The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club

The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club is a novel about solidarity between women in an era that offered women few opportunities to define their own lives and careers. Cadence, Briar, Bess, and Margaret—the original members of the titular book club—help each other by working together as a team. As allies, the women support and empower one another, distributing books to soldiers, keeping the farm afloat, saving Peter’s life, and disposing of Tyson’s body. The novel’s major events all arise from their ongoing collaboration.

Organizing isn’t without conflict. Cadence and Briar regularly clash, with Cadence viewing Briar as a troublemaker and Briar chafing against Cadence’s cautious attitudes. Their sharp tension reaches a breaking point when Cadence suggests that prison would be “good” for Briar. The harsh quip forces Gram to remind Cadence, “This is your sister” (261). Their fighting isn’t entirely negative, however: The sisters mutual love is unshakeable, and the open dialogue helps them figure out how to move forward. Neither sister shuts out the other. Briar listens to Cadence’s arguments for turning Peter in, though she ultimately disagrees, and Cadence entertains Briar’s theory that Major Gilbert is a spy. While Bess severs contact with the Smith family, her separation helps them, as it nets them $5,000, which they use to jumpstart their farm.