Book Talk! The Midcoast by Adam White

Masks Required.

ABOUT THE BOOK

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE - "Looking for an addictive summer read? This crime drama embedded in a moving portrait of two Maine families marks the debut of a genius storyteller."--People (Book of the Week)

"I tore through the saga of the Thatch family in two nights. The Midcoast is a reader's dream--tense, ominous, and deeply wise."--David Benioff, co-creator of Game of Thrones

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022--The Washington Post, Town & Country, The Millions, CrimeReads

It's spring in the tiny town of Damariscotta, a tourist haven on the coast of Maine known for its oysters and antiques. Andrew, a high school English teacher recently returned to the area, has brought his family to Ed and Steph Thatch's sprawling riverside estate to attend a reception for the Amherst women's lacrosse team. Back when they were all teenagers, Andrew never could have predicted that Ed, descended from a long line of lobstermen, or Steph, a decent student until she dropped out to start a family, would ever send a daughter to a place like Amherst. But so the tides have turned, and Andrew's trying hard to admire, more than envy, the view from Ed's rolling backyard meadow.

As Andrew wanders through the Thatches' house, he stumbles upon a file he's not supposed to see: photos of a torched body in a burned-out sedan. And when a line of state police cruisers crashes the Thatches' reception an hour later, Andrew and his neighbors finally begin to see the truth behind Ed and Steph's remarkable rise. Soon the newspapers are running headlines about the Thatches, and Andrew's poring over his memories, trying to piece together the story of a family he thought he knew.

A propulsive drama that cares as deeply about its characters as it does about the crimes they commit, The Midcoast explores the machinations of privilege, the dark recesses of the American dream, and the lies we tell as we try, at all costs, to protect the ones we love.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam White grew up in Damariscotta, Maine, and now lives with his wife and son in Boston, where he teaches writing and coaches lacrosse. He holds an MFA from Columbia University. The Midcoast is his first novel.

ABOUT THE INTERLOCUTOR

Sarah Tomlinson, a former music journalist, has been a ghostwriter since 2008, penning more than 20 books, including five NY Times bestsellers. In 2015, she published the father-daughter memoir, GOOD GIRL (Gallery Books). Her debut novel, HOW TO BE A GHOST, is scheduled for publication in early 2024 by Flatiron Books.

Notes on parking in Larchmont Village:

Chevalier's does not have any parking, but there is paid meter parking on the street, a paid lot next to the bank, and free street parking parallel the Larchmont Blvd. on Lucerne Blvd.