Wrightsville Beach: The Luminous Island

Wrightsville Beach: The Luminous Island is Ray McAllister's homage to a special place, a book that captures not only Wrightsville's history but also its heart.

Along the way, he shares stories of fires and hurricanes and beach trolleys and Big Bands. Unlike most of the North Carolina coast, Wrightsville has a sizable population base, thanks to nearby Wilmington. Development didn't begin early here, but once it started, it came hard and fast.

By the early 20th century, Wrightsville was beckoning family vacationers to its simple beach cottages and day-trippers to its dance floors, cinemas, and sundry amusements.