Ink
Recent books from alumni authors
Sherlock Holmes: The Seamstress and the Colonel
By Charles Blanksteen ’74
In the aftermath of the Whitechapel Ripper murders, Mary Jane must build a new life for herself at Le Chabanais, the finest brothel on the continent. A chance meeting with her friend from London reveals him to be none other than the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, supposedly deceased and now embroiled in a cat-and-mouse game with Professor Moriarty’s henchman, Colonel Sebastian Moran. Mary Jane soon finds herself also at odds with the criminal colonel, embroiling her in an assassination plot that even Sherlock Holmes may not be able to prevent.
Shadows of Vietnam
By Alice K. Boatwright ’69
Three linked novellas tell the stories of an America bitterly divided during the Vietnam War and the long reach of those conflicts in the decades afterward. From 1968, when Toby Woodruff saw refusing to fight as the way to serve the America he believed in, to Sarah Shepherd, who finally makes peace with her brother’s death and her own turbulent history when she visits Vietnam in 1993, the stories trace the struggles of those who served, those who resisted, and the families and friends caught between them.
LUCK STRUCK: A true story
By Kathleen Boluch ’79
In 1867, a poor Boston street kid wished for luck—and luck struck. Meet Thomas Lawson, the improbable Copper King of the Gilded Age, and his wife, Jeanne. Their desire ignited the moment they met, launching them into a passionate, decades-spanning love story. Lawson unwittingly rescued the town of Scituate, Massachusetts. Yet he failed to win over Boston Brahmins, despite being among the richest men of his time, which begs the question: How long did Lawson’s luck last?
Telling Stories with Maps: Lessons from a Lifetime of Creating Place-Based Narratives
By Allen Carroll ’73
From scraping patterns in sand to drawing intricate lines on vellum and paper to charting every place on the planet, humans have used maps as a powerful storytelling medium. The advent of the digital age has revolutionized the creation, distribution and consumption of maps. Telling Stories with Maps bridges both the analog and digital realms, showcasing how maps themselves tell stories and enrich narratives by providing context and insight. Richly illustrated with examples from traditional maps to the latest digital visualizations, this book is an essential guide for anyone interested in the storytelling power of maps.
Mothers of Fate
By Lynne Hugo ’69
Deana Wilkes, who has needed leg braces to walk since an accident long ago, seeks out attorney Monica Connell to find the child she was forced to relinquish in a closed adoption 30 years ago, after an affair with her married boss, Tony. Tony’s long gone now, and Deana’s ready to finally make things right and meet her son. But Monica’s wife, Angela, herself an adoptee, is adamant that closed adoptions need to remain closed unless the adoptee seeks contact. She draws a red line: Monica cannot take the case. Monica, however, feels compelled to help Deana by her own complicated—and secret—history. This masterful story about navigating the complexities of adoption raises the question: Does fate direct our lives—or do our own choices?
Johnny Careless
By Kevin Wade ’76
Police Chief Jeep Mullane is back home on Long Island’s North Shore after a heartbreaking case both earned him his NYPD detective’s shield and burned him out of the job. Now heading up a small local police department, Jeep is a “have-not” among the glittering “haves,” a sharp-witted, down-to-earth man in a territory defined and ruled by multigenerational wealth and power. When the corpse of Jeep’s childhood friend Johnny Chambliss—known as “Johnny Careless” for his reckless, golden-boy antics—surfaces in the Bayville waters, past collides with present. Jeep is challenged by Johnny’s wealthy and secretive family and his beautiful, enigmatic ex-wife as he untangles a knotted mystery fraught with theft, corrupt local moguls and decades-old secrets, all while grappling with his own deep-seated grief.