Mary Kathleen Mehuron is a career educator who made a splash with her first book, Fading Past, an autobiographical novel whose protagonist, like Mary Kathleen, grew up Irish-Catholic in New Jersey. The Opposite of Never was Mary Kathleen’s second book, and to finish it, she traveled alone to Havana in January of 2015 during President Obama's opening of Cuba. Her goal was to experience the city before it became Americanized and write the ending of her book. Though the integration of Americans never really happened, the launch of The Opposite of Never was the catalyst that made her a full time writer.
The Belonger is her third novel, its basis was the loss of her family home to a Category Five hurricane and two of her three sons being caught in a Category Four storm on Grand Turk Island. As the island had no communication with the outside world, she didn’t know if her children or friends were alive or dead. The stories told afterward inspired The Belonger.
Her fourth novel, S. Beach Drag, revisits the New Jersey of her youth. Set in 1972, her Irish Catholic protagonist, Maeve O’Conner dives into the decayed pandemonium of carnival life on the boardwalk of Asbury Park, New Jersey. Grifters, side show entertainers and characters of every ilk abide there. Many, like Bruce Springsteen, are undiscovered artists. Looking for these arresting subjects, Maeve is desperate to win a photography contest that will get her a scholarship to art school in Manhattan.
Mary Kathleen lives and teaches in a ski town in Vermont where she and her husband raised three sons, she is a weekly columnist in her local newspaper, The Valley Reporter. Her Take Me Back articles have become a non-profit 510(c)(3) that raise money for organizations that want to showcase local history. The first fundraising product was her non-fiction book Take Me Back: An Anecdotal History of the Mad River Valley. She also takes extended time to work on her novels on Grand Turk Island, in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom and Savannah, Georgia.
The Belonger
“The warm breezes of the Caribbean, a wild hurricane, and a woman who finds her own power and becomes an unwitting heroine. It will transport readers of this entertaining novel to a magical place where great loss and sacrifice pave the way to an unexpected love and life.”
Kris Radish, bestselling author of Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral and The Year of Necessary Lies.
“The Belonger’s Caribbean goes from idyllic to horrific as restaurateur Holly Walker struggles to survive a monster hurricane that attacks Grand Turk island. Storms of another kind erupt as love in paradise turns to love in the ruins with a wicked plot twist that delivers more men than Holly can handle. This is a straight-shot read from start to finish, so Caribbean-real you almost expect sand to shake from the pages.”
James M. Tabor, bestselling author of Blind Descent and The Deep Zone
“The Belonger is a romantic fiction set on the beautiful, tranquil Island of Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands, before, during and after a devastating hurricane. The author [Holly’s] her story with such intrigue, emotional intensity, and freshness, drizzled with good-natured, hilarious banter and colorful descriptions throughout. An entertaining read, which I recommend to anyone who loves the islands and enjoys relaxing in the sun with a cool drink and a good book.”
Turks and Caicos’ own Debby-Lee V. Smith Mills, co-author of Things Mummy Used to Say
“The Belonger is a satisfying journey, full of rich, realistic characters whose plights and challenges have you cheering for them as if they were family. Mehuron's crisp, descriptive writing draws you in and leaves you with memories so real you might just find sand in your toes.
Marley Gibson, bestselling author of The Ghost Huntress series and Radiate
The Opposite of Never
"Most Anticipated Books of 2018"
―Brit+Co
"Breakout Novels of 2018"
―Indie Picks
“16 Me-Time Spring Reads for Working Moms”
—Working Mother
“This entertaining novel by educator and columnist Mehuron (Fading Past, 2015) is a welcome addition to the genre of women’s fiction, with protagonists not just over the age of 30, but well over 40. … An enjoyable tale featuring 50-something protagonists coping with contemporary social problems.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Set in idyllic Vermont, the novel asks profound questions: How do you forgive yourself for mistakes you made when you were young? How do you go on after you lose someone you love? How do we handle the unrelenting pace of life when all we want to do is shut down? In The Opposite of Never, Mehuron seems to suggest the answer to all of these questions lies in the friendships we build with one another. Georgia’s two closest friends, Linda and Yvonne—the mother of Spencer—help to drag her out of her sorrow when Georgia’s husband passes. The three women share laughter and tears as their children grow and the trio comes to terms with the realities of aging, from the loss of family and friends to menopause. And Kenny, a man who has lived so long alone, finds renewal and reestablishes a home among them and their families.
Mehuron’s attention to detail reveals a lush landscape, from the stunning architecture of her characters’ homes to the hillsides on which they ride horses, camp, and ski. The people in this novel feel imminently familiar and their struggles real.”
—Manhattan Book Review
"The characters are identifiable, sympathetic, vivid and clear even in their human damage and wonderful redemption. Mehuron pens a memorable story of friendship, love, romance, and... life."
― Marley Gibson, best selling author of adult contemporary romance fiction including the Glamorous Life series
"She has many writerly gifts, but her talent for crafting compelling characters of both genders and different generations is especially evident in this emotionally powerful narrative."
―James M. Tabor, bestselling author of Blind Descent and the Hallie Leland series including The Deep Zone
"The Opposite of Never is a lovely story about loss, love, redemption, the power of female friendship and one of the most important emotions needed to become whole again–forgiveness."
―Kris Radish, bestselling author of A Dangerous Woman From Nowhere
The Opposite of Never is a lovely heartfelt story about love, loss, and family. Mehuron has written a beautiful story with characters that are compelling, relatable, identifiable and sympathetic. A story that many women later in life must face. Read along as Georgia deals with emotional heartache from the loss of a spouse to finding love again in an unusual place.
The Opposite of Never also shares what it is like to have a family member who suffers from addiction and all the side effects that come with addiction. A realistic lifelike story that shows the effects that addiction has on a family. Overall, an unforgettable read that will warm your heart and leave you with a feeling of hope.
—Lovely Love Day
Fading Past
“Mary Kathleen Mehuron’s honest, memoir-like novel, Fading Past, tells the epic story of Mary Patricia Toohey, whose story bridges a half century of American history. It’s a clear-eyed yet kind-hearted examination of friendship, family ties, marriage, and courage, by a serious and thoughtful writer who knows whereof she speaks,” wrote Howard Frank Mosher, award winning and best selling author of A Stranger in the Kingdom and Where the Rivers Flow North.
Mary Kathleen (Kathy) was born midcentury as an Irish-Catholic-Jersey girl, just as America was about to explode into the swinging sixties. Abandoned as a teenager, she was left to fend for herself and lead a life often defined by extremes. In many ways she’s been remarkably fortunate, but as a girl she scrambled to put a roof over her head and was afflicted by catastrophic illness at a relatively young age.
Kathy found writing cathartic and a source of healing. After years teaching Math and Science, she now has the time to write every day. “As an author, it’s almost cliché to say that I live in Vermont, but I never take living here for granted. Proximity to the natural world feeds my soul. It was a great place to raise my children.” Mary Kathleen is married, has two dogs, Tasmania and Sydney and three grown sons.
Read more
Read less
