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The Beach House
Number one best-seller Jane Green - author of Straight Talking and Mr.Maybe - tells a heart-warming story of life, family and relationships in the captivating novel The Beach House.
Nan, a widow whose family has flown the nest, is an independent, free-spirited woman who couldn't care less what people think about her living alone in her beloved beach house. But when she discovers that money is running out and she might lose her home, she knows it's time for a drastic change.
Nan decides to rent out rooms for the summer and people start moving into the house, filling it with noise, laughter and tears. Among them is Daniel, a recently divorced father, who's struggling to find out who he really is, and Daff, the single mother of a truculent teenager who blames her mother unreservedly for her parents' divorce.
As the house comes to life again, Nan finds her family growing. Her son comes home for the summer and an unexpected visitor turns up, turning all their lives upside down...
Compelling, absorbing and poignant, The Beach House is a story of friendship, love and those moments that can change your life.
Best selling author Jane Green has captured the imaginations of readers in the UK and the US with novels that are perfect beach reads. Other titles also published by Penguin include The Love Verb (published as Promises to Keep in the USA), The Other Woman, The Patchwork Marriage (Another Piece of My Heart), Jemima J., Babyville, Girl Friday (Dune Road), Life Swap (Swapping Lives), Spellbound (To Have and to Hold), Second Chance, and Bookends.
Nan, a widow whose family has flown the nest, is an independent, free-spirited woman who couldn't care less what people think about her living alone in her beloved beach house. But when she discovers that money is running out and she might lose her home, she knows it's time for a drastic change.
Nan decides to rent out rooms for the summer and people start moving into the house, filling it with noise, laughter and tears. Among them is Daniel, a recently divorced father, who's struggling to find out who he really is, and Daff, the single mother of a truculent teenager who blames her mother unreservedly for her parents' divorce.
As the house comes to life again, Nan finds her family growing. Her son comes home for the summer and an unexpected visitor turns up, turning all their lives upside down...
Compelling, absorbing and poignant, The Beach House is a story of friendship, love and those moments that can change your life.
Best selling author Jane Green has captured the imaginations of readers in the UK and the US with novels that are perfect beach reads. Other titles also published by Penguin include The Love Verb (published as Promises to Keep in the USA), The Other Woman, The Patchwork Marriage (Another Piece of My Heart), Jemima J., Babyville, Girl Friday (Dune Road), Life Swap (Swapping Lives), Spellbound (To Have and to Hold), Second Chance, and Bookends.
441 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
1695 people are currently reading
15208 people want to read
About the author
Jane Green
81 books8,777 followersJane Green's twenty first novel, Sister Stardust, is out April 5th 2022.
She is the author of eighteen previous New York Times Bestselling novels, and known as one of the world's leading authors in women's fiction, with over ten million books in print, and translations in over 25 languages.
Previous novels have included The Beach House, Second Chance, Jemima J, and Tempting Fate.
She joined the ABC News team to write their first enhanced digital book— about the history of Royal marriages, then joined ABC News as a live correspondent covering Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton.
A former journalist in the UK, she has had her own radio show on BBC Radio London, and is a regular contributor on radio and TV, including as well as regularly appearing on television shows including Good Morning America, The Martha Stewart show, and The Today Show.
Together with writing books and blogs, she contributes to various publications, both online and print, including anthologies and novellas, and features for The Huffington Post, The Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan and Self. She has taught at writers conferences, and does regular keynote speaking, and has a weekly column in The Lady magazine, England’s longest running weekly magazine.
A graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York, Green is bringing out her first cookbook: Good Taste , with Berkley in October 2016.
She is a storyteller for The Moth radio hour on NPR,
and lives in Westport, Connecticut with her husband and their blended family. When she is not writing, cooking, gardening, filling her house with friends and herding chickens, she is usually thanking the Lord for caffeine-filled energy drinks.
Jane's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-Gr...
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
She is the author of eighteen previous New York Times Bestselling novels, and known as one of the world's leading authors in women's fiction, with over ten million books in print, and translations in over 25 languages.
Previous novels have included The Beach House, Second Chance, Jemima J, and Tempting Fate.
She joined the ABC News team to write their first enhanced digital book— about the history of Royal marriages, then joined ABC News as a live correspondent covering Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton.
A former journalist in the UK, she has had her own radio show on BBC Radio London, and is a regular contributor on radio and TV, including as well as regularly appearing on television shows including Good Morning America, The Martha Stewart show, and The Today Show.
Together with writing books and blogs, she contributes to various publications, both online and print, including anthologies and novellas, and features for The Huffington Post, The Sunday Times, Cosmopolitan and Self. She has taught at writers conferences, and does regular keynote speaking, and has a weekly column in The Lady magazine, England’s longest running weekly magazine.
A graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York, Green is bringing out her first cookbook: Good Taste , with Berkley in October 2016.
She is a storyteller for The Moth radio hour on NPR,
and lives in Westport, Connecticut with her husband and their blended family. When she is not writing, cooking, gardening, filling her house with friends and herding chickens, she is usually thanking the Lord for caffeine-filled energy drinks.
Jane's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jane-Gr...
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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August 9, 2008The more books Jane Green sells, the worse her writing seems to get.
The story in "The Beach House" was diverting enoug but the devil is in the details, and the details are where Green fails. She is a British author, and this is her first book set entirely in the US, and she makes absolutely no attempt to rid herself of certain "Britishisms" -- the dates are given as 30 July, instead of July 30; people "get on" instead of "get along." I found several spelling and grammar errors -- a jeweler uses a "loop" instead of a "loupe." Etc. Very distracting.
Green defines no narrative voice. She offers up every detail about what her characters are thinking and often jumps from one view to several others in the same scene. She is quite literal, and tends toward cliche. You get the impression that this writer thinks her readers very stupid.
Most disappointing of all is the utter lack of effort put forth by Green into the details of her book. I almost gave up on this one when I read that a young girl wanted to shop at "Kool Klothes" -- the coolest place in town. It's unbelievable that a store would be called such a ridiculous thing, and horribly lazy of the author to try to put that over on us. It's such a small thing, but I believe it is indicative of this book's failings in general.
If you want smart "chick-lit" I suggest you try anything by Jennifer Weiner; if you must read Green I suggest "The Other Woman" or "Mr. Maybe." Definitely not this one.
The story in "The Beach House" was diverting enoug but the devil is in the details, and the details are where Green fails. She is a British author, and this is her first book set entirely in the US, and she makes absolutely no attempt to rid herself of certain "Britishisms" -- the dates are given as 30 July, instead of July 30; people "get on" instead of "get along." I found several spelling and grammar errors -- a jeweler uses a "loop" instead of a "loupe." Etc. Very distracting.
Green defines no narrative voice. She offers up every detail about what her characters are thinking and often jumps from one view to several others in the same scene. She is quite literal, and tends toward cliche. You get the impression that this writer thinks her readers very stupid.
Most disappointing of all is the utter lack of effort put forth by Green into the details of her book. I almost gave up on this one when I read that a young girl wanted to shop at "Kool Klothes" -- the coolest place in town. It's unbelievable that a store would be called such a ridiculous thing, and horribly lazy of the author to try to put that over on us. It's such a small thing, but I believe it is indicative of this book's failings in general.
If you want smart "chick-lit" I suggest you try anything by Jennifer Weiner; if you must read Green I suggest "The Other Woman" or "Mr. Maybe." Definitely not this one.
January 3, 2009
Her books are going from bad to horrible. My pleas to Jane Greene:
1. The characters are from the US - we do NOT say things like "I'm having a row with my husband."
2. Fire your editor - we may be Americans but we can see glaring grammatical errors!
3. Stop writing books with 10+ main characters
4. Stop switching points of view of said 10+ characters every paragraph
5. Please, please, please stop writing about cliche topics like infidelity and divorce in EVERY SINGLE BOOK.
Jemima J, Bookends and Babyville were wonderful. Where is the author that wrote those??
1. The characters are from the US - we do NOT say things like "I'm having a row with my husband."
2. Fire your editor - we may be Americans but we can see glaring grammatical errors!
3. Stop writing books with 10+ main characters
4. Stop switching points of view of said 10+ characters every paragraph
5. Please, please, please stop writing about cliche topics like infidelity and divorce in EVERY SINGLE BOOK.
Jemima J, Bookends and Babyville were wonderful. Where is the author that wrote those??
October 11, 2022
If you're looking for a easy sunbed read then Jane Green is your woman, I really enjoy her books, chick lit at its best!
Five stars.
Five stars.
April 14, 2015
★★★½
Have you ever stayed at a quaint little bed and breakfast where your time with the other guests feels a bit like home? I have and, for the exception of one very awkward interaction (yeah...I'm not going there), it was a pleasant experience. This book reminded me a little of this memory.
In The Beach House, author Jane Green offers multiple characters, each with individual stories, who eventually end up at a beach house in Nantucket. My favorite character was the house's owner, Nan. Her own personal circumstances have her renting out the rooms in her home. But it's all good. Nan keeps a positive attitude and makes the best of the situation. She acts on her intuition about her house guests in an attempt to make their lives better and I just had to smile.
It was sad how most of the relationships featured in this book suffered, but I was appreciative that the characters tried to move on to happiness by inflicting the least amount of damage to others as possible. I liked The Beach House and would recommend it to fans of women's fiction. If nothing else, maybe it will inspire you to add an oceanfront rental to your summer vacation list!
Here's a little motivation :)
My favorite quote:
“Nothing in this world happens without a reason. That we are all exactly where we are supposed to be, and that the pieces of the puzzle have a tendency to come together when you least expect it.”
Have you ever stayed at a quaint little bed and breakfast where your time with the other guests feels a bit like home? I have and, for the exception of one very awkward interaction (yeah...I'm not going there), it was a pleasant experience. This book reminded me a little of this memory.
In The Beach House, author Jane Green offers multiple characters, each with individual stories, who eventually end up at a beach house in Nantucket. My favorite character was the house's owner, Nan. Her own personal circumstances have her renting out the rooms in her home. But it's all good. Nan keeps a positive attitude and makes the best of the situation. She acts on her intuition about her house guests in an attempt to make their lives better and I just had to smile.
It was sad how most of the relationships featured in this book suffered, but I was appreciative that the characters tried to move on to happiness by inflicting the least amount of damage to others as possible. I liked The Beach House and would recommend it to fans of women's fiction. If nothing else, maybe it will inspire you to add an oceanfront rental to your summer vacation list!
Here's a little motivation :)
My favorite quote:
“Nothing in this world happens without a reason. That we are all exactly where we are supposed to be, and that the pieces of the puzzle have a tendency to come together when you least expect it.”
August 20, 2008
this was one of the most poorly edited novels I've read in a long time. had a lot of potential but I really felt like the author didn't put a lot of thought into character development or plot. felt like all of the characters were on similar journeys through different circumstances and it ended a little too perfectly.
I finished the book, but this novel turned me off from reading anything else by this author.
I finished the book, but this novel turned me off from reading anything else by this author.
February 21, 2017
Nantucket is a magical place, so many people say. Where good things happen to good people. When Nan discovers that her finances aren't that great, she decides to rent rooms in her large home on Nantucket for the summer to help earn some money. The people who decide to rent from her are all in some sort of deep turmoil in their life and spending the summer in Nantucket and with Nan, will help them to sort all of that out.
First we have Daniel and Bea. Married for close to 7 years with two young girls. Something is not right in their marriage, and Bea can't seem to figure it out. Maybe a summer rental will do them good to bring the family together.
Daph has just found out that her husband has been seeing another woman. This betrayal is nearly impossible for her to take. With her teenage daughter giving her a headache about "throwing dad out" she believes a summer away will help to clear her head.
Michael is Nan's son and is a jeweler in New York City. When events in his life take a turn for the worse, he escapes to his home town to find the solace he needs to take the next step in his life.
All these lives are intertwined and help each other to come out of tough situations at The Beach House. A beautiful story of family, love and rebuilding that anyone is sure to connect to.
First we have Daniel and Bea. Married for close to 7 years with two young girls. Something is not right in their marriage, and Bea can't seem to figure it out. Maybe a summer rental will do them good to bring the family together.
Daph has just found out that her husband has been seeing another woman. This betrayal is nearly impossible for her to take. With her teenage daughter giving her a headache about "throwing dad out" she believes a summer away will help to clear her head.
Michael is Nan's son and is a jeweler in New York City. When events in his life take a turn for the worse, he escapes to his home town to find the solace he needs to take the next step in his life.
All these lives are intertwined and help each other to come out of tough situations at The Beach House. A beautiful story of family, love and rebuilding that anyone is sure to connect to.
November 1, 2017
Well, this was a disappointment. I gave it 2 stars because I finished it. I had never read anything by this author, but picked up this book at a used book sale because it is set on Nantucket, so how bad can it be?
Don't ask.
It has a totally predictable plot, the characters are barely one dimensional, and I doubt the author has ever been to Nantucket since there is absolutely no sense of place. (My guess is that she read Elin Hilderbrand and Nancy Thayer books and felt she could just get a sense of place from them.) Heck, I've never been to Nantucket but I bet I could describe it better!
Some of the glaring flaws:
Mid-way through the book, Nan begins to not feel well. Later this all goes away. There is a saying that I'll paraphrase: If you show a gun in the first act, someone better shoot it in the second act. If the author is going to make a big deal about Nan not feeling well in the book, then at some point, she better be sick.
Jess acting like a total brat through most of the book, then suddenly becoming an angel, to the point where she is responsible enough to babysit 2 children? Give me a break!
The author doesn't know the difference between "vice" and "vise".
I like a happy ending as much as the next girl, but I am going to have my sugar levels checked. This one was over the top, happy-clappy, sugary sweet, diabetes inducing.
I won't bother reading anything else by this author. I suggest you do the same.
Don't ask.
It has a totally predictable plot, the characters are barely one dimensional, and I doubt the author has ever been to Nantucket since there is absolutely no sense of place. (My guess is that she read Elin Hilderbrand and Nancy Thayer books and felt she could just get a sense of place from them.) Heck, I've never been to Nantucket but I bet I could describe it better!
Some of the glaring flaws:
Mid-way through the book, Nan begins to not feel well. Later this all goes away. There is a saying that I'll paraphrase: If you show a gun in the first act, someone better shoot it in the second act. If the author is going to make a big deal about Nan not feeling well in the book, then at some point, she better be sick.
Jess acting like a total brat through most of the book, then suddenly becoming an angel, to the point where she is responsible enough to babysit 2 children? Give me a break!
The author doesn't know the difference between "vice" and "vise".
I like a happy ending as much as the next girl, but I am going to have my sugar levels checked. This one was over the top, happy-clappy, sugary sweet, diabetes inducing.
I won't bother reading anything else by this author. I suggest you do the same.
September 21, 2008
This was the perfect end of summer read- the characters and their stories were set up spectacularly- I have loved all of Jane Green's books.
December 9, 2008
I would have given this one more star had there been more careful editing and attention to language. Green is British, but her story and characters this time around are American. Too many British phrases snuck past the editors, who should have known better. Some of the dialogue is awfully wooden, too. Interesting story, but I couldn't get past the easily fixable mistakes to enjoy it fully.
June 9, 2010
I hated this book. It is one of the most poorly written books I've ever read. If I start reading a book, I have to finish it. I almost didn't finish this book. That's how bad it was. The author kept switching voices sometimes in the same paragraph. First you'd be reading and the story was being told in the 3rd person by a narrator. Then it would be told in dialogue by the characters. Then it would be the characters talking about themselves in the 3rd person. Didn't this author have an editor. And the story itself was cheesy. The subject matter was all very adult, but I felt like it had been written at the intelligence level of a preteen. None of the characters had any depth. And you could see all the fairy tale hook ups coming by the fourth chapter. The few attempts the book made at being "adult" came off as preachy and condescending. I would not recommend this book to anyone, nor anything else by this author until she takes a writing class and hires an editor. So utterly disappointing.
December 17, 2008
Really enjoyed reading this author for the first time, I like how she has different plots and they are twisted into each other. It's a quick read, light and summery. Perfect if you are having seasonal depression and you will definately want to visit Nantucket after reading this!
September 15, 2016
So, like Jennifer Weiner, Jane Green has changed her focus from chick lit to women's lit. I didn't know what to expect from The Beach House, but I was definitely not disappointed! It sort of felt like a juicier Maeve Binchy novel, but set in the United States.
Nan is 65 and the local eccentric in Nantucket. She owns a fabulous old house on the bluff (named Windermere) and has recently discovered that her finances are not so great. What's an old gal to do? How about taking in boarders for the summer? Brilliant!
The novel basically revolves around the stories of the boarders, and how they all intertwine once the individuals come to Nantucket. Briefly:
Daniel has just asked his wife, Bee, for a divorce.
Daff, recently divorced, is looking for some time to herself.
Michael, Nan's son, has just ended a relationship and is looking to start over.
Of course, everyone and everything will come together in an interesting and fairly predictable way. But that's okay. It was a breezy summer read, and I really enjoyed it!
Nan is 65 and the local eccentric in Nantucket. She owns a fabulous old house on the bluff (named Windermere) and has recently discovered that her finances are not so great. What's an old gal to do? How about taking in boarders for the summer? Brilliant!
The novel basically revolves around the stories of the boarders, and how they all intertwine once the individuals come to Nantucket. Briefly:
Daniel has just asked his wife, Bee, for a divorce.
Daff, recently divorced, is looking for some time to herself.
Michael, Nan's son, has just ended a relationship and is looking to start over.
Of course, everyone and everything will come together in an interesting and fairly predictable way. But that's okay. It was a breezy summer read, and I really enjoyed it!
May 13, 2024
It resembled a soap opera in book form quite a bit. The characters were all terrible, and I had no sympathy for any of them.
August 15, 2008
Jane Green’s depiction of Nantucket life and the surrounding history is a fine backdrop from which to tell the tale of Nan Powell. Nan is the 65 year old year-round resident of the famed island. Years ago, Nan was left a young widow after her husband, Everett, committed suicide and in his wake, left a load of gambling debts that rendered her and their young son, Michael, in dire financial straits. The solution came when Nan decided to sell off some of the prized property at Windermere and keep only the main house and a few acres for herself and her son.
Many years pass, fairly uneventfully, although Nan has become the town’s eccentric – you see she helps herself to other people’s hydrangeas, swims naked in their swimming pools when no one’s around and while everyone in town knows Nan, no one really “knows” her. So it seems as though Nan finds herself, once again, under some financial difficulties when she discovers that the “hedge funds” that her financial portfolio have consisted of have not performed well and it seems that she may be broke and that Nan may finally be forced to sell her beloved Windermere.
Eventually, she comes along a solution that will not only help her financial situation, but also breathe life into Windermere again. When Nan was a young wife, this home was the backdrop of many parties and a main fixture in the social hey-day of that era. Through the years, she has found that not only has it been difficult to maintain Windermere esthetically, but time has also drained the home’s spirit. After an unsuccessful attempt to sell the home’s much loved, but also uncared for furniture, she decides to rent rooms and turn Windermere into a summer boarding house.
After reviewing answers to her ad, she decides to rent to Daniel, who is on the run from a marriage that he no longer understands, but afraid to pull away from the daughters he loves dearly. Recently divorced Daff finds that she suddenly has a free summer to roam Nantucket’s beaches and old shops, while her teenage daughter spends some time with her father. Nan’s son Michael also returns to Nantucket that summer, fleeing from a misguided romance with his boss’s wife and he hopes to answer some questions about his choices in the affairs of love.
Although brought together for different reasons, the residents find themselves getting to know each other and reveal a few secrets among them. Along the way, they receive visitors – Dan welcomes his daughters and his ex and answers some questions about his marriage. Michael gets a visitor from back home and learns that it’s not that easy to just walk away – sometimes your troubles can follow you. Even Nan gets a an unexpected visit from someone from her past and the answers to deeply hidden secrets evolve and threaten to destroy everything that Nan has worked so hard to sustain.
I think that I was expecting something light, more chick-lit in nature and I found that it took me a while to get into this story. As I continued to read this novel, I began to catch wind of Green’s style - her use of words that create a picture in the mind of the reader – and realized that this story winds much deeper and entertains at a much higher level than I was originally expecting. I think that this was an enjoyable story and gives an insider’s view to summer life in Nantucket.
Many years pass, fairly uneventfully, although Nan has become the town’s eccentric – you see she helps herself to other people’s hydrangeas, swims naked in their swimming pools when no one’s around and while everyone in town knows Nan, no one really “knows” her. So it seems as though Nan finds herself, once again, under some financial difficulties when she discovers that the “hedge funds” that her financial portfolio have consisted of have not performed well and it seems that she may be broke and that Nan may finally be forced to sell her beloved Windermere.
Eventually, she comes along a solution that will not only help her financial situation, but also breathe life into Windermere again. When Nan was a young wife, this home was the backdrop of many parties and a main fixture in the social hey-day of that era. Through the years, she has found that not only has it been difficult to maintain Windermere esthetically, but time has also drained the home’s spirit. After an unsuccessful attempt to sell the home’s much loved, but also uncared for furniture, she decides to rent rooms and turn Windermere into a summer boarding house.
After reviewing answers to her ad, she decides to rent to Daniel, who is on the run from a marriage that he no longer understands, but afraid to pull away from the daughters he loves dearly. Recently divorced Daff finds that she suddenly has a free summer to roam Nantucket’s beaches and old shops, while her teenage daughter spends some time with her father. Nan’s son Michael also returns to Nantucket that summer, fleeing from a misguided romance with his boss’s wife and he hopes to answer some questions about his choices in the affairs of love.
Although brought together for different reasons, the residents find themselves getting to know each other and reveal a few secrets among them. Along the way, they receive visitors – Dan welcomes his daughters and his ex and answers some questions about his marriage. Michael gets a visitor from back home and learns that it’s not that easy to just walk away – sometimes your troubles can follow you. Even Nan gets a an unexpected visit from someone from her past and the answers to deeply hidden secrets evolve and threaten to destroy everything that Nan has worked so hard to sustain.
I think that I was expecting something light, more chick-lit in nature and I found that it took me a while to get into this story. As I continued to read this novel, I began to catch wind of Green’s style - her use of words that create a picture in the mind of the reader – and realized that this story winds much deeper and entertains at a much higher level than I was originally expecting. I think that this was an enjoyable story and gives an insider’s view to summer life in Nantucket.
August 6, 2013
Reading (or in this case listening to)this book reminded me of speed dating. I'd sit down with one set of characters and begin to see what problems they were dealing with and DING - time to switch partners - meet and begin to know another set of characters; start to get comfortable with them. DING - switch to another set of characters; begin to know them and understand their concerns. DING - a new set of characters; begin to know them. DING back to the second set of characters with no warning. Actually a DING would have helped the reader know that we were switching stories again. Oops here comes a new set of characters. Now we're back to the first set with no warning. Who were these people again? Are they the ones who ....? Oh, yeah, they are the ones who...... Wait! Are we back to these people? Who are they? When the author finally brought the characters together into one story, this reader had lost interest and was worn out from trying to keep the characters straight. If I weren't such a compulsive finisher, I'd have given up much sooner than I did.
July 27, 2018
Dnf.... pretty much like a soap opera in book form. All of the characters were awful and I didn't care about them in the least. None of them had any morals, too much divorce and cheating. I didn't even care enough to skip and read the end.
July 23, 2009
This book could easily be made into a Hollywood movie. It'd be a nice drama, somewhere in the neighborhood of The Family Stone meets Evening. The book is filled with the current cultural views on relationships. We all know that the reason a marriage ends is because, ultimately, that person was never our soulmate, (like we thought they were in the beginning), and in hindsight, we realize that we never really were happy, were never being true to ourselves while we were in the relationship, and now that we're with our *true* lifelong companion, we feel complete, can see that the previous relationship and pain were the necessary paths to lead us to what is now a most fulfilling life. Seriously?
I think my favorite part about reading this book will be figuring out who should play the roles in the Hollywood movie.
Nan - Barbara Hershey
Michael - Jude Law
Everett - Tom Wilkinson
Daff - Jennifer Connolly
Richard - Dermot Mulroney
Daniel -Peter Sarsgaard
Bee - Maggie Gylenhaal
Jordana - Robin Wright Penn
Mark (the contractor)- Vince Vaughn
I think my favorite part about reading this book will be figuring out who should play the roles in the Hollywood movie.
Nan - Barbara Hershey
Michael - Jude Law
Everett - Tom Wilkinson
Daff - Jennifer Connolly
Richard - Dermot Mulroney
Daniel -Peter Sarsgaard
Bee - Maggie Gylenhaal
Jordana - Robin Wright Penn
Mark (the contractor)- Vince Vaughn
July 4, 2011
Three couples, a tangle of cheating relationships and an old beach house in Nantucket, scene of much healing and new beginnings. When I say that in my head I sound pretty snarky. Perhaps I was expecting something a bit more clever, funny even - definitely something with more heart. Instead I got a cold, robotic story about awful people and their woe-is-me midlife crises - written in present tense, no less, which is guaranteed to annoy me.
Nan is an ageing widow living in a big old house on 9 acres of prime land overlooking the beach on Nantucket Island, the only thing left to her after her husband drowned himself in the ocean decades ago, leaving her with an unexpected amount of gambling debt to deal with. She has one son, Michael, a jeweller in New York who is having an affair with his married boss, Jordana. After a meeting with her accountant who makes Nan realise she has no money coming in, certainly not for the expensive and extensive repairs the beach house needs, she comes up with a plan to rent out rooms during the summer.
Daniel is the first person to arrive: his marriage to Bee is on the rocks as he struggles to understand why, despite loving her, he doesn't want to be intimate with her. After finally admitting to himself that he's gay, he comes to stay at Nan's beach house in order to be close to his two little girls, who are holidaying with Bee at another rented property in the same town.
The other boarder is Daff, a forty-one year old housewife who's husband, Richard, had an affair with a woman at work. Their divorce is final but their daughter, Jess, isn't dealing with it well: she blames her mother (especially considering how Richard implied it was Daff's fault he wasn't living with them anymore). After establishing herself as a real estate agent, Daff finds herself sorely in need of a holiday and some "me" time.
And Nan's son Michael turns up, having walked out of his job and his affair with Jordana as soon as she left her husband, his other boss Jackson, in the mistaken belief that they're in love and Michael wants to live with her. Jordana is a polished yuppy with expensive tastes who thinks she wants to give up her consumeristic lifestyle and life more simply, but Michael knows Jordana can't and won't and will instead seek to do what all his other girlfriends do: change him and his apartment. So he flees to Nantucket where a shocking surprise awaits.
I really don't have much good to say about this book. It's predictable, the characters are stereotypes I couldn't relate to, it uses present tense just because, it's rather depressing really, and quite vacuous. It has a chick-lit kind of cover, but it's not chick-lit. Looking at the quotes on the back cover while I type this, I'm surprised to see comments like "A sweet, uplifting story", "a must-read summer delight" and "fresh and sparkling". Were we reading the same book?
Part of the problem was the characters: they were unreal to me. The men are all middle-aged, successful businessmen and work (and cheating on their wives) seems to be all they do - that and play golf. The women are all housewives - not even full-time mothers, but the kind of housewives who expect to be looked after, financially; I have no idea what they do with their time but when their marriages die (and the cow in me sees part of the problem with their marriages being that the couple have no common ground anymore, and nothing to talk about, their lives being so repetitive and boring), they're left floundering with no skills or experience. I don't really understand how Daff so easily set herself up as a real estate agent.
But all I could ask myself was, Who the hell are these people? I kind of see them as myths, not real people. I found them offensive simply for being. The book is full of gender stereotypes and two-dimensional people, and lines like this:
(Because, of course, any man who doesn't enjoy standing around with a bunch of other boring, golf-playing, yuppy moronic men discussing football is, of course, gay. Just goes without saying really.)
And this:
(Because, of course, only women cook. No sorry, only wives could possibly be expected to cook.)
I don't even know what a "gunite" pool is, but honestly, the level of yuppy wank in this novel was nauseating. It's like yuppy name-dropping, coming across all the little details of their polished, vacuous lives. Everyone comes across this way, even - to a degree - Nan herself. She was written to be mildly eccentric, energetic and the life of a party even in her 60s, but she just came across as annoying and silly, not with the dignity she was meant to portray. It wouldn't even matter if Green were parodying these people - which she isn't; simply having them occupy over three hundred pages of very mundane "real life" drama would have cancelled out any attempt at a piss-take. No, these people are treated with care and compassion. With sympathy.
And the "shocking surprise" that comes towards the end? The "unexpected visitor who turns their lives upside down"? So very predictable, and so very convenient in terms of how it worked out. In general, even aside from the pointless use of present tense, I found the writing style to be rather alienating. It is a distinctly "tell" style, leaving you with very little to infer (though you can guess Daniel is gay from the get-go). The omniscient narrator who held my hand all the way through gets to be tiresome and condescending.
And then there's the let-down regarding this as a potentially good summer beach read. I don't get why a book about a bunch of miserable consumeristic rich people dissatisfied with their empty lives and cheap affairs is considered a fun summer beach read. There wasn't even any beach in the story, really. An attempt was made to make the house a focal point of the story, but Green failed to make it a character as well. And I found myself rolling my eyes at the romance between Daniel and Daff - I don't feel like that's a spoiler because there was a big neon arrow pointing at it all the way through.
It was a bit of an effort to finish the book, and a shame to say I don't have anything very positive to say about it. In fact, I can't think of anything positive right now. I originally gave it 2 out of 5 when I first finished it, but I think I was just grateful to have finished the book. If I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the prose, I didn't like their dramas and I found it boring, I can't in all good conscience rate it higher than a 1.
Nan is an ageing widow living in a big old house on 9 acres of prime land overlooking the beach on Nantucket Island, the only thing left to her after her husband drowned himself in the ocean decades ago, leaving her with an unexpected amount of gambling debt to deal with. She has one son, Michael, a jeweller in New York who is having an affair with his married boss, Jordana. After a meeting with her accountant who makes Nan realise she has no money coming in, certainly not for the expensive and extensive repairs the beach house needs, she comes up with a plan to rent out rooms during the summer.
Daniel is the first person to arrive: his marriage to Bee is on the rocks as he struggles to understand why, despite loving her, he doesn't want to be intimate with her. After finally admitting to himself that he's gay, he comes to stay at Nan's beach house in order to be close to his two little girls, who are holidaying with Bee at another rented property in the same town.
The other boarder is Daff, a forty-one year old housewife who's husband, Richard, had an affair with a woman at work. Their divorce is final but their daughter, Jess, isn't dealing with it well: she blames her mother (especially considering how Richard implied it was Daff's fault he wasn't living with them anymore). After establishing herself as a real estate agent, Daff finds herself sorely in need of a holiday and some "me" time.
And Nan's son Michael turns up, having walked out of his job and his affair with Jordana as soon as she left her husband, his other boss Jackson, in the mistaken belief that they're in love and Michael wants to live with her. Jordana is a polished yuppy with expensive tastes who thinks she wants to give up her consumeristic lifestyle and life more simply, but Michael knows Jordana can't and won't and will instead seek to do what all his other girlfriends do: change him and his apartment. So he flees to Nantucket where a shocking surprise awaits.
I really don't have much good to say about this book. It's predictable, the characters are stereotypes I couldn't relate to, it uses present tense just because, it's rather depressing really, and quite vacuous. It has a chick-lit kind of cover, but it's not chick-lit. Looking at the quotes on the back cover while I type this, I'm surprised to see comments like "A sweet, uplifting story", "a must-read summer delight" and "fresh and sparkling". Were we reading the same book?
Part of the problem was the characters: they were unreal to me. The men are all middle-aged, successful businessmen and work (and cheating on their wives) seems to be all they do - that and play golf. The women are all housewives - not even full-time mothers, but the kind of housewives who expect to be looked after, financially; I have no idea what they do with their time but when their marriages die (and the cow in me sees part of the problem with their marriages being that the couple have no common ground anymore, and nothing to talk about, their lives being so repetitive and boring), they're left floundering with no skills or experience. I don't really understand how Daff so easily set herself up as a real estate agent.
But all I could ask myself was, Who the hell are these people? I kind of see them as myths, not real people. I found them offensive simply for being. The book is full of gender stereotypes and two-dimensional people, and lines like this:
"You're sorry?" [Bee] attempts a laugh again, still bitter, mirthless. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't listen to all my friends before we got married. Everyone told me they thought you were gay and I told them they were ridiculous, you were just sensitive, in touch with your feminine side. I can't believe how stupid I was." [p.224]
(Because, of course, any man who doesn't enjoy standing around with a bunch of other boring, golf-playing, yuppy moronic men discussing football is, of course, gay. Just goes without saying really.)
And this:
He would build what all the new money wants these days. Their interpretation of a beach cottage, but for millionaires. Gunite pools, high-speed covers to keep their small children safe, kitchens that are equipped with everything, even though it is rare for the wives to actually cook. [p.335]
(Because, of course, only women cook. No sorry, only wives could possibly be expected to cook.)
I don't even know what a "gunite" pool is, but honestly, the level of yuppy wank in this novel was nauseating. It's like yuppy name-dropping, coming across all the little details of their polished, vacuous lives. Everyone comes across this way, even - to a degree - Nan herself. She was written to be mildly eccentric, energetic and the life of a party even in her 60s, but she just came across as annoying and silly, not with the dignity she was meant to portray. It wouldn't even matter if Green were parodying these people - which she isn't; simply having them occupy over three hundred pages of very mundane "real life" drama would have cancelled out any attempt at a piss-take. No, these people are treated with care and compassion. With sympathy.
And the "shocking surprise" that comes towards the end? The "unexpected visitor who turns their lives upside down"? So very predictable, and so very convenient in terms of how it worked out. In general, even aside from the pointless use of present tense, I found the writing style to be rather alienating. It is a distinctly "tell" style, leaving you with very little to infer (though you can guess Daniel is gay from the get-go). The omniscient narrator who held my hand all the way through gets to be tiresome and condescending.
And then there's the let-down regarding this as a potentially good summer beach read. I don't get why a book about a bunch of miserable consumeristic rich people dissatisfied with their empty lives and cheap affairs is considered a fun summer beach read. There wasn't even any beach in the story, really. An attempt was made to make the house a focal point of the story, but Green failed to make it a character as well. And I found myself rolling my eyes at the romance between Daniel and Daff - I don't feel like that's a spoiler because there was a big neon arrow pointing at it all the way through.
It was a bit of an effort to finish the book, and a shame to say I don't have anything very positive to say about it. In fact, I can't think of anything positive right now. I originally gave it 2 out of 5 when I first finished it, but I think I was just grateful to have finished the book. If I didn't like the characters, I didn't like the prose, I didn't like their dramas and I found it boring, I can't in all good conscience rate it higher than a 1.
June 17, 2019
I would give this book 4&1/2 stars if I could. It is a wonderful book full of storylines that all seem to mesh together by the end of the book. Nan is a woman in her 60s who lives in a great old house on the beach in Nantucket. She is having money problems so she decides to rent out rooms. The reader learns Nan's story as well as her renters' along the way. I enjoyed the characters and their back stories and the resolutions. This book will make the reader laugh and cry and wish for more. Jane Green is a new to me author and I will definitely seek out some of her other books. Highly recommended!
August 13, 2017
Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
This is my first Jane Green book. Personally, I found this book to be intriguing and a refreshing break from my usual YA fantasy reads. But while I did enjoy it, I found many faults and criticisms with the execution of the book. It was an intriguing concept, but of cheap quality.
The Beach House is a mildly amusing drama filled with multiple affairs, broken marriages, betrayals, and insta-love. The novel follows a wide variety of characters, which takes it's (fricking long) time exploring the protagonists' backstories before they make their way to Nan's beach house on Nantucket.
Now let's break down this review into sections:
The Writing:
Good lord, there were so many problems with the writing. First of all, you would think by the synopsis that the book would be entirely/mostly from Nan's perspective, right? No, instead we alternate between the perspectives of Nan, Daniel, Bee, Daff, Jessica, Michael, Richard, Carrie, Evan, Jordana, and Sarah. I was really looking forward to Nan's perspective and was disappointed she was one of the characters whose perspective was provided the least. To make it even worse, I was frustrated to find that even when Green choose to follow a character, she wrote in 3rd person omniscient. It was so jarring to hear the internal dialogue of one character only to be thrust into another's thoughts a sentence later.
An additional complaint I have is that the writing itself didn't sit well with me. It was like the author NEVER heard the phrase "Show, don't tell." Her writing was extremely straightforward, leaving little room for mystery or interpretation. And at times even the dialogue felt stiff and awkward.
Also, this book was the definition of predictable. I was able to guess "the big twist" at the end within the first ten pages. Oh honey, just no; you need to try harder.
But the BIGGEST irritation was that the book literally took 150 PAGES for the tenants to arrive at the beach house. Yep, you heard that right. Almost HALF the book is backstory where the plot is barely inching forward. Not to say it wasn't interesting here and there, but the book was advertised as characters working through their problems at the beach house, and that was what I came here for. So needless to say, I really didn't enjoy the book till half way in.
The Characters:
The characters were likable, but at the same time half of them could have been killed off and I wouldn't have cared. I will say that I adored Nan though (IF ONLY Green had provided more of her POV). Carrie I also liked, but that was only because of her name and due to fact she was a writer.
Jessica though......I HATED this child. Like I'm sorry your parents got divorced, but you are thirteen and that does not give you leeway to have TEN THOUSAND TANTRUMS, act like a 3 year old (no joke; she sucked her thumb and constantly held her dad's hand), and shoplift. I understand that divorces are hard on children.......but the extremities of this child made me despise her. Her parents constantly say that prior to the divorce she was this lovable, kind, caring, intelligent young woman, but of course Green provided no evidence of this, so of course I thought that was a load of crap.
Another thing that irked me was the lack of genuine side characters. I hated how whenever Daniel and Daff would go out to a bar or something, they always seemed to encountered sleaze balls. It saddened me how only the protagonists were the only ones portrayed "good" people. Not all strangers are horrible!
For being published in 2008 though, this book does get mega brownie points from me for including a gay character!!! :) Yay diversity! (though I'm pretty sure the characters were all white, so maybe not...)
The relationships (both friendships and romances) were cute in this book and I did root for them. But they were so instant and fast growing that couldn't help but be skeptical and declare them unrealistic. Overall they were cheap entertainment. (And oh boy, did Green love to make connections between all of her characters; it was like OUAT :P)
Summary:
Despite my many criticisms, I decided to give this book a higher rating because I found it entertaining, I did find myself excited to see how it ended and because Green included a gay protagonist. Reading this book was like watching a drama TV show. It was amusing, but it wasn't quality though.
I didn't realize going into this book that it was chick lit, but I will say it does fit the bill. The Beach House was a good beach read (tehehe), so if you can get past the horrendous writing style and are desperate, I would say try it. But if it doesn't work for you, don't be afraid to toss it; you won't be missing out on much.
This is my first Jane Green book. Personally, I found this book to be intriguing and a refreshing break from my usual YA fantasy reads. But while I did enjoy it, I found many faults and criticisms with the execution of the book. It was an intriguing concept, but of cheap quality.
The Beach House is a mildly amusing drama filled with multiple affairs, broken marriages, betrayals, and insta-love. The novel follows a wide variety of characters, which takes it's (fricking long) time exploring the protagonists' backstories before they make their way to Nan's beach house on Nantucket.
Now let's break down this review into sections:
The Writing:
Good lord, there were so many problems with the writing. First of all, you would think by the synopsis that the book would be entirely/mostly from Nan's perspective, right? No, instead we alternate between the perspectives of Nan, Daniel, Bee, Daff, Jessica, Michael, Richard, Carrie, Evan, Jordana, and Sarah. I was really looking forward to Nan's perspective and was disappointed she was one of the characters whose perspective was provided the least. To make it even worse, I was frustrated to find that even when Green choose to follow a character, she wrote in 3rd person omniscient. It was so jarring to hear the internal dialogue of one character only to be thrust into another's thoughts a sentence later.
An additional complaint I have is that the writing itself didn't sit well with me. It was like the author NEVER heard the phrase "Show, don't tell." Her writing was extremely straightforward, leaving little room for mystery or interpretation. And at times even the dialogue felt stiff and awkward.
Also, this book was the definition of predictable. I was able to guess "the big twist" at the end within the first ten pages. Oh honey, just no; you need to try harder.
But the BIGGEST irritation was that the book literally took 150 PAGES for the tenants to arrive at the beach house. Yep, you heard that right. Almost HALF the book is backstory where the plot is barely inching forward. Not to say it wasn't interesting here and there, but the book was advertised as characters working through their problems at the beach house, and that was what I came here for. So needless to say, I really didn't enjoy the book till half way in.
The Characters:
The characters were likable, but at the same time half of them could have been killed off and I wouldn't have cared. I will say that I adored Nan though (IF ONLY Green had provided more of her POV). Carrie I also liked, but that was only because of her name and due to fact she was a writer.
Jessica though......I HATED this child. Like I'm sorry your parents got divorced, but you are thirteen and that does not give you leeway to have TEN THOUSAND TANTRUMS, act like a 3 year old (no joke; she sucked her thumb and constantly held her dad's hand), and shoplift. I understand that divorces are hard on children.......but the extremities of this child made me despise her. Her parents constantly say that prior to the divorce she was this lovable, kind, caring, intelligent young woman, but of course Green provided no evidence of this, so of course I thought that was a load of crap.
Another thing that irked me was the lack of genuine side characters. I hated how whenever Daniel and Daff would go out to a bar or something, they always seemed to encountered sleaze balls. It saddened me how only the protagonists were the only ones portrayed "good" people. Not all strangers are horrible!
For being published in 2008 though, this book does get mega brownie points from me for including a gay character!!! :) Yay diversity! (though I'm pretty sure the characters were all white, so maybe not...)
The relationships (both friendships and romances) were cute in this book and I did root for them. But they were so instant and fast growing that couldn't help but be skeptical and declare them unrealistic. Overall they were cheap entertainment. (And oh boy, did Green love to make connections between all of her characters; it was like OUAT :P)
Summary:
Despite my many criticisms, I decided to give this book a higher rating because I found it entertaining, I did find myself excited to see how it ended and because Green included a gay protagonist. Reading this book was like watching a drama TV show. It was amusing, but it wasn't quality though.
I didn't realize going into this book that it was chick lit, but I will say it does fit the bill. The Beach House was a good beach read (tehehe), so if you can get past the horrendous writing style and are desperate, I would say try it. But if it doesn't work for you, don't be afraid to toss it; you won't be missing out on much.
April 11, 2025
I’m sorry - a cute boy recommended it to me and i’m like yeah i’ll read it so i did. And like yeah I read it. and that’s mostly what i have to say.
October 16, 2008
It is rumored that Nan Powell is a witch, but the majority of the Nantucket residents agree that she is at the very least, eccentric. She lives in a rambling beach house, skinny dips in her neighbor’s swimming pool, chain-smokes as she bicycles around the island, and pretty much does as she pleases.
Despite seeming to have an ideal existence on the island, the 65-year-old widow finds herself in a financial predicament—thanks in part to her dead husbands gambling debts and a string of bad investments by her incompetent hedge fund advisor.
In an effort to save her beloved house, Nan takes out an ad on the Internet: “Rooms to rent for the summer in a beautiful old Nantucket home with water views and direct access to the beach.” Soon the house is alive again and Nan quickly befriends her new boarders and their families. Eventually her son, fleeing a failed relationship, returns home for the summer and Nan could not be happier.
Jane Green has written a refreshing tale that is sure to captivate readers. This is the perfect beach read with its beautiful setting, assortment of well-developed characters, romance, drama, and a surprise guest that will shock readers.
Despite seeming to have an ideal existence on the island, the 65-year-old widow finds herself in a financial predicament—thanks in part to her dead husbands gambling debts and a string of bad investments by her incompetent hedge fund advisor.
In an effort to save her beloved house, Nan takes out an ad on the Internet: “Rooms to rent for the summer in a beautiful old Nantucket home with water views and direct access to the beach.” Soon the house is alive again and Nan quickly befriends her new boarders and their families. Eventually her son, fleeing a failed relationship, returns home for the summer and Nan could not be happier.
Jane Green has written a refreshing tale that is sure to captivate readers. This is the perfect beach read with its beautiful setting, assortment of well-developed characters, romance, drama, and a surprise guest that will shock readers.
August 20, 2012
This book is about as light as it comes, and at best it CAN be entertaining. There is one surprising plot twist that I suppose gave it a little worth. However, it bothered me in many ways.
1) It was poorly written - and I read and devoured Twilight, Hunger Games, and all the Shopaholic books (those aren't really poorly written, but they are light).
2) The writer was British and gave all the characters a British dialect. I could tell before even reading the author bio. I doubt everyone would pick up on this, but I noticed because I have read Harry Potter SO many times, I recognize the lingo. This book is set in NANTUCKET. The characters were ALL AMERICAN. But they had British acccents. UGH.
3) The plot was TOO coincidentally - everything fitting together - omg everyone is happy in the end. UGH. Oh ya, and all the characters are whiney and unhappy with everything for the first 1/3-1/2 of the book.
Hmm I think that's it. I did not enjoy it because all of these things really took away from it for me. If none of these things bother you - go for it.
1) It was poorly written - and I read and devoured Twilight, Hunger Games, and all the Shopaholic books (those aren't really poorly written, but they are light).
2) The writer was British and gave all the characters a British dialect. I could tell before even reading the author bio. I doubt everyone would pick up on this, but I noticed because I have read Harry Potter SO many times, I recognize the lingo. This book is set in NANTUCKET. The characters were ALL AMERICAN. But they had British acccents. UGH.
3) The plot was TOO coincidentally - everything fitting together - omg everyone is happy in the end. UGH. Oh ya, and all the characters are whiney and unhappy with everything for the first 1/3-1/2 of the book.
Hmm I think that's it. I did not enjoy it because all of these things really took away from it for me. If none of these things bother you - go for it.
July 5, 2017
Delightful summer beach read. The individual stories of the families who come to stay with Nan, an older energetic woman, become entangled with the characters engaging and supporting each other during their summer together.
June 7, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 22, 2025
A great story where various families’ lives come together. Has a bit of a holiday vibe, it’s a nice easy read but plenty of interest
July 22, 2009
Chick lit is comfort food with little nutritional value, but this is chick lit that I believe most therapists would consider safe for one's self-image and path to mindfulness, as it proves to be rather validating and wise, however predictable the lessons. For this, I applaud Jane Green.
What makes this book a page-turner is that it follows the lives of half a dozen well-developed characters, each at a crossroad in his or her life. There's Nan, a free-spirited woman in her 70s who finds herself struggling to maintain her large Nantucket home, Windermere. Her 42-year-old son Michael, a jeweler who must confront the fall-out of a relationship. Daniel, a developer who must confront choosing a life of perpetual lies vs. an honesty that will hurt those he loves. His wife Bee, who must find her true voice as her husband finds his. Daff, a single mom who is struggling with an increasingly moody thirteen-year-old daughter, Jess. And Carrie, who is dating Daff's ex-husband and confronting life as a pseudo-stepmother.
First and foremost, this is a novel about finding your home, making your home, and feeling at home, wherever that journey may take you. It's also about making a family out of those you love and can support you, and not simply settling with what your past has given you. It's about taking the time to listen and not judging people by their age, net worth, past mistakes, or sexual orientation. And it's about not using others to define who you are or altering your personality to suit others. Though the name of one of green's previous novels, this one could well have been named A Second Chance as well.
Ah yes, it also stresses that there is life beyond real estate.
It briefly annoyed me that the only non-Caucasians in the book were Hispanics that didn't speak English and were land laborers, but I can't say from personal experience how diverse Nantucket is at present. It only reinforces how insular a world Green portrays despite her message of acceptance and authenticity.
What makes this book a page-turner is that it follows the lives of half a dozen well-developed characters, each at a crossroad in his or her life. There's Nan, a free-spirited woman in her 70s who finds herself struggling to maintain her large Nantucket home, Windermere. Her 42-year-old son Michael, a jeweler who must confront the fall-out of a relationship. Daniel, a developer who must confront choosing a life of perpetual lies vs. an honesty that will hurt those he loves. His wife Bee, who must find her true voice as her husband finds his. Daff, a single mom who is struggling with an increasingly moody thirteen-year-old daughter, Jess. And Carrie, who is dating Daff's ex-husband and confronting life as a pseudo-stepmother.
First and foremost, this is a novel about finding your home, making your home, and feeling at home, wherever that journey may take you. It's also about making a family out of those you love and can support you, and not simply settling with what your past has given you. It's about taking the time to listen and not judging people by their age, net worth, past mistakes, or sexual orientation. And it's about not using others to define who you are or altering your personality to suit others. Though the name of one of green's previous novels, this one could well have been named A Second Chance as well.
Ah yes, it also stresses that there is life beyond real estate.
It briefly annoyed me that the only non-Caucasians in the book were Hispanics that didn't speak English and were land laborers, but I can't say from personal experience how diverse Nantucket is at present. It only reinforces how insular a world Green portrays despite her message of acceptance and authenticity.
August 5, 2008
A Tidy Little Story
The setting is Nantucket in summer. The characters are well drawn and the set up of their individual stories takes up the first half of the book. In the second half they come together in unpredictable ways, with everything playing out full circle.
Nan, the widowed white-haired, bicycle-riding matriarch is the center of the story and her grand hilltop estate with ocean views (Windermere) is the "beach house" to which the title refers. It's a dramatic backdrop to a variety of dramatic stories within this family-oriented character study. Other main characters include Nan's son, Michael, a jewelry designer who seems to have a fear of commitment. Then there's Daniel, who struggles to find his true self; Daniel's wife Bee and their two little girls; Daff, facing betrayal and divorce, and her ornery teenage daughter, along with her dad, Richard, and his new girlfriend. Relationships are all over the place, but ultimate you discover how they're tied together as the story explores many different aspects of love and commitment.
This book is a very quick read, left me satisfied and definitely made me want to plan a summer vacation in Nantucket.
The setting is Nantucket in summer. The characters are well drawn and the set up of their individual stories takes up the first half of the book. In the second half they come together in unpredictable ways, with everything playing out full circle.
Nan, the widowed white-haired, bicycle-riding matriarch is the center of the story and her grand hilltop estate with ocean views (Windermere) is the "beach house" to which the title refers. It's a dramatic backdrop to a variety of dramatic stories within this family-oriented character study. Other main characters include Nan's son, Michael, a jewelry designer who seems to have a fear of commitment. Then there's Daniel, who struggles to find his true self; Daniel's wife Bee and their two little girls; Daff, facing betrayal and divorce, and her ornery teenage daughter, along with her dad, Richard, and his new girlfriend. Relationships are all over the place, but ultimate you discover how they're tied together as the story explores many different aspects of love and commitment.
This book is a very quick read, left me satisfied and definitely made me want to plan a summer vacation in Nantucket.
August 23, 2022
Windermere is the grand old lady on the bluff, slowly fading away while awaiting an infusion of new life. It is Nan's home, and like her is part of the beauty, history, and eccentric charm still to be found in Nantucket while the new monied build McMansions and buy from luxury boutiques now filling the towns.
Nan one day discovers all her money has been lost in poor investment, an decides to take in borders. To Windermere come:
Daniel whose marriage dissolves as he finally admits the truth about himself;
Daff whose marriage dissolved after her husband's affair, and her teen daughter is spinning out of control; and
Michael, Nan's son, escaping from yet another disastrous relationship and looking for life answers.
Also nearby is Bee, Daniel's ex, and their young daughters. Bee too is searching for a path forward.
There are real stories told here, and some rather wild surprises, as well as a lot of real estate porn both outrageous and beautiful. Ultimately this is about family, that of the blood and that you make from those who surround you, and how family helps you through even when causing you deepest pain.
Nan one day discovers all her money has been lost in poor investment, an decides to take in borders. To Windermere come:
Daniel whose marriage dissolves as he finally admits the truth about himself;
Daff whose marriage dissolved after her husband's affair, and her teen daughter is spinning out of control; and
Michael, Nan's son, escaping from yet another disastrous relationship and looking for life answers.
Also nearby is Bee, Daniel's ex, and their young daughters. Bee too is searching for a path forward.
There are real stories told here, and some rather wild surprises, as well as a lot of real estate porn both outrageous and beautiful. Ultimately this is about family, that of the blood and that you make from those who surround you, and how family helps you through even when causing you deepest pain.
May 31, 2020
So much potential, yet so disappointing. A lazy effort (the author’s name is larger than the title on the cover! Beyond arrogant) with inconsistent plots, one-dimensional characters, an abundance of British slang from a 100% American cast, and zero imagery describing the magic that is Nantucket. The lack of imagination and the repetitive over explained character backstories are insulting to the reader. And it takes over 100 pages until the focus is on the beach house! The combination of every relationship cliche under the sun plus zero originality turned what should have been a fun summer read into a dull and trying experience. It is hard to mess up the beach, but Jane Green, you did it.
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