On the Same Page - by N D Galland (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"N. D. Galland has created a delectable romantic comedy set in her home town of Martha's Vineyard long after the summer crowds have departed. With a satirist's eye and a pitch-perfect ear for the social nuances of small-town life, it's Pride and Prejudice for the Bumble generation."

-- Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March and The Secret Chord

From the critically acclaimed author of Stepdog and The Fool's Tale comes a romantic comedy that tells the story of one journalist secretly juggling two bylines for competing newspapers on a small island.

One island, two newspapers, and the reporter who played them both

Joanna Howes is a Martha's Vineyard native who left the Island at eighteen and moved to New York City to become a writer. Now in her thirties, she reluctantly returns to care for her cranky, injured uncle. Needing income, she freelances for one island newspaper (the one Uncle Hank likes). But that doesn't cover her bills, so she creates an alter ego to write for the rival paper (the one Uncle Hank doesn't like).

The Vineyard has a split personality - part elite summer resort, part working-class small town. The Island's two papers -the Journal and the Newes - are famously at odds with each other and reflect the seasonal schism in their reporting. Everybody's shoulder seems to have a chip on it.

Joanna gets personally ensnared in a messy situation she's assigned to write about for both papers: a wealthy seasonal resident sues the town for the right to use his private helicopter. When Johanna agrees to a cup of coffee with the witty, handsome stranger she meets at a zoning board meeting, she has no idea she's made a date with Orion Smith, helicopter owner. Orion, meanwhile, doesn't realize Joanna is the niece of his political nemesis, Henry Holmes.

Joanna scrambles to keep her disparate identities separate from each other in the tiny off-season community, but everything she does just gets her into deeper trouble...and further complicates her budding romance with the exasperating charmer she's doing her best not to fall for.

A story about the half-truths we tell ourselves - and others - especially when our hearts are on the line.

"The most exciting story of skullduggery, intrigue and drama on Martha's Vineyard since the last time Alan Dershowitz was snubbed at a cocktail party."

-- Peter Sagal, Host of NPR's "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!" and author of The Incomplete Book of Running

"[A] gem of a novel. . . . this rollicking rom-com unfolds on Martha's Vineyard, which has spun its own share of fables. Quick, somebody call Hollywood. This one is ready for the big screen."

-- Bob Drogin, author of Curveball: Spies, Lies and the Con Man Who Caused a War

From the Back Cover

Joanna Howes left Martha's Vineyard at the age of eighteen and moved to New York City to become a writer. Now in her thirties, she returns to care for her cranky, injured uncle Hank.

The Vineyard has a split personality--part elite summer resort, part working-class small town--and its two papers reflect the seasonal schism in their reporting. Needing income, Joanna freelances for one Island newspaper (the Journal), but as it doesn't cover her bills, she creates an alter ego to write for the rival paper (the Newes).

All is fine until Joanna is assigned by both papers to report on the same story: a wealthy seasonal resident is suing the town for the right to use his private helicopter. But when Joanna agrees to a cup of coffee with a charming stranger, she has no idea she's made a date with Orion Smith, helicopter owner. And Orion doesn't realize Joanna is the niece of his most outspoken critic.

Witty, engaging, and insightful, On the Same Page is about the half-truths we tell ourselves--and others--when our hearts are on the line.

Review Quotes

"Martha's Vineyard is the setting for N. D. Galland's On the Same Page. Galland (The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O., written with Neal Stephenson), an island resident, uses her insider's understanding of the social and political tensions as backdrop for a delightful romantic comedy. . . . On the Same Page is perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Nancy Thayer, as well as those looking for a romantic comedy enhanced by contemporary social issues." - Shelf Awareness

"N.D. Galland has created a delectable romantic comedy set in her home town of Martha's Vineyard long after the summer crowds have departed. With a satirist's eye and a pitch-perfect ear for the social nuances of small-town life, it's Pride and Prejudice for the Bumble generation." - Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March and The Secret Chord

"The most exciting story of skullduggery, intrigue and drama on Martha's Vineyard since the last time Alan Dershowitz was snubbed at a cocktail party." - Peter Sagal, Host of NPR's Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me!" and author of The Incomplete Book of Running

Praise for I, Iago: "This is an astonishing work of imaginative empathy, buttressed by deep research and enriched by lively storytelling." - Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author

Praise for Crossed: "Galland is exceptionally well versed in the fine nuances of storytelling." - St. Petersburg Times

Praise for The Fool's Tale: "A wallop of a first novel--entertaining and engaging." - San Francisco Chronicle

"A New York reporter is forced to live on an island, where she secretly works for rival newspapers using different bylines. She must write about the cranky uncle who has taken her in, and the handsome tycoon who woos her. What could possibly go wrong? That at least is the delightful premise for On The Same Page, N. D Galland's gem of a novel. Best yet, this rollicking rom-com unfolds on Martha's Vineyard, which has spun its own share of fables. Quick, somebody call Hollywood. This one is ready for the big screen."

"[A] gem of a novel. . . . this rollicking rom-com unfolds on Martha's Vineyard, which has spun its own share of fables. Quick, somebody call Hollywood. This one is ready for the big screen." - Bob Drogin, author of Curveball: Spies, Lies and the Con Man Who Caused a War

"Galland, an island resident, uses her insider's understanding of the social and political tensions as backdrop for a delightful romantic comedy. . . . On the Same Page is perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Nancy Thayer." - Shelf Awareness

Praise for The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. (written with Neal Stephenson): "There's a lot going on here -- stylistic flourishes, comedic pratfalls, romance and science -- but it's handled deftly. Those familiar with Stephenson will recognize his humor and ideas, while Galland (author of Stepdog, Crossed, Revenge of the Rose and others) brings a fresh and irresistible voice to this ambitious novel." - Washington Post

Praise for Stepdog: "Romantic comedies may be Galland's new specialty."