Knopf | Authors | Thisbe Nissen's Virtual Notebooks

Photo © Sandra L. Dyas

If you have visited a summer resort, you share something with author Thisbe Nissen, who relied on personal experience to create the scenery and lifestyle of her new book, Osprey Island. In addition to using her own memories, Nissen did extensive research on the Osprey, the bird for which her fictional resort is named. And her work didn't stop there. Choosing to focus on the year-round residents of the resort community rather than on the summer guests, Nissen brought her characters to life by collecting details as distinct as the sound of Irish slang and the lingering pain of the Vietnam War.

Just click on a topic to dip into Nissen's research:

Maps and photos: View maps of the fictional lodge that Nissen drew, and photos of Shelter Island, the resort town that inspired them.	All about ospreys: Naming the island in the book "Osprey" was a carefully made decision. View some of Thisbe's research to see how and why she chose this particular bird.	Irish-ing: How do you write in an accent that isn't your own? Take a look at Thisbe's notes to find out.

More: Vietnam Nissen also did extensive research on the Vietnam war to understand the psyche of her characters. Here, she shares a list of useful links about the war. Nissen also shares this list of all the titles that were in the running for Osprey Island Plus, Click here to read entries from Nissen's diary, written during the book tour for her previous novel, The Good People of New York.