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On Liberal Nantucket, Patriotic Book Is Hot Ronald Kessler In a sign that Americans may be tiring of unremitting negative portrayals of their country, the hottest book this summer on the largely liberal island of Nantucket is "Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10." As described by the Washington Post's Book World, "If you're looking for a true story that showcases both American heroism and Afghani humanity, Marcus Luttrell's "Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10" . . . may be the book for you." "'Lone Survivor' appeals to the men who like male things —heroism, patriotism, and Navy Seals," Mary "Mimi" Havemeyer Beman, owner of Mitchell's Book Corner in downtown Nantucket, tells me. "We have CEOs and political types and celebrities from Washington, New York, and Palm Beach reading this book." In the book publishing industry, Beman is known as a weather vane. Her ability to size up books and people and match them up has publishers, book editors, and literary agents calling her constantly for advice. I first met Beman when Maureen Mahon Egen, then president of Time Warner Book Group, suggested I introduce myself to her during a vacation on the island 30 miles south of Cape Cod. Egen's numerous commercial successes have included novels by David Baldacci, Brad Meltzer, and, most notably, Robert James Waller's "The Bridges of Madison County." Egen published my book "The Sins of the Father: Joseph P. Kennedy and the Dynasty He Founded," in 1996. "I called Mimi all the time with questions and also sent her the galley proofs of books like 'The Bridges of Madison County,'" Egen tells me from her home in East Hampton, NY. "I valued her input on the merits of forthcoming titles and especially her knowledge of what her customers were reading and why." Beman's parents, who came from an old Nantucket family, started Mitchell's in 1968. She worked there and took over the store —along with ownership of its building — 10 years later. Located at 54 Main St., the store crams 40,000 books into 800 square feet of floor space. The book store has the distiction of being one of only two on the island.
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Beman's customers range from billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife and Tommy Hilfiger to Teresa Heinz, Bob Wright of NBC, Chris Matthews, Tim Russert, and Brian Williams. Over the years, Princess Grace and Jacqueline Onassis have been customers as well. When I interviewed Beman, she was about to attend a party given by David Halberstam's widow Jean celebrating her own birthday and her daughter Julia's. "David was wonderful, because he would walk in the store and let me know what things he's read that he's really enjoyed," Beman says. "And then I'd turn to him and I'd say, ‘OK, now it's my turn.' And he'd always buy what I recommended. The joy of reading in that family is not to be believed." Halberstam recommended "out of the way, very thinking-man's mysteries — in other words, books that are really well written and good, but you're still talking about entertainment," Beman says. "He was the first person who ever mentioned Henning Mankell, a Swedish mystery writer whose sense of place, characters, and writing is way above most American writers. I'd get some gems, too, and share them with him." Last fall, Chris Matthews came in the store and announced in a booming voice: "Everyone pull the plug on your TV for the next week and read the book 'The Looming Tower,'" Beman recalls, referring to a book about missteps in confronting al-Qaida before 9/11.
A few years back, an aide to Bill Clinton called to say the former president was looking for books on golf, including a book by Mark Frost. "Then Bill and Hillary came in, and while they were here, an author who was having a book signing gave each of them a book," Beman notes. Teresa Heinz, sans the "Kerry," who has a home on the island with her husband, is a big customer. After the 2004 election, she dropped "Kerry" from her name. "Some days she'll just buy all these fabulous reference books," Beman says. "She's just fascinated with the written word. I mean, she's just got such an intellectual curiosity. She doesn't get to town very often; and when she does, she buys with a vengeance, and really well-thought-out things." On the other side of the political spectrum, "Richard Mellon Scaife likes best sellers, fiction and nonfiction best sellers," Beman says. When Ann Coulter's books come out, they are always snapped up. A few years ago, First Reader Laura Bush, a former librarian who devours books, walked by the store. "A lovely person," Beman says. "It was before you wrote your biography of her," she says to me, referring to "Laura Bush: An Intimate Portrait of the First Lady." "I was just standing at the door, and she walked by and she just looked up and gave me that lovely smile of hers," she says of Laura Bush. "She reads several books at once," Andi Ball, Laura's former chief of staff, tells me. "Their bedside tables in the White House are covered with books, stacks of books. Lots of times she has given me a book and said, ‘This is really good. You ought to read it.' The president likes biographies. She does too, but she also likes mysteries and Texas authors." "What does Mimi recommend to a woman who comes in dressed in Lilly Pulitzer and carrying a $4,000 Nantucket basket handbag with scrimshaw on top?" my wife Pam asked. "I would recommend something like Elin Hilderbrand's new book 'Barefoot,' the book set on Nantucket," Beman says. "She's local, but she's sort of nationally known, and this is her sixth book. The books are all centered on Nantucket. They're light, they're fun, so that's probably what I'd first recommend." Before suggesting a book, Beman asks a question or two. "You say, ‘What have you read lately that you liked? What are you in the mood for? Do you want trash, do you want highbrow?'" Beman says. "When I say ‘trash,' I mean light. I don't mean sexy, necessarily. I mean light, escape entertainment," Beman says. "But people can surprise you. You can't make snap judgments. You look at somebody and you think, ‘Oh, they'd like a romance.' You never know. They might like a brutal murder mystery." Years back, big historical novels such as those written by James Michener were the rage. "I remember that first summer we were in business in 1968; the big author was Arthur Hailey, who wrote Airport," Beman says. "I can remember it was $5.95 in hard cover. And people wanted a great story where they'd learn. And now you hardly have anything like that." Biographies are not as plentiful as they once were, Beman says. They've been replaced by "books on the war, politics, and current affairs." In propelling a book to the best-seller lists, jacket design is crucial. "There's a very, very good history of Nantucket that's just been reprinted, and unfortunately, the book has a godawful cover on it," Beman observes. "Now that book is just sitting there. I can tell customers until I'm blue in the face that it's one of the best histories ever written. It doesn't matter." On the other hand, "There was another history that came out last year with a wonderful cover. We can't keep it in the store. I know it sounds superficial but that's the way people buy." Indeed, the jewel-like jacket on "The Bridges of Madison County," which sold more than 4.3 million copies in hardcover, contributed to its success, as did word-of-mouth recommendations from small book stores like Mitchell's. Like other independent book sellers, Beman's business has been hurt by Amazon and the growth of chain bookstores with their discounts and large selections. During the winter, when the population of the 47.8-square-mile island drops to 3,800, Beman used to break even. Now she loses money during those months. "Billionaires bring their own books to the island," she says. "So do owners of 150-foot yachts." Once, Walter Cronkite stopped in to the store. He said to Beman, "I just came in to pay my respects." "I mean, can you imagine paying respects to me?" Beman says. "And I think he was just sort of saying, ‘Go independent book seller.'" Now, after 40 years in the business, Beman has decided to call it quits. She has listed her red brick building with a broker — she is asking $4 million — and is willing to turn over Mitchell's to a new owner for the cost of the existing stock. She plans to travel more with her opera singer husband, Dwight. Her love of books won't rest, however. In the winter, Beman reads four to five books a week. In the summer, she reads three a week. That will not change.
Ronald Kessler is chief Washington correspondent of NewsMax.com. View his previous reports and get his dispatches sent to you free via e-mail. Go here now.
© NewsMax 2007. All rights reserved.
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