AllMovie

Some three thousand islands extend along the coast of New England. These islands and their history are the subject of this documentary by Emmy award winning producer/director Roynn Lisa Simmons. The film is a pleasure for the eye, and is full of interesting vignettes of the people and places that form this chain of islands. The viewer meets seafaring men, islanders, tourists and naturalists and learns the perspectives of each in turn. Some of the larger and better known islands are showcased. Block Island, once inhabited by Narrangansett Indians, guards the eastern entrance to Long Island Sound. Newport Island, the playground of the rich, made famous in "The Great Gatsby" shows off its treasured "cottages". There is Nantucket Island, once an important whaling community and haven for colonial architecture now a tourist mecca, and Martha's Vineyard, forever more linked with President Kennedy and Camelot. The film captures the charm of these islands so intimately entwined in the American heritage.