Summer Island: A Novel
Product ID: 17299406
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The renowned author of The Women presents a poignant, funny, luminous novel about a mother and daughter—the complex ties that bind them, the past that separates them, and the healing that comes with forgiveness. “[Kristin] Hannah is superb at delving into the characters’ psyches and delineating nuances of feeling.”— Washington Post Book World Years ago, Nora Bridge walked out on her marriage and left her daughters behind. She has since become a famous radio talk-show host and newspaper columnist beloved for her moral advice. Her youngest daughter, Ruby, is a struggling comedienne who uses her famous mother as fuel for her bitter, cynical humor. When the tabloids unearth a scandalous secret from Nora’s past, their estrangement suddenly becomes dramatic: Nora is injured in an accident and a glossy magazine offers Ruby a fortune to write a tell-all about her mother. Under false pretenses, Ruby returns home to take care of the woman she hasn't spoken to for almost a decade. Nora insists they retreat to Summer Island in the San Juans, to the lovely old house on the water where Ruby grew up, a place filled with childhood memories of love and joy and belonging. There Ruby is also reunited with her first love and his brother. Once, the three of them had been best friends, inseparable. Until the summer that Nora had left and everyone's hearts had been broken. . . . What began as an expose evolves, as Ruby writes, into an exploration of her family’s past. Nora is not the woman Ruby has hated all these years. Witty, wise, and vulnerable, she is desperate to reconcile with her daughter. As the magazine deadline draws near and Ruby finishes what has begun to seem to her an act of brutal betrayal, she is forced to grow up and at last to look at her mother—and herself—through the eyes of a woman. And she must, finally, allow herself to love. Review: A beautiful and heartfelt read! - Summer Island is a beautiful and memorable story of family, love, loss and forgiveness. It is a touching and emotional family saga that tore at my heart. Hannah does it again with this stirring and heartbreaking family saga. It details how important one’s upbringing is to one’s health and emotional wellbeing. I highly recommend this lovely and emotional read. Review: Not one of her stronger novels - I love Kristin Hannah - she is masterful at showing us relationships, especially strong female ones. When I read that Summer Island was about a mother-daughter who struggle to mend what got broken, I thought for sure this book was for me. In ways it was, in others, meh, not so much. As with all Hannah's writing it is undeniably flawless. Strong, visual usage of phrasing brings the reader directly into the story. Summer Island is no exception. When Nora Bridge walks out of her life, she leaves behind not only her husband, but her daughters, Caroline and Ruby. As the years go by, Caro's heart softens toward her estranged mother while Ruby's hardens. But when Nora, who has found fame as a marriage and family adviser on a radio show and in print, falls from public grace, she is forced to seek care and comfort with Ruby at home on Summer Island. While back on the Island, Ruby not only needs to learn to navigate what's left of her relationship with Nora, but also try to rebuild the bonds with her childhood friend and boyfriend, while figuring out how far she is willing to go to for her own fame. Perhaps it's because I've read a lot of Kristin Hannah's hard hitting books, the ones that rip your heart out while opening your eyes and then rebuilds you one fragment at a time, that this book was just mediocre. There is nothing wrong with the book, all loose ends are tied up, all relationships (shy of one that was unfortunately more of a throw-in than an actual relationship) are mended, and life ended HEA (which to me is just not realistic). In all honesty I would give this book a 3.5, but am rounding up because of my love for the author and the memories of her other books. If you aren't a long-time reader of Kristin Hannah, you will likely find this book quite good.
| Best Sellers Rank | #308 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #17 in Contemporary Women Fiction #63 in Women's Domestic Life Fiction #99 in Contemporary Romance (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 47,289 Reviews |
J**A
A beautiful and heartfelt read!
Summer Island is a beautiful and memorable story of family, love, loss and forgiveness. It is a touching and emotional family saga that tore at my heart. Hannah does it again with this stirring and heartbreaking family saga. It details how important one’s upbringing is to one’s health and emotional wellbeing. I highly recommend this lovely and emotional read.
L**S
Not one of her stronger novels
I love Kristin Hannah - she is masterful at showing us relationships, especially strong female ones. When I read that Summer Island was about a mother-daughter who struggle to mend what got broken, I thought for sure this book was for me. In ways it was, in others, meh, not so much. As with all Hannah's writing it is undeniably flawless. Strong, visual usage of phrasing brings the reader directly into the story. Summer Island is no exception. When Nora Bridge walks out of her life, she leaves behind not only her husband, but her daughters, Caroline and Ruby. As the years go by, Caro's heart softens toward her estranged mother while Ruby's hardens. But when Nora, who has found fame as a marriage and family adviser on a radio show and in print, falls from public grace, she is forced to seek care and comfort with Ruby at home on Summer Island. While back on the Island, Ruby not only needs to learn to navigate what's left of her relationship with Nora, but also try to rebuild the bonds with her childhood friend and boyfriend, while figuring out how far she is willing to go to for her own fame. Perhaps it's because I've read a lot of Kristin Hannah's hard hitting books, the ones that rip your heart out while opening your eyes and then rebuilds you one fragment at a time, that this book was just mediocre. There is nothing wrong with the book, all loose ends are tied up, all relationships (shy of one that was unfortunately more of a throw-in than an actual relationship) are mended, and life ended HEA (which to me is just not realistic). In all honesty I would give this book a 3.5, but am rounding up because of my love for the author and the memories of her other books. If you aren't a long-time reader of Kristin Hannah, you will likely find this book quite good.
A**R
great read
Such a great story, happy, sad and funny! A good reminder of the importance of family, the good the bad and the ugly
S**O
Easy read. Nice story
Enjoyable book
M**E
Break Out The Kleenex!
Heading into a KH novel, you know you’re going to be taken to the edge and back with emotions. This book did it more than any other I’ve read from this author. It took way longer to get hooked on the story but once I did, I was rooting for the girls and their mum to have a great reconciliation, which it was. That too took some time, communicating and understanding in an authentic way. It’s not only about sister bonding, mother daughter relationships, it’s also about two brothers finding each other again before it’s too late. And to round it all off is a romance as well. Seems a lot but it works well. Even though it felt a little dated, it gave me some nostalgia living in that era.
J**I
Heartfelt and Reflective with a Touch of Summer Nostalgia
Summer Island is a beautifully written exploration of fractured relationships, forgiveness, and the long road to healing. Kristin Hannah brings her signature emotional depth to this mother-daughter story, weaving in themes of regret, vulnerability, and rediscovered love. I really appreciated how raw and honest the characters felt—flawed but relatable. The setting added a lovely layer of warmth and nostalgia, giving space for reflection and growth. While some plot points were a bit predictable and the pacing lagged in a few places, the emotional payoff was well worth it. This isn’t my favorite Kristin Hannah novel, but it still carried that familiar mix of heartache and hope that she does so well. A solid 4 stars and a moving summer read that leaves you thinking about second chances and the power of forgiveness.
D**R
Kristan Hanna Does It Again….Another Perfect Read!
Each character in this book is so well defined and masterly woven into this story of a family in crisis. Loved the journey this author took the reader on to masterly reveal generational family secrets and misunderstandings that tore them apart and ultimately brought them back together!
D**Y
Great read
What can I say other then Kristen Hannah is a great writer. Buy her books here on Amazon. Great price. Fast delivery.
K**E
Gefühlvolle Familien Geschichte
Warum darf man nicht nur Sterne vergeben? Ein sehr gefühlvoller Roman. Zentrales Thema ist die Mutter-Tochter Beziehung. Je Fa.geschichte ist tiefgründig erzählt. Gute Unterhaltung.
M**A
Wonderful, keep the hankies handy!
A beautiful, heart wrenching story of real life families, their losses and finding their happiness. One of the best tear jerkers I have read from Kristin Hannah, her books are just so personal and hit so many nerves. Highly recommend.
Y**A
Summer Island
The storyline is good and I enjoyed the book but Hannah draws out the story so far as to make it boring. On more than one occasion I debated leaving it and starting a new book. It just dragged too much.
A**R
fantastic book
Wonderful, remarkable story. Hard hitting and powerful but at the same very tender. Kristin Hannah never disappoints with her books. Can’t wait for the next one.
S**N
Summer Island
This was an incredible story. I loved it from start to finish. I had shed some tears along the way. I highly recommend this novel. It will touch your heart.
Trustpilot
2 weeks ago
2 months ago