Marlene Zarecki Goodell

The Island: Neville Island in the 1960s: an Eden on the Ohio Marlene Zarecki Goodell

Led back home to Neville Island, Pennsylvania, to help care for her terminally ill father during the last days of his life, Marlene Goodell is transported back into her memories living on the island during the 1960s as she and her friends skipped and danced their way through both the rough and smooth waters of their times. As personal loss prompts her to move from her present into days gone by, Goodell nostalgically shares a glimpse into post-World War II America as she reflects on her fascinating family history and an upbringing where she learned to embrace the simple and predictable island lifestyle amid a world embroiled in turmoil. Through her reflections, it soon becomes clear that her family's dreams for their life in America set the stage for every future decision. Eventually this led them to set down roots on the Pennsylvania island and create a life where Goodell thrived, learned to respect the power of the water, and became an entrepreneur at age sixteen. The Island retells a nostalgic story as a girl grows up on Neville Island, Pennsylvania, and builds a firm foundation with strong convictions, a determination to persevere, and an unwavering love for family.