Nancy Thayer’s Little ACK Book
Credit: Kit Noble
When novelist Nancy Thayer visited a friend on Nantucket 40 years ago, she never could have predicted that she’d meet her future husband. Nor could she have predicted that 2023 would mark her 39th year of calling Nantucket home. It’s quite likely she couldn’t have guessed that she’d become a New York Times bestselling author of 35 books (to date), either. That’s the effect that only love—of a person or a place (Thayer just happened to have both)—can have on someone’s life.
It’s no surprise, then, that Thayer’s work celebrates relationships: “Families and friendships are the soul of my writing,” she says. “I’ve been a daughter-in-law and I am a mother-in-law, and those are challenging relationships. I’m a wife, a mother, an aunt, and a grandmother. I’ve always got ideas and scenes squirreled away in my mind. Someone could lock me in my study with a nice supply of chocolate and I’d never run out of material.” And that her novels are all based on Nantucket, where the dynamic nature of the island inspires her. “Yes, the beaches are golden in the summer, but in the winter, the wind and the ocean provide crazy drama, [so] much sound and fury, and there are days when boats and planes can’t come or go from the island. Some days are calm, some days are difficult—like family life. I’m sure there’s always a storm in my books.”
Now, Thayer’s gearing up to release her newest novel on May 2, All the Days of Summer, which combines all of these elements. “During the years I’ve lived here, the island’s population has changed. More and more extremely wealthy ‘new money’ people have bought multi-million-dollar houses here to live in for two weeks in the summer,” she says. “In this book, I wanted to present a character who is part of the true Nantucket aristocracy, the people whose family has lived here for generations. These Nantucket natives know secret places, where to catch the biggest stripers, where rare flowers grow, and the very best spot in the world to spend New Year’s Eve. So, in All the Days of Summer, one of the characters is a Nantucket princess who has some issues with her future mother-in-law.”
Similarly, exclusively for Little ACK Book, Thayer is letting us into her Nantucket: everything from her cocktail of choice and ice cream order (which, surprisingly, is not from The Juice Bar) to what to pack and what to leave at home (“All your worries”). Because if anyone knows how to love Nantucket, it’s Thayer.
Hotels: My friends love Greydon House, the White Elephant, and for the super posh, The Wauwinet, tucked out of town at the end of the harbor.
Restaurant for Breakfast: The Downyflake! Blueberry pancakes and bacon.
Restaurant for Lunch: Something Natural. BLT (Yes, I love bacon.)
Restaurant for Dinner: Lanquedoc Bistro. Chopped salad, Sauteed Chatham Cod.
Bar and Drink Order: Proprietors. Stupid Love (who hasn’t enjoyed that?) made from a sparkling rosé and complicated rose cognac.
Cafés: The Brotherhood of Thieves! Cheeseburger and curly fries. Whale’s Tale Pale Ale from Cisco Brewery.
Ice Cream Order: I prefer Jack and Charlie’s Ice Cream on lower Main. Huge selection, a small garden with benches and a table or two, and it’s a short walk to the harbor to watch the boats.
Small Business: Nantucket Pharmacy. Wonderful soda fountain, tasty sandwiches, plus everything you need for the summer: lipstick, sunblock, children’s games, newspapers, candy, gift soaps, birthday cards, and wrapping paper. Oh, and prescriptions and toothpaste.
Activity or Attraction for Groups: The Whaling Museum, for all ages, lots to see plus a whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling.
Activity or Attraction for Children: The candy room at the back of Force Five. It’s paradise. And of course, Children’s Beach.
Activity or Attraction for Yourself: The Nantucket Library, the Atheneum, has lots of lectures on all sorts of topics. It’s a treasure trove of wisdom from world-class luminaries.
Beach: Madaket and Surfside for everyone. My favorite is a small stretch of beach near the town pier, where you can rent a kayak and paddle around at the end of the harbor where it’s so shallow if children fall out, they can just stand up.
Person to Know: The oddly-named Nantucket Department of Culture and Tourism which we call the Visitors’ Center has helpful clerks with information, maps, and guides. It’s right in the middle of town on Federal Street and Chestnut.
Must-Pack Item(s): Bathing suit, sunblock, sun hat, t-shirts, and shorts. (And please, if you’re a man, don’t go bare-chested on Main Street.)
Item(s) to Leave at Home: All your worries.
Souvenir(s): You’ll find plenty of souvenirs in the shops, but I suggest finding a few perfect shells on the beach.
Time of Year: Summer, of course, for swimming, but Fall is warm and golden on the island. The Christmas Stroll is fabulous for adults and children, and in April, everything starts with the Daffodil Festival.
Rainy Day Plan: Go the Mitchell’s Book Corner, buy lots of books for everyone, go to Bookworks, buy lots of games for children, go home, read, and play games. You might need some chocolate, too.
Spot on Island: Most people like to go to Altar Rock in the middle of the island. It’s supposed to be the highest point on Nantucket. But really, any spot on any beach is the best spot on the island.
Morning or Night?: Night. So many clubs, concerts, restaurants, movies, plays, lectures. And the night sky is dazzling.
Sun or Fog?: For most people, sun on the beach. I prefer the cool moist fog of summer. It makes the island’s many gorgeous gardens look even lusher.
Land or Sea?: Well, I get motion-sick, so I’ll choose the land, but looking at the sea. For those who love fishing, there are plenty of charters on Straight Wharf.
Nantucket’s Best-Kept Secret: Oh, dear, I’m afraid I don’t know what that is.