August 2022

I typically am a very quick reader, but I found myself really slowing down to read FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliott Dark. Why? The beauty of her writing is as special as the story. And, ah, the story.

We have two very different women. Agnes Lee is an author, now in her 80s, who is best known for her children’s book series about a young girl named Nan. But unbeknownst to anyone, she also is the author of the bestselling Franklin Square novels, and she has one more story there that she would like to tell. Her childhood friend is Polly Wister, a well-off married woman with children. Polly’s life has been devoted to the happiness of her husband, who is demanding of her time and rather egotistical. And her children challenge her world, where she just wants peace and harmony.

Agnes and Polly’s families have long enjoyed summer residences on Fellowship Point, a land trust on the coast of Maine. They have summered there for decades on parcels of land that were acquired by five Quaker families in the 1870s. There is tons of history here, with both the land and the families. But developers have their eyes on it, and there are three surviving shareholders, including Agnes and Polly. Agnes is determined to donate the land to a trust, which will ensure no further development. But she needs both Polly and her nephew, Archie, to agree. Polly’s eldest son, to whom the land would go upon her death, is fighting the move.

And there is a young woman from Agnes’ publisher who wants one last Nan book from her. But she also figures into the story in ways that one would not imagine.

There are so many threads and storylines here. Each will keep you turning the pages, and each is fully fleshed out and developed. Alice wrote this novel over two decades, and the care and attention to detail shows. It’s the kind of book to be read and savored, not rushed through. It’s long, but I never got tired of reading it. I kept wanting to know more. Book groups would enjoy this one, but devote enough time for everyone to read it before you discuss it.