A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams

This story takes place in New York City and at a seaside town in Rhode Island during the 1930's.  Lily and Budgie have been best friends since childhood, but that all changes after they meet Nick Greenwald, a handsome college football player.  Lily and Nick fall in love but her parents disapprove because of his Jewish ancestry.  They intend to elope but Lily's father has a stroke and their plans to marry are derailed. Seven years later, Lily and Nick are reunited as they summer in Rhode Island, however, Nick is now married to Budgie!  The story culminates when a hurricane sweeps through, leveling their summer homes and leaving several people dead.  I won't give away any more details but suffice it to say that there are a lot of twists to the story.  An interesting historical note--a devastating hurricane did hit the East coast in 1938, causing severe property damage and fatalities.

I enjoyed this story for its historical details and the unpredictable plot.  The book cover gives the illusion that this is a "light" summer read, but don't be fooled.  There are a lot of heavy topics within.