Many visitors are drawn to Ocracoke’s natural beauty and fascinating dialect, known as the Ocracoke Brogue. During the summer on the island, despite the required ferry ride to even set foot there, tourists (or, as the locals might call them, dingbatters or tourons) can easily outnumber residents 15-to-one.

Though small in number, O’Cockers remain as iconic as the lighthouse. With this prolonged and comprehensive approach to the region, the authors document the island’s changes, providing readers with a deeply researched, empathetic and engagingly written snapshot of one of North Carolina’s most cherished places, one with a linguistic heritage worth celebrating.

Paperback, 296 pages, $14.49; e-book, $9.99.