FICTION

Island Apart

by Steven Raichlen
Forge: Tor. Jun. 2012. c.288p. ISBN 9780765332387. $24.99. F
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New York book editor Claire Doheney, finishing up her last few chemotherapy treatments for aggressive breast cancer, agrees to house-sit a friend's summer home on Chappaquiddick Island, close to Martha's Vineyard. After a bicycle accident, she meets a man known to the locals only as "the Hermit." The Hermit rarely speaks to anyone and lives solely off the land, but he and Claire begin a relationship sparked by their shared love of the culinary arts. Despite his looks—shabby and unkempt—the Hermit is quite the foodie. A romance develops between these two lonely people, both damaged by former relationships.
VERDICT Cookbook author Raichlen (The Barbecue! Bible) makes his fiction debut with this tasty beach book whose wonderfully evocative descriptions of meals should not be read on an empty stomach. Despite a few flaws—a rushed ending and contrived situations easily and quickly resolved—Raichlin's novel will appeal to readers interested in later-in-life love stories and fans of culinary fiction.
Reviewed by Brooke Bolton, North Manchester P.L., IN , Jun 01, 2012
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