The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head/Aquinnah are an indigenous people on Martha's Vineyard. From their legendary giant leader Moshup, Wampanoags can trace their ancestry back more than ten thousand years. The tribe weathered colonization by missionaries in the 1600s, then endured two centuries of domination, only to have their land taken in 1870. However, over the past 140 years, the Wampanoag Tribe, which still lives in its ancestral home of Aquinnah, has shown endurance and fortitude as it continues to practice traditional crafts and its tribal heritage. Thomas Dresser captures the spirit of the tribe, tracing its survival through to recognition by the federal government in 1987, nearly twenty-five years ago. Brief interviews with elders and current tribal members offer insight into the tribe's remarkable history.

The small, tightknit island community of Martha's Vineyard was irrevocably transformed by World War II. From rationing and blackouts to a military presence in Chilmark, the war was brought home to the residents of the island. In the air, pilots flew training missions from the Martha's Vineyard Naval Auxiliary Air Facility. At sea, ferryboats served as hospital ships in the D-Day invasion, while enemy submarines lurked offshore. Mock invasions were undertaken by military forces from across Vineyard Sound, and remote sites were used for training missions and bombing practice. Residents participated in the war effort by buying war bonds, supporting USO activities and conducting air raid drills. Remnants and reminiscences of this illustrious past can still be found today. Join authors Thomas Dresser, Herb Foster and Jay Schofield as they revive the story of this resilient island during World War II.

Generations of women have traveled to Martha's Vineyard to find solace in its calming waves and varied shoreline. Many prominent and capable women set down roots, contributing to the fabric of the community on the island. Learn of the brilliant poet Nancy Luce, who lived in isolation with her chickens. Emily Post, whose name is synonymous with good manners, sought respite from her personal struggles on the Vineyard. Famed horticulturalist Polly Hill left a perennial legacy for islanders with her tranquil arboretum. In the twentieth century, novelist Dorothy West captured the beauty of Martha's Vineyard with her work. Historian Thomas Dresser provides a series of biographical sketches of these extraordinary women who were bound by their love of the island.