Set in a coastal New England town caught up in the Prohibition-era rum-running trade, Tripp's second novel (after Moon Tide
) illuminates the period's dark underbelly as it explores a family forever changed by the allure of its precarious prosperity. Written from alternating perspectives, the book opens with a flashback to Noel Dowd's whaling days, nearly 60 years earlier, though the bulk of the story belongs to his willful and fiercely independent grandchildren, Bridge and Luce. The brother and sister share an unusually close relationship, approached only by the bond between Bridge and her grandfather. The siblings' relationship is put to the test as 18-year-old Bridge grows closer to Henry Vonniker, a former doctor shattered by the horrors of World War I, and Luce becomes embroiled with Honey Lyons, a local rum-running kingpin. Meanwhile, Noel, with the help of his former shipmate Rui, invests his entire savings in stocks, oblivious to the impending market collapse and the devastating depression that will sweep the nation. While Tripp's impressive research and attention to detail add to the story's heft, the creeping pace of her narrative can undermine the novel's passion and intensity. However, this restraint allows the reader ample time to savor Tripp's elegantly crafted characters, whose joys, sorrows and humanity far outweigh the excitement of a boat chase or the thrill of a romantic encounter. (June)
