Title: The Book of Summer
Author: Michelle Gable
Published: December 27th 2017
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Pages: 416
Genres: Fiction, Historical
RRP: $29.99
My review:Physician Bess Codman has returned to her family’s Nantucket compound, Cliff House, for the first time in four years. Her great-grandparents built Cliff House almost a century before, but due to erosion, the once-grand home will soon fall into the sea. Though she s purposefully avoided the island, Bess must now pack up the house and deal with her mother, a notorious town rabble-rouser, who refuses to leave.
The Book of Summer unravels the power and secrets of Cliff House as told through the voices of Ruby Packard, a bright-eyed and idealistic newlywed on the eve of WWII, the home’s definitive guestbook, and Bess herself. Bess’s grandmother always said it was a house of women, and by the very last day of the very last summer at Cliff House, Bess will understand the truth of her grandmother s words in ways she never contemplated.
The revelation of generation after generation of family secrets, all tied to an unforgettable summer home named Cliff House, is the focus of bestselling author Michelle Gable’s third novel. The Book of Summer is set over the course of two weeks in Nantucket but it also traces back to pre World War II. Gable expertly binds together fact and fiction, to produce a moving family tale of three generations of women who passed through the doors of the summer home, Cliff House.
Cliff House has been in Bess Codman’s family for generations. This once grand fixture, the site of many celebrations and opulent gatherings, is slowly descending into the sea, due to soil erosion. Bess’ mother Cissy adores the home and refuses to leave, despite the danger of total collapse. Bess returns home in an attempt to lure her mother away from Cliff House and save their family heirlooms from total ruin. Over the course of the two weeks in which Bess works to pack up Cliff House, memories from the past resurface. The discovery of a pivotal guest book, marks the beginning of a series of deep-seated family secrets that are revealed, all of which are closely tied to Bess’ grandmother, Ruby. Through the guest book, Bess travels back to the past of Cliff House, where she learns the shocking truth to a number of stories involving her grandmother Ruby and the female inhabitants of Cliff House. It is an eye opener for Bess, but also a turning point in her own life, where she learns a thing or two about herself along the way.
I am reader who loves covers and The Book of Summer immediately enticed me by its stunning and attractive cover. It features an antique bicycle on the front, with a basket full of flowers. My first thought was that this book was going to be a light and breezy summer holiday read. However, inside the book is a much weightier family saga, covering a range of serious issues, which Gable dissects well within the pages of this novel.
Gable blends fact with fiction in her latest novel. As The Book of Summer begins, we quickly learn that the main feature of this book, a once grandiose summer home named Cliff House, is on the cusp of complete ruin. The author, Michelle Gable, explains in her enlightening author note at the close of the book, Cliff House is based on a real life building, Bluff House, located in Sankaty Bluff, in Sconset, to the east of Nantucket Island. Gable makes the reader aware of the unfortunate soil erosion that has plagued this area for generations and how this has impacted on the grand homes situated in this area. Despite attempts to save the area with a sand replenishment program and geotubes (large jute bags filled with sand), the risk of ruin is still there. I found this real life inspired section of the narrative very interesting indeed. I will be honest and admit that prior to reading this novel, I had no knowledge of this problem. I also had no previous exposure to this part of the world. Nantucket is a new setting to me and I enjoyed being transported to a different location. I appreciated the picture perfect descriptions of this beach side locale.
The Book of Summer is a novel grounded in the past and the present, through Gable’s employ of a dual time frame narrative. Through Bess, our contemporary protagonist, secrets of the past come to light by the discovery of the all important guest book held at Cliff House. I love books that are focussed on the discovery of old letters, books or objects from the past. When Gable introduced this element to the novel, she had me hooked! I will say I enjoyed the World War II, grandmother Ruby based story thread much more than the contemporary storyline, which was still interesting. I found myself racing through the present day events, just so I could get back to the past with Ruby. The transitions from past to present were handled well by Gable.
Ruby’s narrative thread begins just prior to the outbreak of World War II. It is a full bodied narrative, defined by period and place specific dialogue, featuring a range of serious issues. These topics range from adultery, multiple miscarriages, death of loved ones and the impact of war on the home front. Most importantly, a thread involving the treatment of gay soldiers in the war by the US Military held the most interest for me. It is an occurrence in the war which I was unaware of until Michelle Gable brought my attention to this issue through The Book of Summer. It was both enlightening but shameful to read at the same time.
In the present day narrative, Gable covers a lot of ground. From marriage breakdown, divorce, unplanned pregnancy, abuse and rekindled love. These topics are carefully intertwined with the main focus of the novel, which is Bess’ mother Cissy’s attempts to protect Cliff House and the surrounding area. In the present day sections of the narrative, Gable’s characters are both flawed and spirited, culminating in a lively storyline for readers to enjoy.
The Book of Summer is a well crafted multi generational family saga novel that demonstrates the strength of the female spirit to overcome the roadblocks in life. It is a novel that serves up some hefty family secrets, a good dose of mystery, plenty of rich history and a touch of romance, all in the one book. The choice to present to reader with a blend of fact and fiction makes The Book of Summer a compelling tale to add to your reading list this summer.
The Book of Summer by Michelle Gable was published on December 27th 2017 by Pan Macmillan. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
To learn more about the author of The Book of Summer, Michelle Gable, visit here.
*I wish to thank Pan Macmillan for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
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