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Plymouth Whitemarsh High School

Class of 1983's Margie Smith Holt publishes memoir

Class of 1983's Margie Smith Holt publishes memoir

Margie Smith Holt's recently published a memoir, Not On Any Map: One Virgin Island, Two Catastrophic Hurricanes, and the True Meaning of Paradise.

Here is a synopsis from the back of the book:

When Philadelphia journalist Margie Smith Holt first saw the stunning Caribbean blue of St. John's water, all she wanted was sunshine a break from deadlines. What she got was a waitressing gig at a burger shack called Skinny Legs, and a newspaper editor who tricked her into writing it all down. 

Next thing she knew, she was on a tiny boat, sailing across the Atlantic. She thought she had discovered paradise on this little island that changed her life. Then back-to-back Category 5 hurricanes blew it all away. 

For anyone who's ever dreamed of running away to "paradise," this memoir answers the question: What happens next? Holt's reporting on the aftermath of the monster storms is an inspiring story of one community's struggle to survive and rebuild, all without ever losing its sense of humor. 

Part love letter, part elegy, Not On Any Map illuminates the fragility of the Earth's most beautiful places and calls into question the very meaning of paradise in a time of climate crisis. 

Margie Smith Holt is an Emmy-winning journalist whose work has appeared on television and radio, in print, and online. She is the founder of re:Write, a writing and storytelling business with a special focus on the arts and other non-profits, and a volunteer mentor with the Visible Ink writing program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She lives in New York.

Click here to learn more at www.margiesmithholt.com.

Front cover of book and cover on Kindle with tropical beach in background