Foreword to: NAVESINK; A HISTORICAL NOVEL
The Grover Family was one of the first families to settle in Monmouth County NJ in 1665.
Around 1730 they built a house that descendants continued to occupy until 1982, when the last Grover, Anna Lum Grover, was killed by a drifter who tried to break into the house.
The house survives to this day and became the headquarters of Navesink Maritime Heritage Association in 2015. Through a state grant, in 2021 NMHA hired Rick Geffken to prepare a history of the Grover family.
This history provided so much insight into the many faces of Eastern Monmouth County that it became apparent it would be worthy of a historical novel in the style of James Michener’s epic historical novels.
The authors of this book have shamelessly adopted the Michener approach to achieve the goal of providing a concise history of Eastern Monmouth County. While the central characters in Michener’s story are imaginary, in this story the historical Grovers are the central characters. While the authors have found a very substantial number of historical records for the Grovers, much less is known about their day to day lives so many liberties were taken there. As such, the contact that the Grovers had with many other historical characters may not have occurred to the extent described in the stories, but the authors have worked hard at keeping context and historical events as accurate as possible.
The endnotes after each chapter provide further guidance in this regard.
Because throughout their history the Grovers were a middle to upper class family, they will have had a front seat at the Navesink area’s many changes and advances. All the main events and story sidebars are historically true, and, overall, the novel provides a concise history of Eastern Monmouth County. It shows that this corner of New Jersey is unique in many ways and while today little of it is visible, the roads we drive, the waters we sail, and the parks, beaches, and woods we enjoy today, are echoes of this rich and varied historical tapestry.
We hope you enjoy reading about it as much we enjoyed putting it on paper.
A note about language.
We have made no effort to use contemporary forms of speech or idiom. Too often we simply do not know what the proper dialogue would be, but moreover we believe that while language may be different, the meaning of language is universal.
The chapters with links are ready to enjoy.
Table of Contents
1. 17,000 BC, A visitor
3. 1609, An English Visitor
4. 1613, Too Many Visitors
5. 1614, Steel, Saws, Needles and Adzes
6. 1644, Stout Means Tough in Dutch
7. 1645, Gravesend Rises
8. 1655, Grover Goes for It
Notes on next chapters