Spoonhandle by Ruth Moore

A New York Times Bestseller for 14 weeks — and once you crack the spine, it’s easy to understand why.

This is one of those novels that feels like it was written specifically for a rainy afternoon on the Maine coast. Ruth Moore’s second novel is set deep in the heart of coastal New England, and she renders it with such brilliant authenticity that you can practically smell the salt air and hear the creak of the docks. It’s the kind of book that belongs on a shelf in a place exactly like this one.

But don’t let the setting fool you into thinking this is a quiet, local story. The themes here are as timeless and universal as the tides — the push and pull between love and cruelty, between human dignity and the corrosive power of greed. Moore writes about the struggle for goodness in a world that doesn’t always reward it, and she does so with a rare, aching honesty.

The novel was later adapted into the film Deep Waters, a testament to the story’s enduring power and cinematic sweep.

Whether you’re a lifelong Mainer, a summer visitor browsing our shelves for the first time, or simply a reader who loves rich, character-driven literary fiction, this is a book you’ll want to carry home. It’s a discovery worth making.

• New York Times Bestseller — 14 weeks on the list
• Adapted into the film Deep Waters
• A masterwork of Maine literary fiction

Additional information