Her books about a dog come to town — by boat
A retired Warren resident finds inspiration to write a book about Rhode Island — and it’s making its way into local bookstores
Rhode Islanders are known for making outlandish statements like, “It’s 45 minutes? Better get a hotel,” whenever faced with the idea of traveling across the state. And if someone …
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Her books about a dog come to town — by boat
A retired Warren resident finds inspiration to write a book about Rhode Island — and it’s making its way into local bookstores
Rhode Islanders are known for making outlandish statements like, “It’s 45 minutes? Better get a hotel,” whenever faced with the idea of traveling across the state. And if someone says, “It’s only 25 minutes away,” you’ll often hear a brief pause, followed by: “That’s kind of far.”
Maybe it’s the busyness of life that keeps people close to home — or perhaps it’s the never-ending road work. But imagine having the time and freedom to explore the state while skipping traffic (and construction) entirely. One couple did just that for over thirty years. Lynn and Bob Hughes never stepped into a car to get around the East Bay — they traveled exclusively by boat.
Lynn Hughes, a Warren resident, recently published a book that captures the rhythm of life at sea — something she knows well. For thirty years, she and her husband Bob sailed each September from their home in New Rochelle, New York, to Narragansett. They retired to Rhode Island in 2006, and for the first time ever, made a trip to the East Bay by car to look at a condo in Warren — one that ultimately became their home.
In retirement, they traded their sailboat for a trawler, but their sea adventures continued. Lynn, who had retired from a long career in finance, finally had time to pursue something she’d always loved — drawing. She began with a series of illustrations featuring wildflowers along the East Bay bike path. But once she and Bob were back on the boat, her focus shifted to Rhode Island’s lighthouses. Another set of drawings was inspired by her neighborhood — specifically, the dogs who lived there. That project eventually led Lynn to write not just one, but two books.
Harry’s life on a boat — and in a book
Harry, a medium-sized Wheaten Terrier mix, was just eight months old when Lynn and Bob adopted him from the Medfield Animal Shelter in Massachusetts in 2012. He quickly became the unofficial “mayor” of the East Bay bike path, greeting everyone he met — and even performing tricks for them. At home, he was a rambunctious pup who chewed everything from pens and pencils to underwear. “I still find things around the house with his little chew marks on them,” Lynn said.
On the boat, he would stick his nose up to the wind, as if savoring every scent of the sea — an image that features prominently in Lynn’s second book.
Harry became the heart of Lynn’s life (and of her newest book) following her husband’s death. “After my husband passed away, Harry and I had to figure out how we would live our lives. That’s when I began writing this book,” she said.
Both of her books came from her love of drawing (and dogs). The first book started with a sketch of six neighborhood pups in Warren. That sketch soon grew to include eleven dogs, and Lynn thought, ‘This group needs a book.’ The book has the dogs in the neighborhood solving a mystery of unexplained paw prints.
The second book (the one that came after her husband’s death) follows Harry’s adventures as a Rhode Island boat dog. It captures the essence of life on the water in Narragansett Bay — but through the eyes of a dog.
Because the story is so deeply rooted in Rhode Island, local bookstores and residents have embraced it. In fact, the very first sale happened organically. While Lynn was speaking with a staff member at Paper Packaging & Panache in Bristol about potentially selling her book there, a customer overheard and asked, “Oh, can I see that?” She bought the book on the spot.
Although Harry has passed away, Lynn gets to share a piece of him with her books. The two books can be purchased on Amazon and her most recent one can be found in local bookstores: Paper Packaging & Panache, Barrington Books, and Ink Fish Books. As for Lynn, she’s staying busy with her many hobbies and her new dog, often seen along the East Bay Bike Path — just as Harry once was.
