The stark beauty of last things

Set in the idyllic village of Montauk at the tip of Long Island, your story follows a testy mixup of tough-nosed fisherman, local business owners unnerved by change, environmentalists, and wealthy newcomers. What drew you to write this novel about such a magical yet complicated place?

I was drawn to Montauk from the first time I went, on a camping trip with the man who would become my husband. I was enchanted by the sheer beauty and intrigued by those drawn to live year-round in a place with harsh winters that essentially shut down by Labor Day. As soon as we were able to purchase a tiny apartment I began writing characters—fishermen, surfers, barmaids—whose lives are defined by living on the coast.

Your characters are polarized by different positions on preservation, property rights, and other sensitive issues. Amazingly, you seem equally adept at arguing the merits and weaknesses of each side. As you worked to create a narrative that felt true to you, how did you stay so neutral as a storyteller?

I became involved with an environmental organization and steeped in conflicts that I explore in the novel. They pitted good people on both sides, the dilemmas often revolving around the balance between human needs and the needs of the environment. I found myself grappling personally with these practical and philosophical questions and as I wrote the novel I didn’t know how I would resolve them fictionally. I think because I myself was exploring these issues, neutrality was easier to achieve.

The powerful, nearly invincible role of wealth and money in rural communities undergoing change is a major underlying theme in the book. Is it a meaningful topic for you?

Yes, I’m greatly concerned about income inequality, and it’s perhaps more obvious and visible in rural communities.