Donal Staples
Brant Rock Lobsterman
Finest Kind: Tales of a Brant Rock Lobsterman
Sandra Staples-Bortner, author and daughter of Lobsterman Donal Staples
New Release!
Finest Kind: Tales of a Brant Rock Lobsterman
Donal Staples joins the Navy at seventeen and soon finds himself in the Battle of Okinawa, one of the defining conflicts of World War II. Returning home a confident young man, he makes up for lost time by romancing the woman who will become his wife. Together, they build a life founded on Donal becoming a lobsterman in their small fishing village, Brant Rock.
As Donal becomes a local industry leader, he helps bring up an entire community of commercial fishermen. At the helm of his family, lobstering also takes centerstage as he raises his kids on hauling traps, fishing for food and fun, and the ways of the sea.
Donal’s story culminates in the perilous COVID-19 pandemic, where he struggles to find connection in a nursing home amid stringent social isolation policies. Nevertheless, the enduring respect of his colleagues and love of his sprawling family solidify him—long before his death—as a man of exceptional character and strength.
​
This is the incredible story of Donal Staples, whose life bears witness to the hardship endured and accomplishments made by the Greatest Generation—stories slipping all too quickly into distant, forgotten history. Donal's life story is a testament to the value in being the very best one can be, for oneself and others: the finest kind.
​
Finest Kind: Tales of a Brant Rock Lobsterman is available at your local bookstore or any online bookseller, including the retailers listed below. Purchase from FriesenPress to best support the self-published author.
“Finest Kind: Tales of a Brant Rock Lobsterman is a remembrance of a lobster fisherman, a teenage sailor in World War II, and a family-loving gentleman who unknowingly became a role model for others. Some of the adventures he went through in life will have you smiling, laughing, and in tears too. He loved lobster fishing and being at sea, he loved his family, and he loved being a representative supporting all our fishing people. Donal Staples showed us what we should be. I’m humbled to have known and worked with him through all the years. I encourage you to read this book and savor all the wonderful things Donal was.”
Bill Adler, Brant Rock lobster fisherman and former executive director, Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association
Praise
"Vivid writing that puts you in the boat with the young Navy sailor and lifelong lobsterman."
“Reading about Brant Rock lobsterman Donal Staples has inspired me deeply. I admire how Donal, and his family, intentionally chose such a hard and dangerous line of work. I also admire how Donal used his exceptional boat handling skills and knowledge of ocean waters serving in the US Navy at Okinawa in WW II. What I found particularly inspiring about Donal was how his thirst for life and his love of family and friends continued long after he retired from lobstering. By example, he has left a blueprint for readers like me that seek to live a full, quality life too.”
Robert L. Rich Jr., author, The Best of Times on the Chesapeake Bay: An Account of a Rock Hall Waterman​
Events
Welcome to our vibrant community celebrating the maritime history of coastal New England! Join us in honoring the dedicated lobster fishermen whose hard work and seamanship feed and inspire us all. Together, let's explore the rich heritage and stories that connect us to the sea. Dive in and share your love for this unique culture!
Book Reading & Book Signing
Coming Soon! Be captivated by stories of the teenager whose boat handling skills earn him the recognition of his ship's captain at the Battle of Okinawa. Follow along as his work ethic and integrity make him a role model for young lobstermen and a respected leader of his profession. Smile, and sometimes cry, at his wit and resilience as he navigates life's ups and downs. Be inspired by his compassion for others and zeal for life. See for yourself why Donal Staples truly was the finest kind.
About the Author
Author and conservationist Sandra Staples-Bortner is the extraordinary Donal Staples’s daughter. Raised on her father’s lobster boats—and his stories—Finest Kind was the organic product of a lifetime of hearing her father’s tales.
With the help of her siblings, her father’s friends, and a wealth of research, Sandra filled in the details. As she did, she realized Donal’s story was that of a generation of men who fought bravely in the Second World War, as well as of those who made their livelihood lobstering, contributing much to the foundation of coastal New England. Above all, it was the story of her family.
Sandra has had a three-decade-long career as a wildlife conservationist. She is especially proud of her tenure as the leader of Great Peninsula Conservancy, a non-profit land trust on Washington’s Puget Sound. Now retired, she volunteers her time helping to restore threatened Columbia River salmon.
Rooted in New England, Sandra has lived in the Pacific Northwest for thirty years, where she and her husband raised their two sons. Now living on an old farm, they grow hay, maintain habitat for wildlife, and try to keep up with their two Labrador retrievers.