Time & Tide

April 1, 2004
Conroy, the author of four books, including Stop-Time, has known Nantucket since 1955-as a college student, as the father of a young family, as a lonely divorced man, and as a new lover. In this slim volume, he describes how the island has changed over time. Beautifully written, full of joy and memories, his narrative invokes the feeling of an isolated island community that became a summer home for the wealthy. It is Conroy's reminiscences that make this book special, as he describes, for example, a 13-year tradition of pick-up baseball on an overgrown field that ended as the local league expanded. An attempt to continue the game on a donated, well-manicured field also failed. The author remembers the changes to animal life on Nantucket, from the disappearance of dog ticks to the infestation of squirrels, including the discovery of hundreds that had nested in his dwelling. A pleasant, enjoyable read; buy for public libraries.-Alison Hopkins, Brantford P.L., Ont.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2004
Take a walk on the literary side with this ambling travelogue by acclaimed memoirist and longtime director of the Iowa Writer's Workshop. The latest in the Crown Journeys series that features well-known writers exploring a particular landscape, Conroy's prose excursion invites armchair travelers to savor the history and charm of this "small, relaxed oasis in the ocean." Blending memory and fact, the author's nuanced account traces the island's past, from its whaling days in the nineteenth century to its modern-day niche as a destination of the wealthy. Conroy, who first visited the Massachusetts island at the age of three, wanders among windswept moors, salt marshes, and cranberry bogs, reminiscing about the house he built on a tiny oceanfront plot; the jazz he played at the local bar bought with his friends; and time spent at Skinner's, a venerable golf course that cost a dollar a hole. Eloquent and bittersweet, " Time & Tide" is a celebration of Nantucket's enduring beauty and a nostalgic nod to the simple pleasures of its past.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)