The Vineyard We Knew

Kevin Parham has spent summers on Martha’s Vineyard for over fifty years. He shares his experiences on the island through a series of vignettes that are very personal, but also universal. They open up to a reader a world that many of them will not know, but one they will still recognize. The story takes place in the turbulent 1960s—under humble circumstances—when America's social and political landscapes were evolving. The Vineyard We Knew is almost elegiac in nature, in that it creates a sense of nostalgia, even in a reader who had never been there.

Do YOU remember summer vacations on Martha's Vineyard? Were you fortunate enough to bask in the warmth of the summer sun by day and drift off to sleep in comfort at night? Did thoughts of casual walks along the beach, delectable meals, recreation and entertainment by the sea, make you long to be there again? Well, beneath the hype is another story to be told. Decades ago, six young cousins spent summers with their grandmother in an old, rickety, two-bedroom cottage in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts. There, discipline ruled and privilege was a pipe dream. The Vineyard We Knew is a charming and entertaining story of life seen through the eyes of a young boy named Kevin. Through these vignettes, you will: * Experience the nuances of a humble lifestyle on Martha's Vineyard * Enjoy the unpredictable and spirited personalities of Kevin and his family * Discover how adversity strengthens character, regardless of social class or economic circumstances * Remember the beautiful link between childhood experiences and adult revelations Come and take a ferry ride back through time to Martha's Vineyard in the 1960s, where the trials and triumphs of these close-knit cousins—who find themselves stranded on an island off the coast of Cape Cod—are on full display. This book will captivate you with its enchanting story about summer life on Martha's Vineyard—a story unlike any written before. Don't wait to experience it!

Kevin J. Parham is an author, professional musician, and director of a nonprofit organization. Raised in West Medford, Massachusetts, he graduated from Medford High School and attended Salem State College where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Throughout his fifteen-year career in the corporate world, Kevin had held management positions at IBM Corporation and Verizon Wireless. In addition, he has appeared before a wide range of audiences as a performing artist and public speaker. In 2008, Kevin began work on his first book: The Vineyard We Knew—A Recollection of Summers on Martha's Vineyard, which is an engaging story about the summers he spent on the Vineyard with his family during the turbulent 1960s. In 2011, he established PRIA Publishing—an independent imprint that will release several new titles beginning in the summer of 2014. As an experienced bass player, Kevin has worked with an array of talented musicians, vocalists, and musical groups and toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. Kevin resides in Plymouth, Massachusetts with his wife, Olivia.