sad but hopeful note.

“No one’s doing enough to adapt. No one wants to change. But the Earth doesn’t care. It’s changing whether we want it to or not.”

Little Great Island comes out 5/6.

[LaceyBanana Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mari and her six year old son Levi have fled from a dangerous religious cult. The boy has been raised into this way of thinking and it’s going to take a lot of adjustment to break those dangerous ways of thinking for him and his mother. She’s brought them back to her family which is also hurting due to her choices. There is a lot of healing to do. Climate change is affecting her home island and while with the cult, she learned a ton of sustainable practices which she thinks can help but the residents will need to come together to save their island.

This book had a ton of interesting topics that I wasn’t sure would work together but they just…did. The cult aspect was so interesting but not as triggering as a thriller would be with tons of violent details so if you like that topic but want something less heavy, this would be perfect. I thought the characters were well developed and the pacing was great. This was a really solid story!

Thank you so much to GetRed PR and Kate Woodworth for providing this physical ARC. This is my honest review! This published on May 6th.

[Julie Gerstenblatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set during an inflection point that threatens to forever change a small New England island and its inhabitants, LITTLE GREAT ISLAND explores the ways in which members of a divided community facing ecological and economic ruin reckon with their individual pasts and their present needs in order to help sustain a future – both for themselves and their precious island home. With wit and wisdom, nuance and understanding, Woodworth shows us the best and worst of humanity and reminds us of what’s worth fighting for. LITTLE GREAT ISLAND is both a meditation on loss and a vibrant call to action. Like the waters around Maine’s coast, this novel is beautiful and nourishing.

[Jennifer S. Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely book in which the setting is as much of a character as the people in the novel. A few chapters are written in an omniscient form, as if from the island's POV (trust me it works). Mari and her six-year-old son are fleeing her husband and the cult they've been living in. Mari returns to her home in Maine, Little Great Island. The island is suffering both environmentally and economically as the area is being overfished, causing many fishermen/women and lobster men/women to lose their only source of income. People are divided as to whether an outside corporation should be allowed to develop on the island. Will they bring more business to the locals or will the locals be chased off because of rising prices.

Lots of threads--how climate is changing people's livelihoods; sustainable farming; romance; caring for aging folks; and much more--and it all comes together beautifully and satisfyingly in the end. Enjoyed this book immensely.

[Fictionophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

With an island setting off the coast of Maine, this novel immediately attracted me. I was wary of reading about the cult's practices, and though that part of the book was distressing, we cheer Mari on with her escape from their clutches. We admire her diligence in looking after her son, her parents, and her world.

Harry has recently lost his beloved wife to cancer. Now, back on the island where his family has summered for decades, he is quietly mourning his wife, whilst packing up his family's summer home in preparation for sale.

Harry and Mari were childhood friends. He is sympathetic to her plight and allows her to plant a garden on his land, along with housing a few animals.  The two reacquaint themselves and their friendship blossoms. However they find themselves on opposite sides of a dispute. Harry's family want him to sell his house and land to a big developer who wants to make the island a 'high end' tourist destination. Mari wants to turn the island into a place known for its sustainable farming practices. She wants to make the island self-sufficient and environmentally friendly.

Environmentalism is a key theme throughout this novel. In particular, the warming of the oceans as it affects the fisheries and those who make their living off the ocean waters. It showcases how we are all interconnected much more than we realize.

I enjoyed how the island's residents and their insular community acted as a microcosm of the world at large. The characters in this novel were very realistic, with flaws and insecurities bared to the reader's scrutiny.

This delightful novel shows how much courage it takes to face change head on. To adapt, to compromise, to have the fortitude to push ahead, though the going seems insurmountable at times. It demonstrates the strength that can be found in the collective efforts of people.

In summation, I thoroughly enjoyed "Little Great Island" and would eagerly pick up another book by this talented author.

4.5 stars rounded up

[Margot]

Little Great Island opens with a series of enchanting descriptions of Little Great Island. It is a beautiful story from the start as the author's writing shares what you might see as a first time visitor to this small island community in Downeast Maine. The first dialogue is “I love you old Man,” and he answers “I love you old woman,”. The characters appear on the page and the story unfolds. We learn about the community and how the culture of the community is challenged by loss and trauma to individuals and the impact of climate change on the historical way of life on the island. The author has created a wonderful thoughtful story of small town life and change. How a community can divide us or bring us together. It is a beautiful story and reads like poetry! Jump in and enjoy.

[Matilda McGee]

Perhaps it was the narrator of the audio, but no matter how I tried, I could not connect with this book.

[Reeca Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mari and her young son have run away from a cult. She returns to the tiny Maine island where she grew up. But, things have changed. The climate issues have made life much harder on this island. Mari is determined to try and correct what she can, even if it is a run in with one of her old friends.

As beautiful as the island sounds, and trust me, it sounds beautiful, this novel talked a bit too much about it. I know, I know…it was just a bit overloaded with ecosystems and climate changes. But, this is what draws you in because the setting is great.

Then there is Mari. She is broken in so many ways. She struggles to overcome her own trauma and to help her young son. Now, there is one part that bothered me a bit. When she runs away from the cult, her son’s mouth is hurting from something her husband did. She never looks in it, she never takes him to a doctor. She just mentions it quite a few times and does not really take care of it. This just didn’t fit. But, Mari and the cult issue is what kept this story moving for me.

This is 3.5 stars rounded up.

Need an atmospheric tale…THIS IS IT!Grab your copy today!

I received this novel for a honest review

[Armando Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Great Island is a beautifully written story that weaves together themes of love, sacrifice, and resilience. At its heart, it shows the strength of a mother determined to rescue her son from an abusive situation. The way this personal struggle connects with the larger mission of saving the island adds a magical layer to the narrative that kept me invested throughout.
This easily could have been a 5-star read for me, but the ending felt rushed. The story was building so wonderfully, and then it just stopped. I couldn’t shake the feeling that a few chapters might have been left out, perhaps due to publishing constraints, because the conclusion didn’t match the emotional depth the rest of the book delivered.
Even with that flaw, this is still a moving and enchanting read, one I would absolutely recommend.

[Olgalijo · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the predictability of the plot may take away from the book, the depth of human interaction makes this a worthy read.

[Carolyn Days · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid beach read. 3.5

[Hannah Mills]

this was unfortunately a DNF for me

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Great Island is captivating from the opening chapter, with Harry Richardson and Mari McGavin arriving on the same ferry to Little Great Island off the coast of Maine. Mari, her young son in tow, is a longtime native of the island, daughter of a fisherman, who's lived a hardscrabble life. Harry is an outsider, the scion of a well-to-do family with a summer place on the island. So they are two people from very different backgrounds, both of whom love the island, the economy of which is slowly dying as lobster fishing dries up along the Maine coast. Both bring their own baggage: Harry is grieving and Mari is on the lam from a punitive farming community. As the seasons roll by, each struggles to find ways to preserve themselves and the island community, their lives weaving in and out of each other's and those of other characters striving to make a living on the island: Mari's parents, her erstwhile best friend Sue, local business owners, and a aged diplomat among them.

For me, some of the richest and most touching moments of the novel come when Harry tentatively interacts with Mari's 6-year-old son Levi. Harry, a teacher, seems to instinctively know how to talk to this damaged boy in ways that comfort them both. His approach to Levi not only gives the little guy safe haven, but also sands some of the prickles off the very prickly Mari. And it slowly moves Harry further from his own grief. I freely admit there were tears on my part.

At the heart of the novel are the changes wrought on this tight island community by climate change and the dwindling lobster population, stripping away the livelihood of men like Sam, Mari's father. The summer people, such as Harry's siblings, see only dollar signs as they think of how they can sell their island property for the greatest profit, and Mari and Harry form an uneasy alliance with each other and their allies against a prevailing tide of corporate greed and native desperation.

Woodworth's prose is lyrical and brilliant. Her characters leap off the page and the dialogue realistic. The plot is taut and keeps the reader reading. There is magic in the short interstitial chapters that describe the natural world of the island: the tides, the ocean, the land. Poetic in their beauty, they also teach. I didn't know, for instance, that lobster eggs are called berries. But I know I was hypnotized by these lyrical interludes that gave me insight into the world Mari and Harry are trying to preserve, as well as a serene respite from the characters' troubles.

This novel is a must-read for those who treasure the Maine coast and indeed, nature in all her forms, but also those who are thinking about how climate change is affecting our world. It's impactful without being preachy. An important read, but also a gorgeous novel that transports us to the Maine coastal island world and makes us love the quirky people that inhabit it.

[Teresa Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so up my alley and if you know me as a person outside of reading you will understand why this book and Be The Butterfly and making a difference in our environment is so important to me. The picture that this book is taken in is the butterfuly garden I cleared out and is in progress. We are finally getting blooms. - Ok. I digress - here is the review.

Every so often, a novel comes along that feels like it knows you—your fears, your hopes, your quiet ache for connection—and it wraps those feelings in a story that’s as beautiful as it is necessary. Little Great Island by Kate Woodworth is exactly that kind of book.

From the very first pages, the setting drew me in. The island isn’t just a backdrop—it breathes. You can feel the salt in the air, the tension in the tides, and the subtle shifts in the natural world that echo the emotional undercurrents of the characters. Woodworth’s attention to the environment is not only vivid but deeply meaningful, especially as she weaves in the very real impact of climate change. But this isn’t a dystopian tale. Instead, it’s rooted in reality—gentle, firm, and clear-eyed—showing how environmental changes affect real communities, real families.

At the heart of the story are Mari and Harry—two people carrying their own wounds, slowly figuring out how to live in the world again, and maybe even love. They’re not perfect, and that’s what makes them unforgettable. Woodworth writes with such compassion and honesty that I felt myself rooting for them not just to end up together, but to find peace within themselves.

This book is also a thoughtful look at community—how close-knit places can be both comforting and complicated. Woodworth explores social and economic divides, generational rifts, and what it really means to belong. And she does it all with a light touch, never preachy, always genuine.

There’s a quiet brilliance in how she blends all these elements: love, loss, climate, community, and the deep pull of home. If you’ve ever read Elizabeth Strout and felt seen, or lost yourself in a novel that made your world feel a little bigger and your heart a little softer, Little Great Island belongs on your shelf.

It stayed with me long after I turned the last page—like a low tide that leaves behind something glimmering.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Lorraine Devon Wilke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an astonishing book that powerfully immerses the reader in the lives of the characters involved, as well as the issues surrounding them, both personally and globally.

Mari McGavin arrives back in her hometown on Little Great Island in Maine, her young son, Levi, in tow, and a passel of problems following her. It seems the cult in which she’s been involved, and where her son has grown up, has revealed itself as the dangerous, delusional place it is, and she escapes a husband, a leader, and a community for the sake of her and her son’s survival. But coming back to a place where she’s burned bridges and alienated various family and friends has its own challenges, creating obstacles for both her and her recalcitrant son, who’s angry and confused about why they left his father and the only home he knows.

Concurrent with Mari’s story is Harry Richardson’s, another child of the island. Back to close out a family property after his wife’s death, and at the urging (and pressure) of two siblings, Harry is lost in grief and confusion about what he wants to do and how he can possible accomplish it. He and Mari reconnect after many years in between, and as two wounded souls, find some solace in each other.

But it’s short-lived at best, problematic at worst, as Mari, with her cult connection, her reputation as a youthful troublemaker, and her unconventional philosophies related to climate change and what should be done about it, is viewed with suspicion within the small, insular island community. Finding a job, making a home, creating a protective cocoon for her and Levi are made all the more difficult by those realities, and as Harry is pulled into her world, he finds his own life increasingly impacted.

When it becomes known that the leader of the cult and Levi’s father are on their way to island to reclaim the boy, tensions ratchet, as do the conflicting opinions about what to do about a huge development company looking to turn the bucolic environment of the island into a tourist mecca. Clashing views, dangerous events, and evolving emotions push the story forward in a narrative that is beautifully written, propulsively driven, and profoundly realized. A high recommend.

[Kit Luster · Rating 3 out of 5]

minor plot spoilers

i read this book on a maine island, slightly smaller and a little more north than “little great island” was intended to be. i liked the story and the very real message/threat of lobster migration and how that affects the island industries. although from my own experience found it unrealistic how many year-round islanders (or summer people for that matter) were supportive of the thought of a resort/corporate retreat coming to the island.

i did not enjoy the death at the end, even though i can see how the author hinted at it throughout the book.

for a book with multiple POVs i hoped we would see a little more of the side characters. sue and bob seemed a little one dimensional and i couldn’t really understand their anger as it felt so superficial and not flushed out enough. like we introduced that frank favored reggie, but never really saw why or how. we know that sue has struggled with fertility, but it’s just kind of stated. her fights with mari also seemed one dimensional. i couldn’t really understand the fights between frank and lydia either. we saw that reggie was beyond infatuated with mari, but we don’t have enough backstory to understand why. it felt stalkerish without the history that is implied to be there.

overall i enjoyed the book but i think there was one too make subplots that didn’t allow the main point to be as powerful as it could have been!

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 is a quiet book that makes a powerful impact.

Mari is a woman running with her son from an abusive and cult-like community. Harry is a man grieving the loss of his wife, but he must sell the family farmhouse on Little Great Island. The two unite on the small Maine island where they grew up, an island suffering due to climate change and feeling economic pressures.

While at times it felt very much like a blossoming love story between Mari and Harry, the narrative intertwines the topics of cults, climate change, motherhood, and grief, all set on a tight-knit island community facing great challenges. The balance between the human element and the call to action to help the environment was not just in perfect harmony, but also inspiring.

The atmosphere is vibrant, and the island does, in fact, have a voice, so to speak. The characters here were so engaging, even when doing the most day-to-day tasks. I felt they were genuine, had heart, and were flawed, but without all the angst. There was a tenderness to them, especially Mari and Harry.

A beautifully written story that speaks to the power of kindness to others, ourselves, and the world we live in.

Thank you @getredprbooks @kate.woodworth.92 and @sibyllinepress for the gifted book.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up on Little Great Island off the coast of Maine was idyllic. After ten long years of estrangement, Mari McGavin has finally returned, with her son Levi in tow. She has escaped the farming commune, aka “cult”, that silently destroyed her relationship with her parents and her past. But she is back to save her son - and herself from the misguided, violent behavior of Pastor Aron and the flock that blindly follows, even her beloved husband Caleb. Levi is only six years old and his grandparents instantly fall in love with him. Without pressuring Mari for fear she will abandon them again, they know she is hiding from something or someone. As she begins rebuilding her life and caring for Levi to the best of her ability, Mari turns to sustainable farming, her passion and expertise before she dropped out of graduate school. She reconnects with old friends and mentors learning that the island and their fishing way of life has deteriorated and it is up to her to rethink the future and create ways the islanders can thrive and survive. As personal battles heat up, greed trumps thoughtfulness and Mari is determined to save the island the only way she knows how. Really different - loved the scenery and the characters!

[Margaret Metzger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was captivated by Kate Woodworth’s Little Great Island. She is a beautiful storyteller and has created a rich island environment, a setting that becomes an essential character. I was torn between wanting to slow down to savor the beautiful descriptions of the natural environment and all that was happening on the island, and wanting to speed up to see how the story unfolded.

The story is told through the eyes of complex, nuanced, and intertwined characters who are portrayed with understanding and humor. I found the characters to be both relatable and unforgettable. Readers are presented with universal themes and social issues that are real and serious. All are raised with grace and without being didactic or preachy.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read and is interested in family relationships, life in community, striving, finding yourself, grief, loss, forgiveness, second chances, religious cults, Maine, the ecology of islands, climate change, commitment to climate action, and the economic divides between old wealth and struggling islanders.

[Niki McDowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a much deeper and more serious book than I was expecting.

Story starts out with Mari and her young son who have just escaped an abusive religious cult. She finds sanctuary on the small Maine island she grew up on. Only upon her arrival does she realize that the town itself is struggling to survive, given the hit it has taken in the lobster industry as well as other harsh effects of climate change.

Harry is another who has returned home temporarily to aid in the sale of his family estate. What he walks into is the potential to be a part of the plan to keep the town going.

The book itself is quite atmospheric, with the island personified throughout the book. The pages detailing the setting made me feel like I was there.

I will hit you with a warning on some tougher topics that were a struggle at times for me to keep myself reading. You must be ok with both spousal abuse as well as child abuse. The child abuse stuff was tough to read and I almost gave up on the book.

I was glad however that I continued on. The book brings to light some tougher and important topics in a unique way.

[LiterallyLoriB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let’s talk about Little Great Island…a book that totally snuck up on me and then refused to let go. If you love stories soaked in coastal atmosphere, tangled with secrets, and built on slow-burning emotional unraveling, this might be your next obsession.

This book is a quiet storm. It is the kind of story that simmers more than it shouts. The writing is lyrical and immersive, perfect for curling up with on a foggy afternoon or bringing along to your next beach read stack. It is less about plot twists and more about emotional truths, generational legacies, and small-town tension that feels both addictive and oddly comforting.

Themes:
• Small Town Secrets
• Generational Trauma
• Coastal Vibes
• Returning Home After Tragedy
• Second Chances (but emotionally, not always romantically)
• Slow Reveal Mystery

Would I Recommend It?
Yes. If you love quiet literary fiction with emotional depth, atmospheric settings, and a character-driven narrative, this one is worth your time. It is not a thriller. It is a soul-search. But it is beautifully done, and I think a lot of readers will find themselves in these pages, even the messy parts.

[Robin Somers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Great Island is a beautifully written novel for troubled times. Mari McGavin returns to her east coast island home having escaped with her six-year-old son from an abusive cult. Her long hair has been shorn, she's thin, her son is traumatized and brainwashed. When Mari arrives the town treats her as a pariah, yet, ironically, she's the irrepressible alchemist with the brains and bravery to save the island people from the consequences of climate change and human greed. Author Kate Woodworth knows her stuff when it comes to organic farming and its power to heal this island's disintegrating community as a corporate resort development firm hulks in the background. There's romance in this novel, too, the satisfying variety that transcends our differences and testifies that, really, love of each other and this beautiful blue-green earth is our path to survival. A lovely book that pairs important issues with a compelling narrative. A read worth every minute of my time. Robin Somers, author of Eleven Stolen Horses.

[Tammy Snead · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoughtful and emotional mystery that slowly pulls you in and keeps you thinking even after you finish it. The story follows a teenager named Eve who returns to a remote island off the coast of Maine after the sudden death of her father. It’s the same island where her mother vanished years ago, and Eve has never gotten real answers about what happened.

Now, back on Little Great Island with her aunt, Eve starts to feel that the island itself remembers things others want to forget. She begins to uncover long-buried secrets about her parents, her family’s history, and the island’s eerie past. The deeper she digs, the more she starts to wonder who she can really trust—and what the truth will cost her.

The island setting feels cold, beautiful, and a little haunted, like it’s holding on to its own memories. One line that really stood out was: “Some places remember more than people do.” That quote sums up the heart of the story—how places can hold onto the past even when people try to let it go.

[Diane Schaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Realistic, moving and hopeful

This beautiful and compelling story shows a community coming together, realistically assessing their climate future, and choosing a path forward. Woodworth is no Pollyanna. The problems facing Little Great Island are real and authoritatively presented. Controversy divides the island. The year-round residents disagree, and some are not well informed.
I found both the controversy and the resolution believable and encouraging. A bonus: Woodworth’s writing is beautiful, and her two main characters are compelling in their search to restore meaning in their lives. Our heroine is a passionate and well-informed environmentalist, but not as skilled at diplomacy as we would wish. Her closest ally is a man enveloped in grief so palpable, I ached for him. I think fans of Richard Russo and Elizabeth Strout will be delighted to add Little Great Island to their libraries.

[T.M. Blanchet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of LITTLE GREAT ISLAND and I was, honestly, completely blown away by this little great book. 😊 This is not the sort of book I normally read (I'm more of a genre/mystery/thriller reader), so I went in without any particular expectations about liking or not liking it. As it turned out, my reading of the book coincided with a difficult time, after a death in the family, and I found that I was able to find so much solace and escape through my nightly travels to this wonderful, fictional island populated with complex characters, complex situations, and surprises. The prose was absolutely great. I especially liked the chapters that were told from the island's point of view, which were so unique, fun, and touching! I will definitely keep an eye out for this author's next books, and I'm so glad I went out beyond my comfort zone and discovered something new.

[Sharon Schroeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this book.

I was looking for something with the complexity of Olga Tocarczuk’s stories but without so much of the heaviness.

This is not a light book, it’s perhaps a bit more heavy than I bargained for. It’s exactly what I needed.

This story happens on a small island, one that reads similar to where I spent childhood summers (so I am biased). The island life is immersive and inspires emotional connection with the place.

In trying to figure exactly what the secret sauce is for me with Olga I realized that it is the way she can make a reader feel that the time she’s telling about exists in others places and the place she’s telling about exists in other times. Kate did exactly that with this book. We are in a very specific place and time but the world is so much more than that. This makes for such a satisfying and immersive read.

The characters here are a pleasure to get to know and the scenarios and arcs they experience are significant and meaningful.

[Elisa Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sucked in from the very beginning. I love an island setting - there’s just something so charming about it, and this one felt so alive. You can practically hear the gulls and smell the salt air as this tiny Maine community faces the threat of climate change.

Mari’s story drew me in right away. After escaping a religious cult, she returns home with her young son, trying to rebuild and find her place again. I actually would’ve loved even more about her time in the cult (it’s a topic that always fascinates me!), but what really stayed with me was how the story explored grief, resilience, and the power of a community coming together. The ending left me both heartbroken and hopeful.

I listened to some of this one through Amazon Music (included with my membership!) and it was the perfect companion throughout my day. 🎧

Thank you @getredprbooks for the gifted copy.

[Rod Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Reichl once said, “The secret to life is finding joy in ordinary things.” This book is about those very ordinary things—not mundane or trivial, but the significant, meaningful moments you might find in a regular life. Set on a small New England island, the story delicately explores a community navigating the struggles of an ever-changing world. It touches on pressing issues like climate change, thoughtless cruelty, sustainable farming, and the delicate strength of friendships. If you're a fan of spy thrillers or villains plotting global domination, this may not be the book for you. However, if you're ready for a break from superheroes, wizards, and treasure guarded by improbable booby traps, this quiet yet powerful narrative could be just the escape you need.