The Invisible Husband of Frick Island

What would you do if you were introduced to an invisible husband? The whole community of Frick Island goes along with it until a stranger arrives on the scene and questions the absurdity of it all. Light-hearted, sweet, and a little confusing...but overall a delightful read that created a lively conversation within our reading club.

Colleen Oakley is the bestselling author of Before I Go, Close Enough to Touch, and You Were There, Too. As a teenager, she visited Smith Island in the middle of Chesapeake Bay with her grandparents. She "understood that the people who lived there, though they were Americans, experienced a very different existence from mine." Although she didn't yet know that she would be an author, she recognized that the island "would be the perfect setting for a story."

More than twenty years later, the idea of writing a book about a widow who thinks her husband is still alive and the whole town goes along with it" came to her. And she "knew exactly where it would take place: my own version of Smith Island." Like the fictional Frick Island that she created, Smith Island can only be reached by a ferry, climate change threatens the survival of the island, and it boasts a famous layer cake. Oakley returned to Smith Island to conduct research for The Invisible Husband of Frick Island and was warmly embraced by the residents. Although inspired by Smith Island, Frick Island is a fabrication born of Oakley's vivid imagination. And The Invisible Husband of Frick Island is an absolutely charming story set in that alluring locale, populated by eccentric and memorable characters.

Anders Caldwell grew up wanting to be Clark Kent. The dorky, clumsy reporter lives in a studio apartment in which he cannot get comfortable until he has inspected for cockroaches. He found three the day after he moved in, and there is nothing that he hates more than bugs. He hosts a podcast, but the only regular listener is his stepfather, who embarrassingly leaves comments commending him for his efforts. His editor has assigned him to write an article for the small newspaper where he works as a reporter about the annual Cake Walk on Frick Island. He wouldn't have to travel to the island, but he treats "each article as though it were a 1A feature, carrying on methodically in his research."

He learns that Frick Island is a mere 1.2-mile strip of land twelve miles off the eastern coast of Maryland, accessible only by ferries that run twice each day. Only 94 people live on the island, where the main profession is fishing. The town has one church, one general store/market, the Blue Point General Store, and one restaurant, the One-Eyed Crab. There are no street signs or police, and children no longer inhabit the schoolhouse. He takes the ferry, operated by Captain BobDan Gibbons, to the island to cover the event taking place in front of the Methodist church.

Seventeen days after the storm that claimed Tom's life, his widow, Piper returned to work at the bed-and-breakfast, shocking the proprietor, Mrs. Olecki. She told Mrs. Oleck that Tom hadn't snored at all the previous night and the silence was so unnerving that she couldn't sleep. Mrs. Olecki was certain she had misunderstood, but then Piper announced she was taking breakfast to Tom.

When Anders first encounters Piper, he asks her to join him at his table in the One-Eyed Crab. She promptly tells him that she is there with her husband, and when he asks Jeffrey, working at the bar, if she is married, he responds, "Depends on who you ask." He also observes islanders talking to Tom, calling "Morning!" to him. But there is no one next to Piper. When he returns to the newsroom, he discovers an email telling him, "You came all the way to Frick Island and missed the biggest story out here. For a reporter, you're not very observant." He performs more research and discovers that Tom's crab boat capsized in a storm and he drowned, but his body was not recovered. And Frick Island is going to disappear in eighty years because, as a result of climate change, the sea level is rising. Unless the citizens of Frick Island take evasive action, their home will literally cease to exist.

When Anders overhears a conversation during which some of the locals speculate that Tom's death wasn't an accident, he realizes that he did, indeed, miss the biggest story on the island. He resolves to investigate the strange case of the invisible husband that the residents seem to converse with, and his grieving widow who appears to have lost her grip on reality. And make it the subject of his podcast. But he leads the locals to believe that he is investigating climate change and the impact it will have on the island. And Jeffrey suggests that he speak to none other than Piper about that because she is knowledgeable about the subject.

Oakley's characters spring to life from the page, especially Anders who is awkward, hapless, and absolutely stunned when his podcast becomes a success. Piper is a lovely young woman who grew up on the island and remained there because Tom was the love of her life, and he took over the family business after he lost his father. But there is much more to Piper than her friends and neighbors realize. And Oakley cleverly injects surprising plot twists and developments as she draws viewers into the day-to-day lives of the Frick Island residents, including BobDan, Mrs. Olecki, Lady Judy, Old Man Waverly, little Bobby, the only child living on the island, and the rest. Anders continues his research, convinced both that Piper has experienced a psychotic break and there is a mystery to be solved concerning the circumstances surrounding Tom's death.

No one is more surprised than Anders, however, when he becomes attached to the island, its earnest residents, and Piper herself. By then, however, he has ingratiated himself while returning home to record podcasts that he believes none of them will ever hear due to the fact that there is only one place on the island where the internet is available.

Oakley's story moves at a steady pace and is frequently hilarious as Anders is subjected to island activities, courtesy of Piper, much to the amusement of the town's quirky citizens. She convincingly illustrates how the locals come to trust Anders and welcome him into their little community, not realizing what he is really up to. And, of course, an unlikely romance develops between Anders and the lovely Piper. But can it endure?

The Invisible Husband of Frick Island is a compelling story about a man who is, at the outset, focused on his own ambition, but gradually realizes that other things are far more important. What begins as a visit to an unusual place inhabited by people to whom he cannot relate -- oddities both -- develops into an understanding of and appreciation for what matters most to the people of Frick Island. Will Anders discover too late the real value of what he has stumbled upon? Can he redeem himself in the eyes of the community and, more importantly, Piper?

Mrs. Olecki tells Anders that no one remembers who was the first to wave to Tom after Piper began behaving as though he was still alive. But it doesn't really matter because "it broke something open in the town, and most people found that they enjoyed waving at Tom, talking to him. . . . And before anyone really knew what was happening -- even though they couldn't see him -- it was like Tom Parrish had never left."

The Invisible Island of Frick Island is entertaining and endearing. A clever and surprising mystery, it's a perfect tale in which to lose oneself for a bit. It is an insightful and creative exploration of the power of grief, the importance of community, and the value of honesty -- an uplifting and rare story infused with enchantment, magic, and, most importantly, hope.

Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.

Anders is a cub journalist for a small newspaper on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with dreams of becoming the next podcast sensation. When he is sent to tiny Frick Island to cover their Cake Walk, he can't help but roll his eyes at the seemingly backward way of life there, where there's a single point of Internet access and no cellphone coverage. But he is intrigued by Piper Parrish, whose husband is a recent victim of shipwreck, especially when he realizes that she's acting as though he's still alive, and the whole town seems to be going along with it. Anders makes Piper's story the focus of his next podcast series, with the more or less good intentions of perhaps helping other people suffering from profound grief.

In some ways, this is a good book. Anders, Piper, and many supporting characters are well-drawn and sympathetic. Unfortunately, an underlying premise of the book is a logical fallacy. Frick Island is slowly disappearing due to rising ocean levels, but it so out-of-the-way and underpopulated that the Army Corps of Engineers decided it wasn't worth it to do any beach reconstruction to try to save it. But, someone has decided to build a cell tower on the island. The plot of the book turns on the fact that once the tower is completed, Piper (and the rest of the island's residents) will be able to finally hear Anders's podcast, and will be deeply upset by what they will undoubtedly feel is his betrayal. Verily, the tower is built, the podcast is listened to, and the people are upset, bringing us to the climax of the book. But why? Why would any company want to put a tower on an island to serve so few people, particularly when the residents themselves are at least indifferent, and at most virulently opposed to the tower? That question is never answered.

So, read this book if you're looking for a nice small-town tale, but if you can't look past the inconsistency at the heart of the book, maybe pass on this one.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

Strange and sweet.