Martha Hall Kelly, acclaimed author of the Lilac Girls series, returns with her fifth novel, weaving together two timelines in what may be her most personal work yet. The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club draws inspiration from Kelly’s own mother’s wartime experiences on Martha’s Vineyard, creating a richly layered narrative that explores family secrets, wartime courage, and the enduring power of literature to connect souls across generations.
The novel alternates between 2016, where grief-stricken Mari Starwood discovers her mysterious connection to Martha’s Vineyard, and 1942, when the Smith sisters navigate love and war on their failing family farm. This dual timeline structure, while occasionally challenging to follow, ultimately rewards patient readers with a deeply satisfying revelation that ties both stories together in ways that feel both surprising and inevitable.
Character Development: Strength in Sisters, Depth in Details
The Smith Sisters: Perfectly Imperfect Protagonists
Kelly’s greatest achievement lies in her creation of Cadence and Briar Smith, two sisters whose distinct personalities drive the 1942 narrative forward with authentic tension and genuine affection. Cadence, the aspiring writer with dreams of New York publishing, embodies the universal struggle between duty and ambition. Her character arc from dutiful farm girl to confident young woman feels earned rather than forced, particularly in her complex relationship with Major Gilbert.
Briar, the sixteen-year-old war obsessed genius, presents a more challenging but ultimately rewarding character study. Her intense focus on military strategy and her role as the island’s self-appointed U-boat spotter could have easily become a caricature, but Kelly grounds her in believable teenage awkwardness and genuine patriotic fervor. The relationship between the sisters—marked by both irritation and deep loyalty—captures the complicated dynamics of sibling love with remarkable authenticity.
Supporting Cast: From Gram to Gilbert
The supporting characters, particularly Gram Smith, the tea-leaf reading matriarch who holds the family together with Portuguese bread and fierce determination, add richness to the island community. Her blend of pragmatism and mysticism feels rooted in New England tradition without becoming stereotypical.
Major Gilbert’s character development proves more problematic. While his initial antagonistic relationship with Cadence creates engaging tension, his transformation into romantic hero feels somewhat rushed. The revelation of his true loyalties, while satisfying, could have benefited from more careful foreshadowing throughout the middle sections.
Plot Mechanics: War, Spies, and Unraveling Mysteries
The Wartime Setting: Authentically Rendered
Kelly’s research into Martha’s Vineyard during World War II shines throughout the novel. The details of rationing, blackout regulations, and the presence of Cape Cod Commandos training for beach invasions create a vivid sense of place and time. The mock invasion scenes are particularly well-executed, conveying both the scale of military preparation and its impact on island life.
The U-boat subplot, centered on Briar’s persistent sightings, provides genuine tension while highlighting the very real threat German submarines posed to the New England coast. Kelly’s handling of this historical reality—U-boats operating just offshore—adds authenticity to what could have been merely melodramatic plot device.
The Spy Mystery: Uneven Execution
The mystery surrounding the German spy proves to be both the novel’s most compelling and most problematic element. While the revelation of Tyson Schmidt’s true allegiance provides a shocking twist, his character development leading to this revelation feels insufficient. Early scenes that should establish his potential for betrayal instead focus on teenage romance, making his ultimate fate feel somewhat unearned despite its dramatic impact.
Peter Muller’s storyline—the German deserter who washes ashore—creates moral complexity that elevates the novel beyond simple wartime adventure. His relationship with the Smith family, particularly his romantic connection with Margaret, adds layers of humanity to what could have been a black-and-white conflict narrative.
Literary Elements: Books Within Books
The Book Club as Character
The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club serves as more than mere plot device; it becomes a character in its own right. Kelly’s portrayal of how literature brings people together, provides escape during wartime, and connects generations feels authentic and moving. The creation of Armed Services Editions—compact books for soldiers—provides both historical interest and thematic resonance.
The discussions of classics like Jane Eyre and The Song of Bernadette never feel forced or academic but rather emerge naturally from the characters’ personalities and circumstances. Briar’s practical criticism of Jane’s fire-fighting techniques provides both humor and character insight, while the group’s passionate debates about book selection feel true to any reader’s experience.
Narrative Structure: Ambitious but Occasionally Clunky
The dual timeline structure creates opportunities for dramatic irony and emotional resonance, particularly as Mari’s story gradually reveals her connection to the Smith family. However, the transitions between 1942 and 2016 sometimes feel abrupt, disrupting narrative flow. The contemporary storyline, while necessary for the overall structure, lacks the vivid detail and compelling conflict that makes the wartime sections so engaging.
Themes and Historical Context
Family Secrets and Generational Trauma
Kelly explores how family secrets echo across generations with particular skill. Bess Stanhope’s forced separation from her daughter creates a wound that affects three generations, examining how trauma can be both hidden and transmitted. The theme of mothers and daughters—particularly those separated by circumstance—runs throughout both timelines with genuine emotional weight.
The Price of War
Beyond the obvious costs of military conflict, Kelly examines war’s impact on home front communities. The transformation of peaceful Martha’s Vineyard into a training ground, the fear of invasion, and the way normal life continues despite extraordinary circumstances all receive thoughtful treatment. The book succeeds in showing how war affects ordinary people in extraordinary ways without minimizing either the heroism or the sacrifice involved.
Writing Style: Accessible but Occasionally Uneven
Kelly’s prose style suits her material well—clear, engaging, and rich in period detail without becoming overwrought. Her dialogue feels natural, particularly in scenes between the Smith sisters, where affection and irritation blend convincingly. The descriptions of Martha’s Vineyard capture both its beauty and its wartime transformation with vivid specificity.
However, some plot revelations feel rushed, particularly in the final act where multiple storylines converge. The pacing occasionally suffers from the dual timeline structure, with some sections feeling more developed than others.
Comparison to Kelly’s Previous Work
Readers familiar with Kelly’s Lilac Girls trilogy will recognize her skill at combining historical research with compelling personal stories. This novel shares DNA with her earlier work in its focus on women’s experiences during wartime, but the Martha’s Vineyard setting allows for more intimate character development than the broader European canvas of her previous books.
Like The Golden Doves, this novel explores themes of family separation and reunion, but the American setting provides different opportunities for examining how war affects civilian populations.
Final Verdict: A Worthy Addition to WWII Fiction
The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club succeeds more often than it stumbles, creating an engaging story that honors both its historical setting and its contemporary characters. While not perfect—some plot elements feel underdeveloped and the dual timeline occasionally creates pacing issues—the novel’s strengths significantly outweigh its weaknesses.
Kelly’s tribute to her mother’s generation and their wartime experiences feels both personal and universal. The book works best when focusing on the daily realities of life during wartime: the small sacrifices, the persistent fears, and the way ordinary people find extraordinary courage.
For readers who enjoyed The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah or The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, this novel offers similar pleasures: compelling characters, historical authenticity, and the powerful reminder that literature can provide both escape and connection during humanity’s darkest hours.
