Rehoboth author publishes third novel

Ever since his childhood vacations, and later as a full-time resident, Ethan Joella has considered Rehoboth Beach to be somewhat of a storybook town.

So when the author of “A Little Hope” and “A Quiet Life” contemplated his next novel, his hometown provided the perfect backdrop.

The Rehoboth of “The Same Bright Stars” is recognizable in many ways, but it’s also a blend of the real and imagined.

“It’s a town I know and love, but it’s also a town in fiction,” Joella said, seated at one of the picnic tables in Rehoboth’s Grove Park on a sunny, early-summer morning. “I wanted it to be my love letter to the town.”

The novel centers around third-generation restaurant owner Jack Schmidt, whose eponymous Boardwalk eatery is being pursued by the DelDine restaurant group with a generous takeover offer. 

Schmidt has operated the restaurant since the death of his father, and finds himself looking for more personal fulfillment, but he’s concerned his family’s legacy and staff will be swept under the rug if the group assumes ownership.

The character is interesting because he’s not perfect, Joella said; Schmidt has a lot of pain from his past, has a lot of his own pressures and desires, and is searching for simple contentment.

Joella said he consulted heavily with Scott Mumford, an owner of longtime family restaurant Warren’s Station in Fenwick Island, for all the details involved in running an old-style restaurant, including the industry’s notion of found family and loyalty among employees.

“It’s my daughter’s favorite restaurant,” he said. “There’s just something authentic and full of heart about it.”

Mumford answered every question, no matter how silly, said Joella. “I don’t think the book would be half as good without his help,” he said.

The book also seeks to chip away at the corporate culture that has embedded itself in life, Joella said. “There's beauty and simplicity in owning one restaurant,” he said.

The novel has been in the works for a few years, and it was important to get it right, Joella said. 

“Rehoboth is a great place to set a book,” he said, noting the quaintness of Penny Lane and the trees of Grove Park. “There’s so much more than a beach and Boardwalk.”

His next novel, nearly completed, is set in the Poconos resort area.

Joella, an English and psychology professor at the University of Delaware, is also president of the Rehoboth Beach Writers’ Guild. 

Browseabout Books will host a book launch at 5 p.m., Tuesday, July 2, at the Rehoboth Beach Museum. Attendees can enjoy snacks from Frank & Louie's, music by The Back Bay Strummers and tours of the museum before Joella discusses his new book and autographs copies. 

The $30 ticket includes a hardcover copy of “The Same Bright Stars.” Go to eventbrite.com/e/ethan-joella-book-launch-tickets-909998278347.