A Day Like Any Other: The Great Hamptons Hurricane of 1938: A Novel

by Genie Chipps Henderson

A bucolic resort setting -- the summer colony and locals are caught in the path of a sudden and devastating hurricane in this brilliant and prophetic fiction that is a warning of storms to come. “For those few who still remember, the images are seared into their the corpses floating down Main Street; the boats that drifted into the living rooms of flooded houses; the dead dogs and featherless chickens; the muck and fish stink; the moonscape of flattened houses; the residue of the last great hurricane to hit Long Island, the storm of 1938. “ - The New York Times

This is a story of that day – a day that began much like any other day at the ragtag end of the summer season on the eastern end of Long Island – better known as The Hamptons. The storm came without warning landing at three in the afternoon bringing with it unprecedented wind and rain and waves so high and powerful they were recorded on seismographs 5000 miles away in Alaska.

But A DAY LIKE ANY OTHER is not just a hurricane novel. The storm is a framing device for an historical tableau vivant of this near mythical place – The Hamptons – brought to life via the stories of townspeople, the wealthy summer colony, the fishing folk and the art crowd. Written by a natural tale-spinner and masterful portraitist of character and place, it does have one wild, furious storm at its center – an historic tempest that wreaked havoc on the little towns and villages that line the ocean front of the South Fork of Long Island.

Could it happen again? Yes - it will almost certainly happen again and no matter how many moguls build seaside monuments defying the odds, another hurricane like 1938 will surely be the deadliest in American history.

Genres: Historical Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

Published August 7, 2018

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent historical novel about the 1938 hurricane that hit the Eastern Seaboard and how it affected Long Island seen through the eyes of a handful of characters. It reminded me of a '70s disaster movie, in which you meet a bunch of everyday folks, learn about their daily lives and watch the disaster unfold. The book really captures what Long Island was like at the time along with the people who lived there. It captures excellently a moment in time and I really enjoyed the majority of the characters and found them relatable. Having experienced Hurricane Sandy as well as many other Shore hurricanes, I was wrapped up in this tale.

My only negative with this novel was the litany of spelling and punctuation errors. It seemed like the editor skipped multiple pages throughout the book. This oversight was distracting and is becoming all too common nowadays. This book deserved better.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, who loves the sea or who wants to read about a natural disaster. This one's a keeper.

[Karin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up because of family lore - we have multiple pieces of furniture made from the fallen trees of ‘38 (on the Cape where it was bad but not Hamptons bad) and my aunt tells a story about being let out of 1st grade early for the storm and being most upset by the wind taking her math paper (on which she’d scored 100!) away - and because the once in forever quality of a storm like this is so sadly untrue now. It was probably too much to expect that this novel take on climate change. But even on the first point there was too much build up to the storm. Especially because of its focus on the romantic problems of spoiled rich people, which I am not above reading about, but these were executed in a pretty rote mundane ways. I wanted more from the townspeople and characters like Walter (from their own perspectives) rather than Emmaline etc. And more about after and how a community recovers (or doesn’t) from this kind of disaster.

[Linda Gaines · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book starts the day of the hurricane, then goes back to the start of the summer before to allow you to more fully get to know the characters, then takes you through the hurricane and just after. I enjoyed reading this book, and I am now more interested in learning about the actual hurricane and its aftermath. There are numerous characters in this book, and I admit at times, I had trouble keeping the characters straight. All the characters were enjoyable to get to know though, and they were all such different people. In summary, this was an enjoyable read.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and will recommend it to many people who live in eastern Long Island. It was easy to digest and i enjoyed learning about the different characters. I went to an author talk with Genie Chipps Henderson, and she said that historical stories and tales about the storm are sewn into the book.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! Now I really wish my father in law was still alive so I could ask him a millions questions. Actually I wish his mother was still alive as the book takes place with mostly from the women’s perspective. So good.

[CAMS · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reader knows the story is about an actual horrific disaster. However the story is more profound and moving by the nicely developed personalities and detailed lives of folks and children who will be fatally affected by nature's wrath. A gripping narrative and the title says it all.

[Nate Krenkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

bought in Sag Harbor

[Caren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blew me away.....

[Marian Lindberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent research and writing.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was not really that interesting up until the last chapter about the hurricane and what happened to the different characters in the book.

[Kristin Link · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Amanda Coruzzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. Loved that living in the Hamptons, I was familiar with the landscape. The characters are very believable and still current. An easy read that is hard to put down, and when finished, you still find your wondering what they are up to.c

Meeting the author on February 16, 2019 at East Hampton Library!!

[Linda Mclean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. A little slow until the hurricane hits - the calm before the storm, but the hurricane is well done. The whole book could use some more proofreading.

[John Furfari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent novel, loved the writing and truly formed an attachment to the characters. It is a moving tribute to a location and a tragic moment in time. A must read if you’ve ever visited the East End.