Let's hope the movie doesn't ruin it. "The Weight of theWater" premiers in the United States soon. It's based on a wonderful, fact-filled, historical novel by Anita Shreve. Sean Penn & Elizabeth Hurley star in the movie, set in Nova Scotia. Not the real location.
The murder of two Norwegian women on Smuttynose Island in 1873 made big headlines. And why not? A double murder on a remote New England island in the Isles of Shoals (off the New Hampshire & Maine coasts) made for good news on the mainland. There was a controversial trial, and to this day, there are those who question whether or not the right person was hung for the crime.
Renewed public interest in the case began when the murder weapon, an axe, was finally recovered after 100 years. This got Shreve's creative juices flowing and she went about researching her book. What resulted is more than a murder novel. On one hand, it reveals Smuttynose as the cold & remote fishing island it was back then. On the other, it exposes it as a frontier made into 'home' by some very hardy citizens, you can't help but care about.
Shreve skillfully recounts the details leading up to the murders, while introducing us to some present-day characters with an interest in the island. You are transported back & forth in time, as the tension mounts.
Today, Smuttynose isn't particularly tourist-friendly. It's a private island that has no facilities to welcome anyone. What's there? The Haley House, one of the oldest buildings still remaining in Maine. The Hontvet House, the location of the murders, burned down shortly after the event. Smutty is still a desolate, eerie kind of place, where time has stood still and nature rules...seagulls & seals.
To visit, private boats can moor in the harbor. There are no public docking facilities, so then you'll have to take your rowboat to get into Smuttynose cove for a look around. Easier still is to take the boat excursion from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, through the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company You'll get a look at Smuttynose & other islands of the group and hear some history to boot.
Of course we're going to see the movie. And it won't be the first movie not to meet our expectations from the book. If that's what happens. Our advice? Read "The Weight of the Water" first. It's an interesting way to discover an obscure New England Island, you've probably never heard of. Besides, it's such a murderously good read!