A Hampton Maid Fairytale: A New Children’s Book Celebrates Friendship, Courage and Growing Up

Inspired by an eight-year-old Hampton Bays girl, Jerome Mark Antil’s beautifully illustrated bilingual adventure brings childhood’s biggest lessons to a beloved East End landmark.

The Hampton Maid is the kind of spot you remember with families returning summer after summer, kids running across the lawns, and breakfast that feels almost legendary. Now, this old-school East End favorite has a new chapter, and it has nothing to do with cinnamon rolls or guest-room keys. This time, the action happens inside a book’s covers.

On Saturday, November 14, The Hampton Maid is hosting a book release that’s personal in all the right ways. “Lexi at the Hampton Maid,” the latest work from Jerome Mark Antil, illustrated by Flavia Sorrentino, is loosely inspired by Lexi, the eight-year-old daughter of Tara, who helps run the place.

Antil takes the raw stuff of childhood, showcasing awkward moments, tough days at school, tiny triumphs, and turns it into a bilingual illustrated chapter book that’s both funny and, against the odds, genuinely uplifting.

“Lexi”, a Story with Heart and Finding Your Self Worth

It’s a story that’s got its heart in the right place: friendship, kindness, standing up to bullies, and finding the nerve to be yourself. Antil doesn’t sugarcoat the messiness of growing up. Through Lexi, he digs into what happens when someone else’s opinion starts feeling like the truth, and the bumpy, confusing process of working out your own worth.

Antil knows his subject. He’s a longtime family friend, and the book is soaked in details that anyone who’s stayed at The Hampton Maid would recognize. The plot swings from family breakfasts to deep conversations between Lexi and her wise, octogenarian writer friend Harry, who has a knack for shining a new light on familiar problems. Lexi learns what resilience means and finds out that just being kind is sometimes the superpower you need most.

This isn’t just a book for grade-schoolers.

“Lexi at the Hampton Maid” works on more than one level. The characters are sharp, the jokes land, and the illustrations do more than just decorate the page. It’s all about those first, bewildering lessons in friendship, handling unkindness, and tuning out the noisy, bossy voices that always seem to know what’s best for you.

Early Praise for the Book

Word’s out already. The Wishing Shelf called it “A heartwarming story that proves kindness, courage and laughter are three of life’s greatest superpowers,” and praised the way Antil keeps things light without dodging the tough stuff about bullying, confidence and bouncing back from rough patches. The drawings and personalities stay with you, which isn’t always the case in books pitched at younger readers.

For the Hampton Maid crew, this isn’t just another event at the hotel — it’s the place that helped shape both the story and the people in it. So bringing Lexi’s debut home isn’t just a book launch, but a reunion, or maybe a low-key family party where everyone’s invited, whether you’re clutching a first edition or a spoonful of maple syrup.

Grab breakfast, and a book — and a kid’s meal on the house

Breakfast is from 8:30 to 12:30, and so is the party. You can grab a first run of the book for $20, and if you do, the Maid throws in a free kid’s meal for good measure. Not a bad deal for something you’ll probably want to read together over pancakes.

For a hotel that’s been dishing out eggs, stories, and the kind of hospitality that keeps bringing people back, launching a storybook feels like a pretty natural move. And for any kid (or adult, honestly) who’s ever had a bumpy day, Lexi’s adventure is a good reminder: growing up’s rough, but a big heart, a real friend, and the courage to stick up for yourself get you pretty far.

IF YOU GO

Book release & brunch: “Lexi at the Hampton Maid” by Jerome Mark Antil; illustrations by Flavia Sorrentino
When: Saturday, November 14, 2026, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Where: The Hampton Maid, Hampton Bays, New York
Book price: $20 at the event or from the Gift Shop
Special: One free children’s meal with every book purchase at the celebration

About The Hampton Maid

Set on the East End, overlooking Shinnecock Bay, The Hampton Maid doesn’t just serve breakfast—it serves up old-school hospitality and the kind of homey charm that makes strangers feel like regulars. Family-run for generations, it’s the kind of place where memories get made—over coffee, over eggs and, now, over a brand new story for a new batch of readers. Learn more by visiting www.hamptonmaid.com.

Ty Wenzel

Ty Wenzel is an award-winning writer, designer, and marketing professional with a career spanning fashion, publishing, media, and digital innovation. A recent breast cancer survivor, she began her career as a fashion coordinator for Bloomingdale’s before serving as fashion editor at Cosmopolitan Magazine. Her work has appeared in numerous national publications, including The New York Times, and she is the author of a memoir published by St. Martin’s Press. In 2020, Wenzel co-founded James Lane Post, where she covers lifestyle, real estate, architecture, and interiors. She previously served as a writer and marketing director for The Independent. Her work in journalism, social media, and design has been recognized with multiple PCLI and NYPA awards, including best website design and best magazine. Wenzel is also the founder of the Hamptons-based social media agency TWM Hamptons Social Media, where she develops high-level branding and digital strategy for luxury clients.