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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this book! Though the characters lack some depth, I thought they were cute and I loved picking up the book each night and see what Kirby, Blair, Jessie and the rest of the Levin/Nichols crew was up to on Nantucket. I thought the history was great and I really enjoyed the time period this was set in. A good, easy, light read that is perfect for the upcoming summer season!
This is my first book by Hilderbrand and I wonder if all her novels are about people with privilege as this is what is glaringly obvious to me. These people don’t know struggle until it comes in the form of Tiger being sent to Vietnam.
The story follows the women of the Foley/Levin family as they separate for the summer with Kate and Jessie heading to stay with Exalta, the grandmother in Nantucket, Blair heavily pregnant is staying in Boston and Kirby is heading to Martha’s Vineyard.
To be honest I don’t know how I would rate this book, given the period of time in the US which I have always found fascinating, a time where the country seems like a powder keg from civil rights, nationwide protests against the Vietnam war, the assassination of Bobby Kennedy, to the music revolution that was taking place, a period in time that I think the author is using as a draw to pull readers in, but what this author essentially does it takes us to a place where we can all just stick our heads in the sand as the outside world doesn’t affect the people on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. There is no prejudice on these islands and as we meander through the summer we spend it enduring the woeful musings of each character and their internal monologue of how life would be so much better if the boy they wanted liked them. Between Kirby and Jessies’ incessant feelings that they are suffering; Jessie I think I can let slide as she is only 13 and Kate drinking vats of alcohol to see her through the day as she worries for Tiger, I longed for the chapters that were from Blair’s POV, Blair is by far the most interesting character as we see her battle with the advice from her mother and how things were done in her generation to her own feelings of what she truly wants.
Needless to say things get tied up in a big bow as is normal for a beach read.
I will give this author another try but wonder if she has a side job with the Nantucket tourist department as I really would like to visit Nantucket now.
The story follows the women of the Foley/Levin family as they separate for the summer with Kate and Jessie heading to stay with Exalta, the grandmother in Nantucket, Blair heavily pregnant is staying in Boston and Kirby is heading to Martha’s Vineyard.
To be honest I don’t know how I would rate this book, given the period of time in the US which I have always found fascinating, a time where the country seems like a powder keg from civil rights, nationwide protests against the Vietnam war, the assassination of Bobby Kennedy, to the music revolution that was taking place, a period in time that I think the author is using as a draw to pull readers in, but what this author essentially does it takes us to a place where we can all just stick our heads in the sand as the outside world doesn’t affect the people on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. There is no prejudice on these islands and as we meander through the summer we spend it enduring the woeful musings of each character and their internal monologue of how life would be so much better if the boy they wanted liked them. Between Kirby and Jessies’ incessant feelings that they are suffering; Jessie I think I can let slide as she is only 13 and Kate drinking vats of alcohol to see her through the day as she worries for Tiger, I longed for the chapters that were from Blair’s POV, Blair is by far the most interesting character as we see her battle with the advice from her mother and how things were done in her generation to her own feelings of what she truly wants.
Needless to say things get tied up in a big bow as is normal for a beach read.
I will give this author another try but wonder if she has a side job with the Nantucket tourist department as I really would like to visit Nantucket now.
emotional
funny
reflective
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Perfect beach read, light and predictable but that didn’t make me enjoy it any less!
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked the historic spin compared to Elin's other novels. There is a lot of heartache, healing, and as the grandmother says in the book it reminds us that "People are people."
Reading during COVID local vacation. Great easy read. Loved the characters and how they each had some secrets that were revealed to the reader as the story progressed. Sometimes i find it annoying / jarring when the story switches narrators so frequently but i thought Elin did a beautiful job seamlessly switching in this book. The relationships between family members were complicated and messy and yet in the end we see how full of love, tenderness, and understanding. Overall really really enjoyed!
A fun beach read with the required family drama and HEA. I really enjoy Hilderbrand's books--- quick and easy --they leave me with "feel good" vibes.
The issues discussed are always prevalent in our society , but handled with love . The family spends every summer on Nantucket; the drama of family life coming full circle. A truly good read.
Set in Nantucket 1969 this story follows a complex family through love, death, secrets, and scandal. There are elements of cheating, mental illness, self-exploration, and the meaning of family. Man lands on the moon, Vietnam war and civil rights protests make the pages, sweeping the reader back in time. The characters were complex and it was the perfect mix of predictable and deep.