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book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Book on CD narrated by Kristin Kelbly
Williams sets this historical novel on the fictional Winthrop Island, where the year-round residents are the families of Portuguese fishermen, but whose governing group consists of the upper-class families who summer here. In the summer of 1951 Miranda Schuyler is introduced to this society when her widowed mother marries the high-class Hugh Fisher. His daughter, Isobel, introduces Miranda to the country-club set, and to Joseph Vargas, the son of a lobsterman. Years later Miranda, now a famous actress, return to the island after the break-up of her marriage. The Fisher estate has fallen into disrepair, and Joseph has recently escaped from prison where he’s been incarcerated since that summer when Miranda met him.
I love how Williams weaves the stories and intrigues of these characters together. There are plenty of secrets to go around and enough twists and turn to keep things interesting. I did find Miranda a bit irritating and wanted to slap Isobel more than once. And the mothers! Every one of them – Isobel’s mother, Miranda’s mother, Joseph’s mother – My stars, but they were a piece of work! Still, the story kept me interested and I eagerly kept going to see how Williams would tie it all together. Not sure why she needed to have that interlude with Miranda’s European husband, but whatever ….
Final verdict: a delicious soap-opera of a summer beach read.
Kristin Kelbly does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. She has a number of characters to voice and she manages to give them sufficiently unique voices so that I was never confused.
Williams sets this historical novel on the fictional Winthrop Island, where the year-round residents are the families of Portuguese fishermen, but whose governing group consists of the upper-class families who summer here. In the summer of 1951 Miranda Schuyler is introduced to this society when her widowed mother marries the high-class Hugh Fisher. His daughter, Isobel, introduces Miranda to the country-club set, and to Joseph Vargas, the son of a lobsterman. Years later Miranda, now a famous actress, return to the island after the break-up of her marriage. The Fisher estate has fallen into disrepair, and Joseph has recently escaped from prison where he’s been incarcerated since that summer when Miranda met him.
I love how Williams weaves the stories and intrigues of these characters together. There are plenty of secrets to go around and enough twists and turn to keep things interesting. I did find Miranda a bit irritating and wanted to slap Isobel more than once. And the mothers! Every one of them – Isobel’s mother, Miranda’s mother, Joseph’s mother – My stars, but they were a piece of work! Still, the story kept me interested and I eagerly kept going to see how Williams would tie it all together. Not sure why she needed to have that interlude with Miranda’s European husband, but whatever ….
Final verdict: a delicious soap-opera of a summer beach read.
Kristin Kelbly does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. She has a number of characters to voice and she manages to give them sufficiently unique voices so that I was never confused.
devansbooklife's review against another edition
4.0
I have read some of the reviews and feel I must have read a different book altogether. I loved this book. I loved the alternating time lines that kept me guessing. I loved the sweet, palpable tenderness between Miranda and Joseph. The character I had the hardest time connecting to was Isobel. Her behavior seemed completely irrational and often infuriating. The final twist wasn't as shocking once all of the information had been gathered. Even though this book is set in the past, I found the basic principles very relevant to today. The Families as they are known, appear happy on the outside. Much like many people on social media. But no one really knows what is going on behind closed doors or what actual lives are like without the filter. I found this book engrossing and it left me wanting more.
mbkarapcik's review against another edition
4.0
After a few novels that were of less interest to me, I enjoyed Beatriz Williams latest book. It seems that the novels that involve the Schuyler family appeal to me more. A few parts were a little slow, but most of the book contained surprising entanglements and family secrets. The end was exciting and sped the plot up to a satisfying conclusion. I wish the author included more stories about Miranda's acting career and life after the incident, which made her a pariah of Winthrop Island.
cindyreads2024's review against another edition
5.0
Yet another beautiful story written by Beatriz Williams!
amykay_kenny's review against another edition
4.0
Ok, so looking back, I read this book kind of fast, but it felt really long. I really like the other books by this author, but this one was just ok for me. I definitely enjoyed the plot line of the past more than the present.
bookswithmaddi's review against another edition
4.0
Uhhhhhh this was sooo good??? How is no one talking about it??
jalowenberg's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book- slow start as Beatriz Williams gives the back story, but hang in there. It’s gets juicy later on! Murder, mystery, drama and romance!
The back and forth from era to era is hard to get used to in the beginning, but as it furthers along, it brings the story all together.
The back and forth from era to era is hard to get used to in the beginning, but as it furthers along, it brings the story all together.
novelvisits's review against another edition
4.0
{My Thoughts}
What Worked For Me
Quintessential Beatriz Williams – If you’ve read much Beatriz Williams before you know that most of her books have a bit in common and The Summer Wives easily fits into what Williams does best.
- Accurate historical fiction with a lovely atmospheric vibe to it.
- Dramatic story of a woman facing and overcoming obstacles.
- Love lost and found.
- Light, predictable mystery elements.
- Likeable characters.
Island Life – I very much enjoyed Winthrop Island in the 1930’s, 50’s and 60’s as the setting for The Summer Wives. Williams was able to do so much with this small isolated locale.
“I’d forgotten about the scent of the Sound, which had its own particular tang, different from anywhere else in the world, the English Channel, or the Mediterranean or the South Pacific – or maybe it didn’t, and that was all in my imagination.”
To the locals it was home where they ran the shops, worked as lobstermen, went to church and in the summers served the families that swarmed to the island. Though the locals and the summer inhabitants were outwardly friendly, the class distinctions were dramatic and systemic. Nowhere was that more obvious or more life changing than in the forbidden attractions that ran through this story.
Miranda – Most of The Summer Wives unfolded with first-person narration by Miranda Schuyler. She first arrived on Winthrop Island in 1951, fresh out of high school and there to attend her mother’s wedding to Hugh Fisher, one of the wealthiest of the summer inhabitants. Miranda spends the rest of that summer with her new stepsister, Isobel, learning the ins and outs of island life. Eighteen years later she returns, a famous actress, looking for the island’s solitude to nurse her broken heart. Miranda’s back and forth telling of the island’s history through her limited lens worked very well and kept me wanting more.
What Didn’t
Weak Women – As much as I liked Miranda as a storyteller, I found her to be frustrating in that she tended to let others dominate her. As a 17-year old thrust into a level of society she’d never really been a part of this made sense. However, it seemed she should have gathered a little more wisdom as she aged. I don’t want to give away anything in the story, so I’ll just say that I also found both Isobel and Miranda’s mother to be disappointing to me as females. It especially seemed out of character for Isobel, so outgoing and social in the beginning, to lose much of herself over time.
The Mystery to the Story – I found the “unknown” element to the story unsurprising, and just a little hard to believe. It didn’t matter much to me that I was able to predict what had happened because I still enjoyed the journey, but I wish Williams had provided a little more of the backstory to make her twist just a little more real.
{The Final Assessment}
This time of year many of us are looking for lighter summer reads and The Summer Wives fits that bill perfectly. Much more than just fluff, Williams’s novel is an old-fashioned sort of story, rich in drama over love and money. It’s most definitely a beach-worthy read. Grade: B
Note: I received a copy of this book from William Morrow (via Edelweiss) in exchange for my honest review.
What Worked For Me
Quintessential Beatriz Williams – If you’ve read much Beatriz Williams before you know that most of her books have a bit in common and The Summer Wives easily fits into what Williams does best.
- Accurate historical fiction with a lovely atmospheric vibe to it.
- Dramatic story of a woman facing and overcoming obstacles.
- Love lost and found.
- Light, predictable mystery elements.
- Likeable characters.
Island Life – I very much enjoyed Winthrop Island in the 1930’s, 50’s and 60’s as the setting for The Summer Wives. Williams was able to do so much with this small isolated locale.
“I’d forgotten about the scent of the Sound, which had its own particular tang, different from anywhere else in the world, the English Channel, or the Mediterranean or the South Pacific – or maybe it didn’t, and that was all in my imagination.”
To the locals it was home where they ran the shops, worked as lobstermen, went to church and in the summers served the families that swarmed to the island. Though the locals and the summer inhabitants were outwardly friendly, the class distinctions were dramatic and systemic. Nowhere was that more obvious or more life changing than in the forbidden attractions that ran through this story.
Miranda – Most of The Summer Wives unfolded with first-person narration by Miranda Schuyler. She first arrived on Winthrop Island in 1951, fresh out of high school and there to attend her mother’s wedding to Hugh Fisher, one of the wealthiest of the summer inhabitants. Miranda spends the rest of that summer with her new stepsister, Isobel, learning the ins and outs of island life. Eighteen years later she returns, a famous actress, looking for the island’s solitude to nurse her broken heart. Miranda’s back and forth telling of the island’s history through her limited lens worked very well and kept me wanting more.
What Didn’t
Weak Women – As much as I liked Miranda as a storyteller, I found her to be frustrating in that she tended to let others dominate her. As a 17-year old thrust into a level of society she’d never really been a part of this made sense. However, it seemed she should have gathered a little more wisdom as she aged. I don’t want to give away anything in the story, so I’ll just say that I also found both Isobel and Miranda’s mother to be disappointing to me as females. It especially seemed out of character for Isobel, so outgoing and social in the beginning, to lose much of herself over time.
The Mystery to the Story – I found the “unknown” element to the story unsurprising, and just a little hard to believe. It didn’t matter much to me that I was able to predict what had happened because I still enjoyed the journey, but I wish Williams had provided a little more of the backstory to make her twist just a little more real.
{The Final Assessment}
This time of year many of us are looking for lighter summer reads and The Summer Wives fits that bill perfectly. Much more than just fluff, Williams’s novel is an old-fashioned sort of story, rich in drama over love and money. It’s most definitely a beach-worthy read. Grade: B
Note: I received a copy of this book from William Morrow (via Edelweiss) in exchange for my honest review.