East End author named finalist for National Indie Excellence Award

A first-time East End author has been selected as a finalist for a major book honor.

Catherine Harper’s historical novel “I Am the House” was recently recognized by the National Indie Excellence Awards (NIEA), which have for two decades evaluated self-published books in various categories.

“The characters engage readers in exploring themes basic to our human condition, such as prevailing over adversity, navigating family dynamics, facing challenges of preservation, finding the little joys of daily life and gaining intriguing insights about the relationship we have with our homes and their own house stories,” Ms. Harper said.

NIEA entrants are judged on the literary merit and quality of design, presentation and production of their books.

“What we see in each competition is proof that when writers are free to tell the stories they believe in, the results are extraordinary,” NIEA President Doug Fogelson said.

Ms. Harper and her husband, Robert, have owned a historic house in Shelter Island Heights that they are restoring to “its 1893 magnificence,” she said. They also have a historic home in Mattituck and describe themselves as “serial restorer-preservationists.”

Her articles on Victoriana have been published nationally and internationally. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and a longtime member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. 

Ms. Harper previously wrote, researched and co-edited “The Self-Guided Walking Tour” booklet of the Heights, available for purchase at the North Ferry Office.

“I am very proud of the recognition my debut novel has just received,” said Ms. Harper, whose book is available on Amazon. “They’re sending me a certificate, gold stickers for the books, and a medal in recognition of the award. It’s one thing to be acclaimed by friends and neighbors and quite another to be recognized on the national level, It’s so humbling and so heartfelt.”