On the sea's edge in North Carolina lies an isolated, idyllic village that shaped a boy’s life.

Nestled along the stunning coast of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Hatteras Village is more than just a location—it’s a part of Buddy Swain’s heart. This tight-knit, isolated community served as his summer retreat from the mid-1940s to the 1960s, when his parents journeyed on a ferry and then drove down the beach to drop him off at his grandparents’ cottage for the summer. Exploring this narrow ribbon of land some seventy miles long and no more than two miles wide, Swain got to know a variety of relatives, local merchants, and anglers–each with fascinating stories to share. In this book, he shares those stories and his own, as he explored the natural beauty of this coast–its beaches and sounds, its critters and fishing bounty–and as he and his brother discover the wonders of growing up in a place that they remember with pure happiness.

This book is Buddy Swain’s ode to that childhood, shared with humor, charm, and keen observation.