Kathleen Witt Richen

Leaving Sconset Kathleen Witt Richen

As Camilla Smith and her husband, Billy, prepare to open their renowned restaurant Sconset House at the start of Nantucket's busy summer season, she doesn't suspect how drastically her life is about to change.

Daughter of a wealthy Boston attorney and a talented artist in her own right, Camilla has spent the past twenty years turning Sconset House into an iconic tourist destination on the small island.

Camilla's past, however, reaches even further than that.

Nearly thirty years earlier, Camilla fell in love with a talented young African-American sculptor. Together, they conceived a child, enraging Camilla's bigoted father. Cruelly separated from her lover and unaware that she has borne a healthy baby girl, Camilla does her best to leave the past behind and start anew in Sconset.

When the beautiful young Jasmine shows up at the start of the season to work at the restaurant, Camilla soon discovers how intricately connected she is with the dazzling young woman.

A delightful story about lost love and life's unexpected twists, Leaving Sconset whisks readers away to a beautiful and charming place full of vivid and fully-imagined characters.