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The Second Home
by Christina Clancy
A summer in Cape Code at their summer home changes the Gordon’s lives forever. Ann Gordon, a seventeen-year-old, returns to her Midwest home with a secret that causes a rift between her sister, Poppy, and their adopted brother, Michael. Fifteen years later, Ann’s parents tragically die, and Ann and Poppy must decide how to handle the estate, specifically what to do with the second home in Wellfleet. Once they agree to sell the property, Michael re-enters their lives with a legitimate claim to the home, which he wants. More than the home, he wants to correct the misunderstandings that transformed the trajectory of all their lives during that fateful summer.
Written with compassion, wit, and a deep understanding of bonds that cannot be broken, this coming of age and family saga hybrid is the perfect read for family vacations this summer. To say it’s the perfect summer read is not to say it is light or fluffy because it has immense depth. Rather, Clancey captures the sand-in-your-toes, formative vacations at the family’s summer home that has quirks and smells and is a tangible representation of family. When the Gordon’s arrive for summer vacation, none of them anticipate how much each member of the family will change by the end, and Clancey masterfully depicts how trauma affects relationships and undermines the trust we have in others. I felt a range of emotions during this story but ultimately felt grateful to have gone on the journey with the Gordon family. I enjoyed the alternating perspectives – Ann’s, Poppy’s, and Michael’s – because it showed how two people can experience something so differently that it has long-term effects on their understanding of the world and the situation.
This novel contained multiple twists that I wasn’t expecting, and I appreciated the care with which Clancey told the story and how authentic the experience felt. When I finished this, I felt peaceful, like I’d just returned to my family’s cabin after a long day in the sun and sand. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys summer reads with depth, family sagas, and coming of age stories.
Written with compassion, wit, and a deep understanding of bonds that cannot be broken, this coming of age and family saga hybrid is the perfect read for family vacations this summer. To say it’s the perfect summer read is not to say it is light or fluffy because it has immense depth. Rather, Clancey captures the sand-in-your-toes, formative vacations at the family’s summer home that has quirks and smells and is a tangible representation of family. When the Gordon’s arrive for summer vacation, none of them anticipate how much each member of the family will change by the end, and Clancey masterfully depicts how trauma affects relationships and undermines the trust we have in others. I felt a range of emotions during this story but ultimately felt grateful to have gone on the journey with the Gordon family. I enjoyed the alternating perspectives – Ann’s, Poppy’s, and Michael’s – because it showed how two people can experience something so differently that it has long-term effects on their understanding of the world and the situation.
This novel contained multiple twists that I wasn’t expecting, and I appreciated the care with which Clancey told the story and how authentic the experience felt. When I finished this, I felt peaceful, like I’d just returned to my family’s cabin after a long day in the sun and sand. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys summer reads with depth, family sagas, and coming of age stories.