The Education of an ISLAND BOY by Joel Hancock

The Education of an Island Boy is a treasure trove of stories about the author’s coming of age at Harkers Island, NC, in the 1950s and 1960s. It vividly describes how the community, born from the exodus of refugees from a storm that left Shackleford Banks uninhabitable, rose early in the century. His grandparents were among that group, joining with the other newcomers to fashion a unique culture and lifestyle, a culture that was a blend of resilience, resourcefulness, and deep-rooted family and community relationships.

Stories, some humorous, others profound, and and informative, open a window into how the author's grandparents and parents grew their families while subsisting almost entirely on the resources offered up by the maritime environment in which they found themselves. As families and neighborhoods expanded and intertwined, a pattern of day-to-day living developed that provided a year-round virtual schoolhouse for each rising generation.

A final chapter explains how that culture eventually was obliged to give way to more modern patterns of life with the arrival of electricity and other modern conveniences, especially with the building of a bridge to the mainland, which transformed the fundamental nature of the community in the last three decades of the 20th century.

There are more than one hundred period photos and illustrations of Harkers Island and its people, and numerous nostalgia evoking anecdotes that provide insights into the social norms of the time and place. You will find yourself wanting to verbally share many of the stories with your friends and family.

Be prepared to both laugh and cry as you journey through this delightful story of growing up, leaving, and coming back to a place you really never left!