Novel Set In Marblehead Inspires 'Charlie St. Cloud'

In the feature film "Charlie St. Cloud," opening nationwide on Friday, a fictional town named Quincy in the Pacific Northwest is home to the characters.

But Marblehead was the setting for the novel the film is based on, and its character, places, and people played a role in setting the tone for author Ben Sherwood's "The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud."

Sherwood visited Marblehead about a half-dozen times conducting research for the novel, staying in town for a few days to a week each time.

"I went to college in the area and, on breaks, I spent time with friends in Beverly, Swampscott, Salem Willows, and Marblehead," Sherwood said in a phone interview from Los Angeles, where he lives full time.

Sherwood said he was searching for a coastal town with a rich sailing history for the setting of his novel, and on the recommendation of a friend from Swampscott, fell in love with Marblehead after visiting for an extended stay.

The story concerns a young man, Charlie, who survives a car wreck that claimed the life of his younger brother, Sam. Even after his death, Charlie sees Sam every night at the cemetery where he was buried.

When Charlie meets a young woman named Tess who plans to sail solo around the world, their budding romance tests Charlie's ability and willingness to let go of the tragic past.

The film adaptation, starring Zac Efron, Kim Basinger, and Ray Liotta, strays from the novel in the sense that it was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, and is set in the Pacific Northwest.

In the novel, Marblehead and its people play a strong role.

"In the book, Marblehead is very much a character -- the townies, the 'Headers," Sherwood said.

And although the film's director, Burr Steers, scouted locations in Marblehead, financial considerations forced the studio to look for a cheaper place to shoot, Sherwood said.

The movie does make reference to local spots, like Maddie's, but the filmmakers did not try to pretend that the Western Canadian coast was really the North Shore of Massachusetts, Sherwood said.

Sherwood still has a strong connection to the area, and fond memories of friends made on his visits here.

"I sailed in one competitive race in doing my research," he said. "One of the guys who taught me about sailing offered to take me out for a race.

"He tended to use me only as ballast," Sherwood said. "I tore my shirt, and cut my knee. We won, and I immediately retired from competitive sailing."

When the novel was originally published in 2004, Sherwood launched his book tour at the Boston Yacht Club. He plans to return in the fall for a book event at The Spirit of '76 bookstore, which he calls one of his favorite independent bookstores in the country.

"The Spirit of '76 really rallied around the book," Sherwood said. "It's surreal to come to this moment. I can't wait to come back to Marblehead."

Bookstore boom

Through the novel's local connection, and perhaps because of the popularity of the film's leading man, The Spirit of '76 has seen swift sales of the re-issue of "The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud."

Paperback copies of the book, its cover dominated by a photo of Efron as brooding character Charlie, are featured prominently at the front of the Pleasant Street shop.

Store manager Hilary Emerson Lay said many folks may not be aware of the novel's setting in Marblehead.

"We're selling because of the local interest, but also because Zac Efron is on the cover," Emerson Lay said. "We were going to try to get (Sherwood) out here for the movie book launch."

 When he returns in the fall, the bookstore will host an event and fundraiser of some kind, perhaps with a showing of the film.

"We've been excited about this for six years," Emerson Lay said. "He told us way back when that this (the film) was going to happen."