Nantucket has been a writer’s favorite for centuries… from Herman Melville to Nathaniel Philbrick. It’s got enough history, landscapes, and personalities to provide characters, plots, and backdrops galore. So there’s no shortage of books featuring Nantucket in all her splendor. But here are five of our favorites. Happy reading!

Ahab’s Wife
by Sena Jeter Naslund (historical fiction)
Intimidated by its length, I let this book languish on a shelf for far too long. Once I began, it immediately became a novel I never wanted to end, an insta-favorite. The book opens with “Captain Ahab was neither my first husband nor my last,” giving you a quick insight into its depth. You’ll follow the captivating heroine Una through journeys both physical and metaphorical as she grows into her opinions and nature. Writer Naslund offers romance, adventure, intrigue, and familial values, all while weaving in Nantucket’s glorious history and landscape.

Nantucket: A writer’s and reader’s paradise.

Time and Tide: A Walk Through Nantucket
by Frank Conroy (memoir)
If you’re reading this list, you’re already in love with Nantucket (or you’re well on your way). Each of us has a story of how that came to be, which is why Frank Conroy’s account is so appealing. It’s fun to see the island through his eyes as it evolves from a small destination to a prime-time tourist locale. Conroy walks us through his own island love story, as he himself evolves from jazz pianist and scalloper to golfer, barkeep, and professor. His story is genuine and relatable; it’ll make you want to renew your island vows.

Island Practice: Cobblestone Rash, Underground Tom, and Other Adventures of a Nantucket Doctor
by Pam Belluck (non-fiction)
This fascinating read tells the story of Nantucket’s chief doctor, Tim Lepore. On an island ripe with idiosyncratic personalities, Lepore fits right in. And thank goodness, as he must at times play the roles of ACK’s surgeon, medical examiner, tick expert, psychiatrist, football team doctor, and veterinarian. The book chronicles his journey to and through Nantucket, detailing his unique hobbies (roadkill taxidermy, for one) along the way. As the greater medical world grows increasingly sterile, Lepore’s maverick style makes for a refreshing read. Truly a page turner.

Away Off Shore: Nantucket Island and Its People, 1602-1890
by Nathaniel Philbrick (non-fiction)
For the historians among you, here’s a chance to dive deep into island lore. Philbrick’s impeccable research offers great insight into how today’s island came to be, tracing its occupants, occupations, and more. Far from a beach read, this one will stretch your cranial waves and give you more Nantucket facts than you thought possible. I especially enjoyed learning the origins of the names and locations that still stand today. Philbrick also penned In the Heart of the Sea, another Nantucket favorite.

The Phantom of Nantucket (Nancy Drew Diaries)
by Carolyn Keene (young adult / fiction)
The new Nancy Drew Diaries series provides an updated time frame for one of our all-time favorite sleuths. In this installment, Nancy and her friends visit Nantucket to attend an exhibit at the Whaling Museum, but strange circumstances threaten to ruin the opening show. Nancy rounds up plenty of clues and suspects, but will she be able to solve the mystery in time? This well researched novella is a quick and wonderful read, if only to see the island through the rookie eyes of Nancy Drew.

What are your favorite books on Nantucket? Let us know so we can add them to our summer reading list!