Celebrate The Griswold Inn’s Birthday Weekend with Award-Winning Author Julie Gerstenblatt

The Griswold Inn is delighted to host national bestselling author Julie Gerstenblatt for an Author Talk, Tea, and Book Signing, featuring her soon-to-be-released historical fiction novel, The Stargazer of Nantucket. Guests are invited on Sunday, June 7, 2026, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. to Steeped in History: An Author's Tea, punctuating the Inn's 250th Birthday Weekend.

Tickets are $60 and include tea, sweet and savory bites, a copy of the book, and the opportunity to engage with Julie Gerstenblatt. As the book will not be officially released until June 9, copies will be available for pickup at the event.
Advance reservations are required, as space is limited. To register, visit The Griswold Inn’s websiteor call The Gris Store, Goods & Curiosities, at 860.767.0210.

“Like The Gris, this novel has a rich maritime backdrop, which feels especially fitting during our 250th birthday celebration,” says Joan Paul, co-owner of The Griswold Inn. “We’re always looking for ways to bring history to life, and Julie’s novel does just that.”

About the Book

The Stargazer of Nantucket is an epic tale of adventure set in 1851, following headstrong eighteen-year-old Winifred Starbuck, who secretly stows away on her parents’ merchant voyage from Nantucket to San Francisco and onward to China after being forbidden to join them. What begins as an act of defiance quickly becomes a journey into danger and discovery, as she navigates life at sea and uncovers a long-buried family secret that explains her parents’ fears.

About The Griswold Inn

The Griswold Inn, located in the heart of the historic seaport village of Essex, Connecticut, first opened its doors for business in 1776 promising “First Class Accommodations, Fine Food and Spirits.” Two hundred and fifty years later, the Inn still lives up to that promise. The Paul family has owned and operated the iconic piece of our country’s history for over 30 years. The Griswold Inn is at the forefront of historic inns and is one of the most popular destinations in Connecticut. Easily accessible by land and sea, it caters to neighbors, yachtsman and overland travelers from around the world.

About the Author

Julie Gerstenblatt holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Teachers College, Columbia University and has taught everything from middle school English to graduate studies, most recently serving as an adjunct professor of Rhetoric and Composition at Roger Williams University. Her essays have appeared in The Huffington Post, Kveller, Cognoscenti, and Grown & Flown, among others. Her debut novel, Daughters of Nantucket, won the New England Society Book Award for Fiction. A native New Yorker who has been visiting Nantucket since childhood, Julie now lives in coastal Rhode Island with her family and one very smart shichon poo.

To learn more about this historic property, please visit griswoldinn.com.
The Griswold Inn, 36 Main Street, Essex, Connecticut, 860.767.1776, griswoldinn.com