Casting into the Light

May 15, 2019
A tackle box full of fishing tips, memories, histories, anecdotes, taxidermy, and even recipes from an angler who found focus and purpose for her life among her fellow fishermen on Martha's Vineyard. Though the location suggests a life of leisure among the privileged elite, Messineo endured a hardscrabble upbringing and found herself among the outsider artistic community, working as a waitress and overindulging in drugs and alcohol. Fishing likely saved her life, or at least gave her one, though she doesn't belabor the redemptive spirit as much as the title suggests. The author also doesn't wax too poetic, at least once she moves beyond the introduction, where she describes fishing as "the meditative place similar to where gardeners go when they kneel in the dirt and dig their fingers in the soil....Standing in the surf, casting my lure toward the horizon, I feel like I am the woman I'm meant to be....My life becomes meaningful and I feel part of my surroundings." Comparatively, the rest of the memoir is more nuts-and-bolts description: how and where the author learned to fish, how she went from feeling like an intruder to being accepted as a rare woman in a sport dominated by men, how the ethics and competition of fishing have changed--and how cheaters have occasionally rigged that competition and gotten away with it. Messineo writes about lucky sweaters and about how unlucky bananas are for fishermen. She touches on her marriages and the son she and her husband have adopted, and she treads lightly on the schizophrenia of her fishing mentor, who eventually succumbed to suicide. Whereas many fishing memoirs are often more literary, turning that time with nature into a spiritual pilgrimage and the art of fishing into a metaphor for life, this is more about fishing itself, written for readers who like to fish or think they might like to learn. A chronicle of a life in fishing by an author who seems like good company.

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May 27, 2019
Fishing columnist Messineo recounts a life spent fishing on Martha’s Vineyard in her delightful debut. Growing up in blue-collar New England mill towns, Messineo was a tomboy who evolved into a hippy in the late 1960s and followed an artsy path until she ended up in Martha’s Vineyard, where she eventually elbowed her way into the masculine sport of surfcasting. Chasing monster striped bass and toothy bluefish, she found her calling and redemption in fishing, which saved her from a failed marriage, addiction to drugs and alcohol, and a hand-to-mouth existence (she started off selling her catch to local restaurants). She writes with a beginner’s excitement about hooking a fish, such as when she landed a 45-pound bass: “My heart was pounding... my knees were shaking... I set the hook. Luck was with me and I was on again.” Messineo walks a tightrope of reporting (“bluefish have large razor-sharp teeth that are set into strong, unyielding jaws”) and memoir by giving great insight into the existence of professional anglers and the insular culture of Martha’s Vineyard. She ends with a selection of her favorite fish recipes, baked stuff bay scallops and bluefish cakes among them. Messineo’s captivating memoir brings a refreshing mix of vulnerability, accessibility, and joy to the fishing genre.

July 1, 2019

Messineo (former president, Martha's Vineyard Surfcasters Assn.) takes a wide view of surfcasting in this unusual fishing memoir. More than an account of selecting lures, techniques for landing trophy fish, and tales of hard-fought tournaments (although this is certainly covered), the author brings readers into her world of surfcasting for the prized striped bass. Along the way, she recounts her youth, past relationships, and history of substance abuse while describing how she became fascinated with fishing off the shore of Martha's Vineyard. Working as a waitress for 20 years, and as a fish taxidermist for 30 years, she never had enough money for buying or chartering a boat, so she became obsessed with surfcasting. She improvised her own equipment when needed, and sought the advice of local fishermen, eventually becoming a surf-fishing guide and teaching classes on the basics of surfcasting. The dwindling fish population, due to overfishing and changes in the ocean ecosystem, the author writes, has changed the sustainability of commercial and sportfishing. VERDICT Although Messineo's voice is rough around the edges, it adds to the authenticity of her narrative. Readers interested in fishing and ocean ecology as well as women's memoirs will be drawn to this story.--Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2019
Messineo has been fishing the coastline of Martha's Vineyard for more than 40 years and has a healthy obsession with striped bass. She made a name for herself among the male-dominated sport, absorbing lessons from a large cast of characters who let her make necessary mistakes and shared countless hours behind the reel and in waders during many frigid nights. While her focus is on surf casting and yearly competitions like the annual Striped Bass & Bluefish Derby, Messineo shares a few details of her upbringing; relationships; marriage to her husband, Tristan; and the adopting of a son with Asperger's syndrome. This is a tender tribute to the New Englanders (men and women) who helped guide her through turbulent years of addiction (drugs, alcohol) to sobriety to becoming a noted surf caster and skilled marine taxidermist. Each anecdote will lure readers into the world of East Coast fishing and Martha's Vineyard culture, making this a must-read for fishers, both hard-core devotees and recreational participants, as well as anyone interested in learning about the sport. An inspirational memoir of one woman's self-discovery while pursuing the elusive catch. Concludes with a chapter of favorite fish recipes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)