Plumbelly, a novel by Gary S Maynard

(The following article includes excerpts

from the Groton-Mystic-Stonington TIMES, division of the New London DAY. Refer to theday.com and use

search "Plumbelly" for more detail.)

On Wednesday, Aug. 8, Bank Square Books in Mystic will host a
sale and book signing event for “Plumbelly,” a novel by Gary S.
Maynard, who grew up in Noank. A brief history on the author indicates
the extent of his familiarity with boats, which plays strongly in this
new book.

Gary and his family sailed around the world for five
years on “Scud,” built in Noank by his father, George, as a replica of
Joshua Slocum’s “Spray.” His mother, Mary, supported the family as a
feature writer and local reporter for The Day before they left. The family returned, Gary
rowed varsity and majored in linguistics at Brown University, then
built and repaired wooden boats at Vineyard Haven.

He met Kristi Kinsman, who helped him rebuild a 45-foot Scots Zulu fishing boat into
“Violet,” a family cruiser. They married, continued working on boats,
had two children, and later took the family on a long trip through the
Caribbean and the Pacific.

Upon returning, Gary and Kristi started
a new company, Holmes Home Builders, which has become a leading
contractor for large, custom-designed residences on Martha’s Vineyard.

“Plumbelly” is a coming-of-age fiction as narrated by 15-year-old Gabe, who
describes his experiences in the South Pacific involving hostility,
abuse, death, running aground on reefs and dealing with the awkward pain
of teenage romance. The physical descriptions of handling boats and
navigating open seas are colorful as well as accurate; the salty
language among the characters is topical and sometimes even funny, and
it is a book that both mariners or non-sailors will enjoy. The author
draws from his own experiences and observations, which enhance the
realism of the characters.

The basic plot concerns the adventures of two teenage boys and one teenage girl
who, for various reasons of their own, decide to escape on an abandoned
sailboat they have recovered in the harbor. They have dangerous,
dramatic and tender moments, and the story is realistic all the way to
the end.

The author has previously written many non-fiction
articles, primarily about wooden boat building. This novel is his first
work of fiction, developed over a decade, and it hits the mark.
Should Mr. Maynard decide to write another novel, he has set a high bar for himself.
Ed Johnson lives in Noank.

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