Meet the Author of "Finest Kind: Tales of a Brant Rock Lobsterman"

Come meet Sandra Staples-Bortner, who put her father's life to the page in her work, "Finest Kind: Tales of a Brant Rock Lobsterman."

Donal Staples joins the Navy at seventeen and soon finds himself in the Battle of Okinawa, one of the defining conflicts of World War II. Returning home a confident young man, he makes up for lost time by romancing the woman who will become his wife. Together, they build a life founded on Donal becoming a lobsterman in their small fishing village, Brant Rock.

As Donal becomes a local industry leader, he helps bring up an entire community of commercial fishermen. At the helm of his family, lobstering also takes centerstage as he raises his kids on hauling traps, fishing for food and fun, and the ways of the sea.

Donal’s story culminates in the perilous COVID-19 pandemic, where he struggles to find connection in a nursing home amid stringent social isolation policies. Nevertheless, the enduring respect of his colleagues and love of his sprawling family solidify him—long before his death—as a man of exceptional character and strength.

​This is the incredible story of Donal Staples, whose life bears witness to the hardship endured and accomplishments made by the Greatest Generation—stories slipping all too quickly into distant, forgotten history. Donal's life story is a testament to the value in being the very best one can be, for oneself and others: the finest kind.

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