The House on Oyster Creek

Sensitive but practical, Charlotte Tradescome has come to accept the reticence of her older, work-obsessed husband Henry. Still, she hopes to create a life for their three-year-old daughter. So when Henry inherits a home on Cape Cod, she, Henry, and little Fiona move from their Manhattan apartment to this seaside community. Charlotte sells off part of Tradescome Point, inadvertently fueling the conflict between newcomers and locals. Many townspeople easily dismiss Charlotte as a "washashore." A rare exception is Darryl Stead, an oyster farmer with modest dreams and an open heart, with whom Charlotte feels the connection she's been missing. Ultimately he transforms the way she sees herself, the town, and the people she loves...

Heidi Jon Schmidt's stories and essays have been published in the New York Times, the Atlantic, Grand Street, and Yankee, and have been featured on National Public Radio. She has won awards including the O. Henry, the Ingram-Merrill, and the James Michener. She teaches in the Workshops at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts.