NAHANT — Local author Terrence Murphy will be hosting a reading of his new book, “Almost an Island,” for members of the American Legion Auxiliary Post 215 on Nov. 19 at the Nahant Life Saving Station, to connect with veterans about a story based on a former soldier’s experiences in Vietnam and the struggles that he carried with him afterward.
Murphy elaborated on the novel’s plot, explaining that it’s about a doctor who’s retired and moved back to his hometown — the fictional town of “Egg Rock” which was based off Nahant — in order to enjoy retirement in a quiet setting, though things like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and health issues linger over the character like a storm cloud.
Murphy attended Harvard University with a major in English and then later attended the University of Virginia Medical School. He began writing in college and became interested in medicine, at which point he started doing volunteer work.
This is Murphy’s second novel, which took roughly six years to complete, as he had to comb through his own memories of his time serving in Vietnam, in order to hammer down one of the main points of the book: that war is never pretty.
“I’m really pleased to do the reading. I was brought up in Nahant, and Memorial Day was a big part of my life, even as a kid. When I came back from being overseas, I started marching in the Memorial Day parade, and I do it because the town is so supportive of its Veterans, not every town is like that,” Murphy said.
He continued, saying that the novel talks about Vietnam as a difficult subject that divided the country. He noted that part of the book follows the main character leaving “Egg Rock” for Canada to avoid the draft, and that it “talks about the divisiveness and damage that goes from generation to generation.”
“I hope Veterans relate to it, and maybe get some solace that they’re not alone. No bands were playing for us when we got home, it was a very unpopular war,” he said. “The veterans were not treated well by many. I think talking about those days for those who lived through it will be very important.”
Murphy said it’s also important to help others understand “what war did to this country.”
“The book is based in the fictional town of ‘Egg Rock,’ but Lynn has a different name too. … It’s lightly-veiled, and it’s very clear where these places are. I think people in Nahant will enjoy this book more than others, although, hopefully, the book has a universal appeal to it,” Murphy said.
