Memories, mysteries & Cape Cod trivia: 5 new books by local authors
Most new books from this group of Cape Cod authors have strong personal connections. Two are memoirs: One about finding a spiritual center and a second about a Woods Hole childhood. Another book is fiction but based on the author's uncle and his own past on the Cape. The fourth book shares the author's love and knowledge of Cape Cod and invites you to play.
In the thriller category comes the next part of a continuing story of a detective in Australia, who just can't stay retired. Take a look and consider reading.
"Becoming Peacemaker," by James W. Kershner (Tom’s Run Press, 2022)
Kershner, a Barnstable resident, describes this book as a "spiritual memoir," using 38 anecdotes to tell stories about his search for happiness from early adulthood in the late 1960s to recent years. He writes about overcoming drug and alcohol abuse, coming to embrace mindful meditation, being ordained by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, and how the Cape Sangha he founded in 1997 still makes a difference in his daily life. Kershner was also a journalist for 30 years, including at the Cape Cod Times, and professor at Cape Cod Community College for 20 years, and he authored "The Elements of News Writing" and "The Elements of Academic Writing."
"So, You Think You Know Cape Cod? Places, People, Folklore, Trivia and Treasures," by Henry M. Quinlan with photographs by Emily E. Murphy (Omni Publishing Company, 2022)
This book is one of three that Quinlan, who lived for years in Wareham, has put together through his own publishing company featuring his writing and work by one of his granddaughters. The Cape Cod version (there are also guides to the South Coast and Nantucket) offers a base knowledge for each community on the Cape, including men and women with significant contributions; a "Do You Know?" section with lesser-known information; trivia tests; and explanation of significant sites. The book's finale is what Quinlan calls the area's "treasures": "institutions and places that make the Cape a remarkable place to visit, live in and work."
"River of Lies" by Keith Yocum (independently published, 2022)
This fourth installment in the Cape author's "Dennis Cunningham thriller series" is set largely in Australia. The CIA veteran is lured out of early retirement to investigate the disappearance of a foreign spy. His girlfriend, Judy, an Australian police inspector, has her own challenges dealing with a family crisis and job stresses, but soon the two find themselves entangled in each other's investigations. Other books by Yocum, a former journalist, include "Best You" from earlier this year and "A Whisper Came: A Cape Cod Mystery" set in Chatham.
"Woods Hole Daze: a Cape Cod Memoir," by Phillip L. Pendergast (Riverhaven Books, 2022)
Pendergast, who lives on the South Shore, grew up in Woods Hole and writes about his childhood there in the middle of the 20th century. Besides his own experiences, he shares local history, with chapters that include "Woods Hole School," "The Children's School of Science," "The Cap'n Kidd," "The Breakwater Hotel" and "Hurricane Carol." Pendergast describes the book as "a recollection of a simpler time on Olde Cape Cod." His first book was 2014's "Bits and Pieces: A Potpourri of Prose and Poetry."
"Trails of Smoke," by William Liimatainen, illustrated by Annika Liimatainen (independently published, 2022)
This first work of fiction by Liimatainen, a Cape Cod native who attended Barnstable High School and now lives in Maryland, was inspired by his late uncle, Les Bryant, a Cape and Maine resident. The book, which takes place on the Cape and elsewhere in New England, is about a young man named Casey who grew up idolizing his uncle, an avid outdoorsman and "legend of New England's backcountry." But the uncle dies shortly after enlisting in the Marine Corps, and Casey must deal with that loss and figure out how to move forward. Liimatainen says writing the book inspired him to get in touch with his cousin, whom he hadn't seen or talked to in about 20 years, and the author surprised his cousin with the writing about his father. Another family element: The author's college-age daughter created the cover art.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod authors: New books offer memories, mysteries and trivia
