RYE — The story of Rye, New Hampshire, is very much an American story — one shaped by its coastal location, deep-rooted traditions, and the generations who have called it home.

A new book by lifelong resident and historian Alex Herlihy brings this story to life, tracing Rye’s evolution from its earliest Native American inhabitants more than 12,000 years ago to the vibrant, close-knit town it is today.

Herlihy’s richly researched work explores Rye’s fishing and farming roots, its role in the Revolutionary War — when local residents joined the 1774 march on Fort William and Mary — and the rise of its 19th-century tourism and hospitality culture. Rye’s connection to national and world history also shines through, from the 1874 landing of the first successful trans-Atlantic cable to the mid-

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