REHOBOTH BEACH, Del.- Local Author Ethan Joella is bringing his beloved home to the national stage.
Joella--whose previous books were featured in the Today Show's Read with Jenna book club and popular subscription service Book of the Month--has set his latest novel in Rehoboth Beach.
"The Same Bright Stars" follows the story of a generations-old family-owned Restaurant on the Boardwalk. Owner Jack Schmidt is weighing an offer from a restaurant group as he takes a close look at his own life and his future.
The book has subtle and not so subtle nods to Rehoboth Beach staples, with references to Green Awning Books, Zonk's, and Playland, which one can assume to be Browseabout Books, Zelky's and Funland, respectively. There are also touching references to Rehoboth's leafy streets and the Farmer's Market.
"The book also gives some insight to somebody that doesn't live in a beach town or a tourist town," Joella says. "It gives some insight into what what do the ordinary people that live there do? How do they navigate their lives in that sense?"
Joella says writing this book is a dream come true.
The Same Bright Stars
"I always wanted to base a book in Rehoboth because it has that perfect landscape for all kinds of different terrain, because it has the coast, it has the country, it has the downtown like this," he tells CoastTV. "I just love living here so much. So this has really been my love letter to the town."
Joella believes there's a space for both the mom-and-pop restaurants like the fictional Schmidt's and the large restaurant groups in the Nation's Summer Capital.
"We still need to keep our original footprint of the independent businesses. I think those are really valuable," he says. "But I also I don't think the restaurant groups are villains here either, because I think they're really good employers [...] and I think we're I think we're happy to have them. I think all those different voices can work together. In Jack's situation, he doesn't know if that's the right thing for him."
The book depicts Rehoboth with care, and if recent reviews are any indication, will prompt some new visitors to the Coast.Â