Island-Grown Novel Debuts on Patch

How do four friends with an organic farm on Martha's Vineyard cope with a bevy of high-maintenance summer customers?

We'll soon find out in Holly Nadler's upcoming novel, "Lady Slipper Farm and the Summer People," which makes its debut Monday on MV Patch.

It's a comedy of manners about high-profile summer residents and the insanity they create for the Island locals working for and around them, says screenwriter, columnist, published novelist and Vineyard Gazette reporter Nadler, who is giving Patch exclusive serial rights to her new story.

Nadler's Vineyard farmers are:

• Thorn, formerly a successful young TV writer, who's just out of 12 months of rehab after burning the Lady Slipper Farm corn patch in a drunken rage;
• Mandy, who in addition to the farm works for a real estate office and a caterer, and has a pet teacup pig Alfred (see C.K. Wolfson's illustration);
• Nandica, a Brahmin Indian with a PhD in French medieval poetry, who has forsaken her engagement to a wealthy man in India to be with:
• Sam, described by Nadler as "a crazy fashion designer."

Their challenging customers include:

• A divorcing set of movie stars;
• A "Lillian Hellman-type" famous artist;
• A 23-year-old country music singer who's looking for her next heartbreak so she can write a new song.

We'll meet all these characters and more in "Lady Slipper Farm and the Summer People." With installments coming twice a week, you might want to click the "Keep me posted" button so you don't miss any of the fun!

Holly's new novel replaces her Monday "Vineyard Confidential" column, which has run for two years on MV Patch. But worry not: We'll be bringing back classic Holly columns on weekends.

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