Have you ever been inspired to visit a place after reading about it in a book or seeing it in a movie? You are not alone! I found Friday Harbor by reading a novel. That’s right! An all-out soppy romance novel above all, set right here on San Juan Island. The author did such an outstanding job describing the place, that I got on my computer and started researching. Consequently I came to the island two years later…and stayed!
There are many fiction writers that use the San Juan Islands as their backdrop. Some are Pacific Northwest locals and some were just visitors at some point in life. Nevertheless, they all do a great job capturing the essence of Pacific Northwest living and especially island living in their novels. If you would like to add some “island” books to your reading list, how about the following suggestions:
The Light on the Island by Helene Glidden.
This autobiographical story takes place on Patos Island in the early 20th century. It tells of the life of a lighthouse keeper and his family. Glidden weaves a magical tale of childhood play mixed with the harsh reality of isolated island living.
Rainshadow Road, Dream Lake and Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas
All three novels of these novels play on San Juan Island. Rainshadow Road is the book that got me here! Kleypas does a fabulous and pretty accurate job of describing our lovely town and island, minus a few discrepancies. Be warned though, these are definitely “girl” books; romance novels at their best!
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
Snow Falling on Cedars is an award-winning novel with the perfect balance of drama, suspense, mystery and romance. It is set on fictional San Piedro Island. If you are a bit familiar with the lay of the land here, it is easy to see that Guterson’s fictional island is hauntingly similar to San Juan Island. The historical aspect regarding the relocation of islanders of Japanese ancestry to internment camps, however, was taken from Bainbridge Island’s history. There is a movie based on the book as well, but it was filmed in Maine.
Folly by Laurie King
Folly is a suspense novel playing on a fictional small island in the San Juan Archipelago. While Folly Island itself is fictional, King did a great job describing the surrounding islands, including Friday Harbor. She writes about the quirks and community spirit that truly exist here in the archipelago.
Amber Beach by Elisabeth Lowell
Amber Beach is an adventure novel mostly playing on Orcas Island. This contemporary story is filled with suspense, history and a big dose of romance and boating. Lowell describes the San Juan Archipelago’s landscape and the character of the Salish Sea beautifully.
The Search by Nora Roberts
The Search is a suspense and romance novel set on Orcas Island, with parts of it playing out in famous Moran State Park. This one not only has the scenery down, but with interesting details on dog training and canine search and rescue work, makes it a great read for dog lovers. Moreover, it features a strong female as well!
Departure by Ann L. Watson
Part Historical novel, part ghost story and part fable, Departure plays on San Juan Island. This short and easy read blends island lore with history and mystery.
China Rock by Laura Kelly Robb
China Rock is a coming of age and historical novel set on San Juan Island during the Great Depression in the 1930’s. It touches on the bygone era of smuggling in the San Juan Islands, while painting a picture of island life in the past.
Mist-chi-mas by J. L. Oakley
Mist-chi-mas is a historical novel going back even further to the times of the famous Pig War in the mid 1800s. It not only covers early settler life on San Juan Island, but also touches on the history and challenges of Hawaiian workers, Native American and First Nation people in the 19th and early 20th century.
Juno’s Daughters by Lise Saffran
Juno’s Daughters is set on San Juan Island during summer time and is loosely based on our annual Shakespeare under the Stars theater performances. The author does a great job describing island life, even though there are some minor geographical errors. Nevertheless, this mother-daughter coming of age story is a fun read.
As a result of delving into research for this blog, I discovered a plethora of books supposedly set on these islands that I had not previously heard of. Hence I added many of them to my reading list to get me past the current “Social Distancing” phase and into lazy Summer evenings in the yard…
San Juan Island Library has huge selection of local and Northwest authors and books. I was able to find every single one of the above described books in our local library! Thank you!
