She thought that her grandmother was the person she knew best, inside and out.

Kit O’Neill and her sister Claire were raised from a young age by their grandparents after their parents were killed in an accident. Kit was not an easy child to raise, especially during her turbulent and rebellious teenage years, but with her grandparents love and support (plus a major tough love moment from her indomitable Nan) she turned things around and is now a producer for interviewer Lucinda Cross’ successful TV show in NYC. Her romantic relationships tend to be superficial and brief, but that’s the way she wants it. Now that Nan has passed away, several years after her grandfather Pop’s death, Kit and Claire are cleaning out the family home in preparation for putting it on the market. Kit comes across a box in the attic that holds a few items that hint at a time in Nan’s life of which she was completely unaware….a playbill for a production on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, a picture of Nan as a young woman with a handsome man who was definitely not Pop, and an empty box with a cryptic note and an envelope embossed with the word Sycamore. As a producer, Kit is used to ferreting out details through research to develop a story, and those skills are about to be put to use to uncover Nan’s secret life. It will involve a Hollywood actress named Mercy Welles whose career after an Oscar nomination in 1959 was on the rise until she abruptly and without explanation left Hollywood and a broken engagement behind, one of Martha’s Vineyard’s founding families who zealously guard their privacy and their secrets, a budding African American playwright from the talented ranks in Oak Bluffs on the island, and an ill-tempered but intriguing man who made his living from the sea. Kit will travel from Hollywood to Martha’s Vineyard, unearthing what happened so many decades ago, and she may just find some needed insight into her own life in the process.
The island of Martha’s VIneyard is a place that holds a special place in my heart, as I have been fortunate enough to spend time creating memories there over the the last 30 years or so, often in the company of my mother and my daughter (who, coincidentally, called my mother Nan). I am drawn to books set there, though more than a few have proven disappointing in their ability to adequately invoke the feel of the island. This novel is NOT one of those disappointments….author Michael Callahan has clearly spent time there, has absorbed much of what attracts people to its shores, and skillfully evokes its atmosphere and inhabitants. He deftly weaves the glamour as well as the backbiting that was Hollywood in the mid century years with a rustic spot off the coast of Cape Cod that was not the celebrity magnet then that it is today, all while unraveling the mystery of Nan’s life between her growing up years in Nebraska and her time working in New York as an adult where she would meet and marry. Pop. The novel starts with a quote from Gabriel García Márquez, “Everyone has three lives: a public life, a private life and a secret life,”, and that is true of the many characters in this story of love, family, secrets and difficult choices. I found the book and its narrators Kit and Mercy grabbed my attention from the very first page and never let go…..it is a tale whose conclusion you desperately want to know while never wanting it to end. If you like the works of Chris Bohjalian, Anne Rivers Siddons, and Elin HIldebrand, or if you have a connection to or fascination with Martha’s Vineyard and/or Hollywood of an earlier age, then I urge you most strongly to pick up a copy of The Lost Letter from Martha’s Vineyard….right now. You will not regret it! Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for allowing me access to an early copy of this enchanting novel, and to Mr. Callahan for so ably sharing the magic that is Martha’s Vineyard.

Claire and Kit are sisters who lost their parents at an early age. Their grandparents stepped up to raise them to the women they are today. When Nan their grandma passes away, they are left to clean up her house and sell off the items they do not want. When Kit is tasked with cleaning out the attic, she finds a linen box with play hand bill for a play on Martha's Vineyard which she finds strange as Nan was never on Martha's Vineyard or so she thought. With Kit having curiosity she begins to explore on the internet to find some crumbs of a past grandma had that was never revealed to the girls. The story moves back and forth with modern day with Kit trying to find out her grandmas past along with the sisters dealing with their modern-day problems and Grandmas past as a Hollywood star and a summer spent on Martha's Vineyard. From the opening pages there are many mysteries to solve, and the author does a masterful job weaving the stories of discovery together with many interesting twists and you think you have the story figured out. This book is a nice easy read that holds your attention all the way through and makes you want to keep reading to the end to find out what happens. This was a definite five star read.

"The Lost Letters From Martha's Vineyard" is a bittersweet romance mixed with a thrilling mystery. It's full of secrets and betrayals, heartbreak, long lost love and new love. It is definitely a wonderful page turner for the summer with a perfect small town, beachy feel. I will most definitely read more of Michael Callahan's historicals in the future.

**Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.**

Thanks to Mariner Books for an advanced copy of The Lost Letters from Martha's Vineyard by Michael Callahan.
I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover and Martha's Vineyard setting and really enjoyed this family drama/mystery.

I loved the dual timeline aspect! From the 1959 timeline with Hollywood starlet Mercy Welles and the events that led her to spend the summer on Martha's Vineyard and Kit in 2018 when she finds some things in her grandmother's attic after she passes, which leads her to discover her grandmother was a famous actress.

This was such a well-written story, I was quickly drawn into both characters and stories! I love family secret books and this was done so well. Plus the Martha's Vineyard setting!

If you're looking for a summer book that's a little more of a mystery with family secrets and the perfect summer setting I highly highly recommend The Lost Letters from Martha's Vineyard.

This was just ok for me -- I was a bit bored and it wasn't really mysterious, thrilling or shocking. I could also tell a man was writing the POV for two women and it wasn't great. The setting was the best part as well as the modern bits but all a bit unbelievable. Hope you have better luck!

The Lost Letters From Martha's Vineyard comes out next week on May 21, 2024 and you can purchase HERE.

Beverly Hills didn't hold much interest. The Rodeo Drive shopping, the three-hour hair appointments, the McCarthy salad by the pool at the Beverly Hills Hotel-these were the pursuits of the rich, bored, thin (and sometimes not so thin) spouses of the studio executives and producers who ran Hollywood, all of them trying, each and every day, not to think about how utterly pointless their lives were.

Mercy lifted a champagne coupe off a passing tray and slowly retreated to a corner of the room, her preferred spot at any party: sometimes it was more fun to be the audience than the act.

I love old Hollywood and that is why I was drawn to this book. If you enjoy dual timelines try this book. The story is told between 2018 and 1959. It is a lovely story that unfolds when Kit finds letters from her grandmother that passed. It has a bit love, family drama and mystery which kept my attention throughout.
4/5
Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was so surprised by this book. What a beautiful story that unfolded. This book grabbed me at the first page and never let go. Well done!

This book was so amazing! It puts you through an emotional Rollercoaster but it was so worth it!! This is one of the top summer reads of the year in my opinion. It sucks you in andbyou get tangled up in two lives and you don't wanna stop reading it! Percect!!
I just reviewed The Lost Letters from Martha's Vineyard by Michael Callahan. #TheLostLettersfromMarthasVineyard #NetGalley
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4.5 stars rounded up! I love books about Old Hollywood and stories with a Martha's Vineyard setting, so I was instantly intrigued by THE LOST LETTERS FROM MARTHA'S VINEYARD. In alternating timelines, the story takes us back to 1959 and 2018. In the former, Mercy Welles has eschewed her Midwestern roots to become an Oscar-nominated actress, engaged to a director who's also a rising star. But then a broken heart leads her to Martha's Vineyard, where she vanishes from the glamorous Old Hollywood scene to spend a life-changing summer on the island. Decades later, Kit O'Neill, a junior television producer in NYC is grieving the death of her grandmother and helping pack up her attic when she stumbles on a box of souvenirs that turns her world upside down—her doting grandma, who practically raised Kit and her sister, was also the mysterious actress Mercy Welles, who disappeared just as her career was on the rise. Kit is determined to solve the mystery of her grandmother's double life—and it just might lead her to Martha's Vineyard.

I really enjoyed this book! Mystery, suspense, romance, drama—the story has it all. I thought the Martha's Vineyard setting was so vivid and fleshed-out, and the dual timelines were similarly well-done. In terms of things I wanted more of, I wished both of the love stories had been expanded on a little more, as they both felt a little bit rushed, but otherwise, I thought this was the perfect summer read! I'm interested in picking up Callahan's other books, too. Definitely add this one to your beach bag this summer! Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Really well written and thought out. This book had a great atmosphere and the perfect amount of suspense and also romance. Very enjoyable to read and would make a great beach read as well. Great book.

The Lost Letters From Martha’s Vineyard by Michael Callahan is a book of relationships,, romance and suspenseThe story is told in alternate timelines.The 1959 timeline is about young Hollywood sensation Mercy Welles who vanishes after a trip to Martha’s Vineyard.The 2018 timeline is from the point of view of Kit O’Niell who finds some letters in her deceased grandmothers attic.This novel will keep you turning the pages to find out the secrets!Thank you Net Galley and Mariner books for allowing me to read this arc!It was an entertaining read!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy, a great read, rounding up from 4.5. Mercy Wells (nee Enid Stollmeyer) leaves her family’s farm in Nebraska to pursue a career in Hollywood in the 1950’s. She achieves early success, nominated for an Oscar, and she seems to have found happiness, engaged to be married, when things come crashing down. “Mercy Welles was not the first, nor the last, willowy starlet to bolt the unforgiving glare of the Hollywood spotlight for safer ground, but she remains one of its most unique and mysterious.”

At the urging of her best friend, Cass, Mercy heads to Martha’s Vineyard to take a little time to clear her head. The layers of Mercy’s story are peeled back between her timeline and the present day when, after her death, her granddaughters, Claire and Kit, discover information in her stored belongings that raise questions about their Nan’s past, completely unknown to them. As Kit looks into it, a mystery involving Mercy’s time in Martha’s Vineyard emerges. The title does not indicate the intrigue involved in the book which touches on many issues of the day. The characters are compelling, the pacing good, and the story really absorbing.

Really enjoyed this book. It was suspenseful until the very end. I enjoyed the time jumps. Reminded me of Tara Jenkins Reid. Fun summer read.

As someone from the area with family on MV, I was drawn to this. But it seems like I’m not the audience you want.

A fantastic read! I felt as if I stepped into the 1950’s along with Mercy in her cottage rental in Edgartown. People can be so lovely and so creepy. Who would even begin to think after leaving Hollywood for island paradise in Massachusetts darkness could find her once again.
Jumping to near present day, Marcy’s granddaughter travels to Martha’s Vineyard after finding her Nan’s hidden box in the attic of a life she never knew existed. This is such a wonderful book with many twists and I stayed up late into the night to finish it. I loved every page. Thank you for the ARC.

I loved The Lost Letters from Martha’s Vineyard! This is a sweet romance in a glorious island setting blended with passion, protection, and promise. There is also murder, deception, and lots of love. The combination is captivating, resulting in a story I didn’t want to end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A nice read! Enjoyed it but didn't love it. I would like to explore more of the author's work. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The prologue starts off quite intense and it definitely grabbed my attention. However, the rest of the book fell flat in comparison. I enjoyed the two timelines between Kit and her Grandmother, but would have preferred a first person POV instead of third.

It took me a while to get through this one simply because there was never a point where I had to know what happened. The plot became predictable, but I still enjoyed the read.

Martha's Vineyard - 2018 and 1959

2018

Kit O'Neill, a young television producer living in Manhattan, is at her Nan's house with her older sister, going through her grandmother's belongings after her death. They are selling the house, and selling or donating most of its contents. Kit and her sister Claire were brought up by their grandparents after their own parents died in an accident. While going through items in the attic, Kit comes upon a small box tied with a black felt ribbon. Inside is an announcement of a play on Martha's Vineyard for August of 1959, starring Mercy Welles. Kit has no idea who that is or why Nan would have anything from the island, as she had never mentioned it before. There was also a photograph of a woman who looked like her grandmother with a handsome young man. A note card was also found - to someone named Nancy and signed by R. Researching Mercy Welles online, Kit is stunned to see a photograph of none other than Nan! The story of the sudden disappearance of Mercy intrigues Kit, and she is determined to discover just why Nan never spoke of her past.

1959

Mercy Welles, a promising young actress, has retreated to the island of Martha's Vineyard after a break-up with her fiance. Encouraged by her close friend, Cass, to get away from Hollywood, Mercy is just looking for some peace and quiet. Settling into a small cottage, she just wants to soothe her hurting heart, and eventually get on with her professional life. She meets some of the locals who don't seem to recognize her, and since she's using her real name, Edie, they're not likely to. But her introduction to Ren, an oysterman changes some of her plans.

Fitting in with the locals, Mercy is also aware that the family up on the hill in the big house seem to have some secrets. As she gets to know more of the citizens, she figures out that the Sewards in that house have a bit of control over what non-islanders need to know about the tight-knit community. When Mercy agrees to star in a play written by a Black musician who lives on the island, things become even more interesting. But Mercy is not prepared for what happens.

Kit and Mercy's stories are alternated in this intriguing novel. THE LOST LETTERS FROM MARTHA'S VINEYARD is a page-turner with well drawn-out characters. Kit adored her grandmother, but was confused that she and her sister knew so little about her life. When Kit goes to Martha's Vineyard to try and find more information, she is drawn into its intimate lifestyle. Will she find out why Mercy disappeared from Hollywood? Will people even remember Mercy?

Don't miss this terrific novel! It was a Perfect 10 for me. Readers will be surprised at the ending.

I loved this historical novel about a grandmother and her granddaughter ...2 strong characters. and a secret that has been kept for 60 years. Kit, searches for the truth about why her grandmother lived incognito for 60 years after suddenly fleeing Hollywood 60 years ago and changing her name. You will find yourself not wanting to put this book down. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book