Sensitive but practical, Charlotte Tradescome has come to accept the reticence of her older, work-obsessed husband Henry. Still, she hopes to creat...
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Jan 20, 2011
Amanda
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**This is an advance reading copy provided by Library Thing**
Love can cause us to do some really dumb shit. Take Charlotte for example. Emotional, naive, and needy Charlotte fell in love with an idea--the romantic notion that she could somehow emotionally connect with and save Henry Tradescombe, the distant, reclusive, excessively liberal, and aggressive intellectual of some noted repute as a journalist. In return, Charlotte would be sculpted and molded by Henry, who is twenty yea More...
Love can cause us to do some really dumb shit. Take Charlotte for example. Emotional, naive, and needy Charlotte fell in love with an idea--the romantic notion that she could somehow emotionally connect with and save Henry Tradescombe, the distant, reclusive, excessively liberal, and aggressive intellectual of some noted repute as a journalist. In return, Charlotte would be sculpted and molded by Henry, who is twenty yea More...
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Nov 08, 2010
Deborah
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Forty-three year-old Charlotte Tradescome decides to move from manhattan to the house on Cape Cod that her "closed" overly-critical, unattractive, pseudo-intellectual writer husband, Henry, has inherited. She decides to make a different life for her and her daugher, Fiona. Henry asks if he can come also which is totally against the point to me from the beginning.
I struggled to find a reason why Charlotte would’ve ever married him. First, he’s twenty years older and sec More...
I struggled to find a reason why Charlotte would’ve ever married him. First, he’s twenty years older and sec More...
Jul 13, 2010
Diane
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I love novels that take place near the ocean, so I was thrilled to find out this book takes place in Wellfleet (Cape Cod) Massachusetts. The story finds former New York City dwellers, Henry and Charlotte Tradescome, and their three year old daughter Fiona, moving to Wellfleet when Henry inherits his family's home. Imagining a quieter and better quality life for themselves and their little girl, instead they are seen as outsiders. Darryl Stead is the exception. He is one of the oyster farmers an
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Jan 24, 2011
Peggy
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I like the story in this book. Charlotte is a forty something mom with an older husband, Henry. When Henry inherits the family ancestral home, they trade their life in New York for Cape Cod. In oder to repair the house, they sell a portion of the land that came with it. They remodel and start mixing in with the local folks. Hnery is able to work from home, so Charlotte and her daughter Fiona keep house and enjoy the surroundings.
The oyster and clam growers use the beach in fr More...
The oyster and clam growers use the beach in fr More...
Aug 29, 2010
Michelle
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I didn't like this book as much as I wanted to, but still, it would make for interesting book group discussion (the paperback includes a discussion guide at the end). The story itself is a good one: a younger woman (Charlotte) married to an older man (Henry) move to his ancestral home on Cape Cod (Wellfleet) with their young daughter. Henry is a distracted professorial-type who spends more time trying to secure his intellectual legacy than living in the world. We learn throughout the course
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Sep 04, 2010
CC
rated it:
This was a quiet, rather delightful read. Forty-three year-old Charlotte Tradescome convinces her overly-critical, stodgy, pseudo-intellectual writer husband, Henry, to move from Manhattan to the house on Cape Cod that he’s inherited.
The book started out slow for the first handful of chapters and I blame Henry... I struggled to find a reason why Charlotte would’ve ever married him (he’s twenty years older, in addition to being an ass). We learn more about Henry's own crappy childhoo More...
The book started out slow for the first handful of chapters and I blame Henry... I struggled to find a reason why Charlotte would’ve ever married him (he’s twenty years older, in addition to being an ass). We learn more about Henry's own crappy childhoo More...
Jul 02, 2010
Kathleen
rated it:
There were good times and bad in this book. One comment on the book was 'Expertly explores the complexities of domestic life and the tug of forbidden love.' If I had not received this as an Early Reader Giveaway, I might not have chosen it off the shelf. This puts me at a disadvantage, as romance novels are not my love. Anyway that above statement pretty well covers the book for me....I did not believe some of the characters. The Idea of Charlotte being with Henry and having Fiona with him did n
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Jun 24, 2010
Melanie
rated it:
The House On Oyster Creek is a story about the hard working oyster farmers and townspeople in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. There is also a second part of the story about a legal battle over the right to farm oysters there. There are many vivid descriptions of the beautiful landscape and the resident's way of life. The Tradescome family moves there from New York to a house they inherited. Charlotte wants to raise her daughter in a quiet place away from the city. The relationship between Charlotte
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May 21, 2010
Bridget
rated it: 
Charlotte thought she knew what she was getting into when she married a man who is twenty years older than her. They end up moving to the home Henry has inherited and Charlotte could not believe how unfriendly the people are in her new hometown.
She ends up getting a bit too friendly with a farmer, Darryl, who is around her age. Everyone can see that spark that goes off when she and Darryl are together. Will she do the safe thing and stay in a stale marriage or will she finally give h More...
She ends up getting a bit too friendly with a farmer, Darryl, who is around her age. Everyone can see that spark that goes off when she and Darryl are together. Will she do the safe thing and stay in a stale marriage or will she finally give h More...
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Oct 04, 2010
Debra
rated it:
Why do women think their husbands will change after they marry them?
Charlotte is married to Henry, a man 20 years older than her, who is more interested in his work than his wife or 4 year old daughter. She thinks she will be able to change him but eventually realizes that her idea of marriage is different than his idea of a relationship. It's not surprising that she is attracted to a much younger man named Darryl. The problem is that she is in love with the idea of being in love and More...
Charlotte is married to Henry, a man 20 years older than her, who is more interested in his work than his wife or 4 year old daughter. She thinks she will be able to change him but eventually realizes that her idea of marriage is different than his idea of a relationship. It's not surprising that she is attracted to a much younger man named Darryl. The problem is that she is in love with the idea of being in love and More...
Oct 01, 2010
Oceandreamer001
rated it:
As a native Cape Codder I was really excited to win this book. I started reading it as soon as it arrived, and I was not disappointed.
Heidi Jon Schmidt weaves a tale of romance and the age/old struggle between the rich, and the working class. When Charlotte Tradescome travels to the home her husband inherited from his parents many years prior, she falls in love with the house and the Town of Wellfleet. She decides that she is going to move from New York with her daughter Fiona. More...
Heidi Jon Schmidt weaves a tale of romance and the age/old struggle between the rich, and the working class. When Charlotte Tradescome travels to the home her husband inherited from his parents many years prior, she falls in love with the house and the Town of Wellfleet. She decides that she is going to move from New York with her daughter Fiona. More...
Oct 06, 2010
Brooke
rated it:
The main character of this book is a bright shiny woman married to a dark gloomy man. This woman, Charlotte, makes a drastic change by moving her husband and young daughter from the big city to an ocean front house on Cape Cod in an attempt to find some meaning in their lives.
I truly hate the character of Henry. He is not an evil or bad person, but he is so closed off and negative, that I don't think I could stand to be in the same room as him. Charlotte, on the other hand, is posit More...
I truly hate the character of Henry. He is not an evil or bad person, but he is so closed off and negative, that I don't think I could stand to be in the same room as him. Charlotte, on the other hand, is posit More...
Oct 18, 2010
Marti
rated it:
The House on Oyster Creek is a new novel by Heidi Jon Schmidt. The rhythm of the tide with its slow movements in and out, the clear running water of Oyster Creek help tie the pace of the book. It is a book to read slowly, to savor the language. It is a book to read slowly as the characters grow and change with the tides and seasons on the cape. It is a book to read slowly as you become a member of a small, hard working group of locals digging out a living in a hostile environment between the
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Nov 08, 2010
Diane
rated it:
I was fortunate enough to win this book in the Goodreads first reads giveaway. The story is about the New York City family consisting of forty-something Charlotte Tradescome, her husband Henry, who is twenty years her senior and their young daughter Fiona, relocating to an inherited property on Cape Cod. The relationship that this family shares is far from idyllic. Henry is consumed with his profession while Charlotte is consumed with their daughter and the idea of “something else”. I found m
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Aug 25, 2010
WifeMomKnitter
rated it:
From the book synopsis:
"Sensitive but practical, Charlotte Tradescome has come to accept the reticence of her older, work-obsessed husband Henry. Still, she hopes to create a life for their three-year-old daughter. So when Henry inherits a home on Cape Cod, she, Henry, and little Fiona move from their Manhattan apartment to this seaside community. Charlotte sells off part of Tradescome Point, inadvertently fueling the conflict between newcomers and locals. Many townspeople easil More...
"Sensitive but practical, Charlotte Tradescome has come to accept the reticence of her older, work-obsessed husband Henry. Still, she hopes to create a life for their three-year-old daughter. So when Henry inherits a home on Cape Cod, she, Henry, and little Fiona move from their Manhattan apartment to this seaside community. Charlotte sells off part of Tradescome Point, inadvertently fueling the conflict between newcomers and locals. Many townspeople easil More...
Jul 18, 2011
Katie
rated it:
This was a great book - I didn't think I was going to like it at first. 25 or so pages in my mind was changed and I was hooked...I think anyone who grew up on the Cape can appreciate it.
Favorite passage - Charlotte is talking to Henry on how he responds to their daughter Fiona -"'"If we're angry and critical, she'll become angry and critical. If we see the best in her, she'll learn to see the best. If we believe she'll succeed, she'll have the strength to try."'"
Favorite passage - Charlotte is talking to Henry on how he responds to their daughter Fiona -"'"If we're angry and critical, she'll become angry and critical. If we see the best in her, she'll learn to see the best. If we believe she'll succeed, she'll have the strength to try."'"
Oct 04, 2010
Lynn
rated it:
Nicely written, realistic love story set in Wellfleet. Charlotte, a sensitive young woman marries Henry, an much older, closed-off intellectual, and realizes too late that she wants something more. They have a house on the water and a young daughter both of which lead Charlotte to a new life with new possibilities. But life never works out in quite the manner you think it will. I liked that this book recognized that fact and dealt with it in a believable manner.
Nov 12, 2010
Darcy
rated it:
Charlotte Tradescome and her husband, Henry, are a mismatched couple living in Boston. He is a stern, reticent, crochety old workaholic. She is a loving and warm mother to their daughter, Fiona. When Henry's father dies, he inherits the family home on Cape Cod. He has no interest in returning to the home. But Charlotte thinks it would be grand to live there with Fiona, so she makes the arrangements for them to move. Henry asks to join them.
Charlotte discovers that life on the Cape is More...
Charlotte discovers that life on the Cape is More...
Feb 22, 2011
Paula
rated it:
This is not the type of book I generally read- I mostly read romance and murder mystery stories. I had trouble understanding why Charlotte Tradescome would have married introvert like Henry. When he inherited the house on Cape Cod, she visited and fell in love with it. She brought Henry back to his childhood home and envisoned it as a good place to raise their child. Tensions between the year-round residents and the summer visitors are very apparent. The romance between Charlotte, a “visitor” an
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Nov 02, 2010
Cindy
rated it: 
This book was just so-so for me. A bubbly, wonderful woman marries a dreary, boring old man. I still don't quite get why she married him in the first place. Charlotte and Henry move from Manhattan to a fishing community in Cape Cod where Charlotte meets and falls in love with an oyster farmer, Darryl. She finds in him the honest love that has been missing in her marriage. There is also the ongoing conflict of land ownership. I learned more about oyster farming than i wanted to! The beginnin
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Oct 14, 2010
West
rated it:
While there are elements of romance, this beautifully written book is about love of place, family, community, and of self. Set in a fictional town on Cape Cod, the characters are multi-layered and genuine and the plot is neither contrived nor cliche. The author paints a vivid picture of oyster farming and the people who are so tied to the sea for their livlihood. Lovely and engaging. Reviewed by Jae.
Jan 17, 2011
Gigi
rated it:
The story as a whole wasn't the most interesting though a quaint portrait of local community. The most interesting thing about the book for me was the unexpected course of the romantic relationships. It gives a very genuine (as opposed to the typically fanciful) view of the real connections that bring two people together and how relationships go through challenges and come out on the other side.
Nov 11, 2010
Julie
rated it:
I won this as a first read giveaway from GoodReads. Thank you to GoodReads and the author for the opportunity to read this book.
This was a quietly interesting novel. I enjoyed the author's writing style very much. It was like a peak into someone's life. The characters were well developed and realistic. I like that it didn't make day-to-day life in a small community seem "quaint". It showed both the good and the bad about it. However, even though the book was heavy on melod More...
This was a quietly interesting novel. I enjoyed the author's writing style very much. It was like a peak into someone's life. The characters were well developed and realistic. I like that it didn't make day-to-day life in a small community seem "quaint". It showed both the good and the bad about it. However, even though the book was heavy on melod More...
Jan 03, 2011
Ruth
rated it:
A desperation pick off the new books shelves at the library. Something to read on a trip out of town. It was okay in that I finished it. The characters in this book are all pretty one-sided. Not much happens. The characters don't seem to learn anything. A silly romance comes to a not-very-believable good end. A misguided marriage is still a mistake.
Sep 27, 2010
Rachel
rated it:
My latest win from goodreads...can't wait to receive it so I can start reading!
Update - Good book! I loved the writing and how it was set on the East coast. It totally made me want to move to Cape Cod and farm oysters :)
The main character Charlotte moves with her older husband Henry and their young daughter from NYC to Henry's old family home in Wellfleet where they are considers outsiders in the small community. Then Charlotte falls for a local, there's drama involving real estat More...
Update - Good book! I loved the writing and how it was set on the East coast. It totally made me want to move to Cape Cod and farm oysters :)
The main character Charlotte moves with her older husband Henry and their young daughter from NYC to Henry's old family home in Wellfleet where they are considers outsiders in the small community. Then Charlotte falls for a local, there's drama involving real estat More...
Dec 13, 2011
Pmcdnld2
rated it:
Charlotte is married to a much older man who seems to be cold and condescending. He inherits the family home on Cape Cod and she decides they should move there with their little girl. She falls in love with a local fisherman but as she learns more about her husband, she begins to understand him and herself.
Aug 23, 2010
Kathy
rated it:
A decent light summer read, especially if you adore an East Coast setting, as I do. The character development is not particularly deep, and the plot line somewhat predictable, but, hey ... it is summer and Schmidt made me smell the salty air and hearing the lapping of waves. What more did I ask of her?
Oct 09, 2010
willaful
rated it:
(A win from First Reads.)
This was just the sort of novel I enjoy, strong on plot, character and sense of place, with quiet insights and an appealing dry humor: "'Calmness, calmness. This too will pass,' said Henry, who having once been a Marxist, was in a position to know." My only problem with it was that the relationship conflict never seemed very real or understandable to me and so the ending was ultimately disappointing.
This was just the sort of novel I enjoy, strong on plot, character and sense of place, with quiet insights and an appealing dry humor: "'Calmness, calmness. This too will pass,' said Henry, who having once been a Marxist, was in a position to know." My only problem with it was that the relationship conflict never seemed very real or understandable to me and so the ending was ultimately disappointing.
May 19, 2011
Carol
rated it:
This is an interesting look at the conflict between the natives and the washashores in Wellfleet. The locations and even some of the people are ill-disguised. I have some mixed feelings as to how accurate a portrayal this is. It would make for a good discussion in town.
Jan 24, 2011
I thought the characters were very easy to relate to. The setting was described in delicious detail and the references to current-day Cape Cod were enjoyable to read. I tried to only read 10 pages a night so I wouldn't finish it too soon. Loved it!
