Maddie Clarke, a professor at a Boston college, was waiting to hear if she would be granted tenure when she received a letter from an attorney that could change the course of her life. It seems her Grandma Nancy hadn't died decades ago as Maddie had been told,  She died recently at age eighty-nine and she left her considerable estate to Maddie. The story is set in a fishing village on Martha's Vineyard where Maddie's mother had been born and where she and Maddie had vacationed until her mother had been killed when Maddie was five years old.  Now, approaching middle age, divorced and with a college age son and vague memories, Maddie returned to her grandmother's cottage to settle the estate quickly and return to her normal life. However, this was not exactly what happened.  Actually, none of that happened.

UP ISLAND HARBOR, by Jean Stone, is a story with a unique plot.  The residents of the island, who are central to the narrative, are a quirky group who share a strong sense of loyalty.  Even though not related by blood, they are the very definition of a solid family.  However, Maddie considers herself to be an outsider and she has suspicions.  She questions the circumstances of her grandmother's death and then unexpectedly she is given reason to question her own heritage and ancestry.  After a series of mishaps and even more unanswered questions, Maddie vowed to find out why she had been lied to and what really happened to her grandmother. What will she do when she learns the truth?

UP ISLAND HARBOR is a beautifully told story about a woman who may have been given the opportunity to become and embrace who she was really meant to be.  Packed with heart and serious and meaningful dialogue, this book is well worth reading.  Highly recommended.