Book Review of
The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club
The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly is a WWII historical fiction book published in 2025.
It is a dual timeline book set in 2016 and 1942.
In 2016, Mari Starwood is grieving her mother’s death when she travels to Martha’s Vineyard to find out more about a name she found on a piece of paper.
The name is Elizabeth Devereaux, a famous reclusive painter from Martha’s Vineyard.
In 1942, the Smith girls and their family and friends are dealing with living on Martha’s Vineyard during wartime.
Cadence wants to be an author, and her sister Briar is war-obsessed. They are trying to hold down their failing family farm during World War II. Their brother has gone to war, and the U.S. Army has arrived on Martha’s Vineyard for training exercises.
Their quiet lives on the island are gone, and the realities of war are hitting this tight community.
Lynn's Review
The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly is a WWII historical fiction book based on the author’s family and friends.
Many of the characters in the book are based on people Martha Hall Kelly knew or stories that she heard about them.
The story is set on Martha’s Vineyard in 2016 and 1942. It focuses on the Smith family. Two sisters, their brother Tom who fights in WWII and their grandmother.
The family is dealing with the struggles of living as locals on Martha’s Vineyard during wartime.
I had mixed feelings about this book while reading it, but once I finished it and read the author’s notes, I understood the story much better. An author’s note really is important in historical fiction.
Many WWII historical fiction books are set in Europe or Britain because that is where much of the war took place. I really enjoy books like this that are set in the U.S. during wartime. It helps me understand more about what Americans had to deal with during the war.
I also love when an author bases a historical fiction book on their family.
If you enjoy historical fiction and are looking for a book to read this summer, this would be a good read.
About the Author
Martha Hall Kelly is a best selling author of historical fiction books. She is a native New Englander. Her debut novel, Lilac Girls, was a New York Times bestseller.