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Summer House: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 3,904 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
After years of wandering from whim to whim, thirty-year-old Charlotte Wheelwright seems to have at last found her niche. The free spirit enjoys running an organic gardening business on the island of Nantucket, thanks in large part to her spry grandmother Nona, who donated a portion of her land on the family's seaside compound to get Charlotte started. Though Charlotte's skill with plants is bringing her success, cultivating something deeper with people—particulary her handsome neighbor Coop—might be more of a challenge.
Nona's generosity to Charlotte, secretly her favorite grandchild, doesn't sit well with the rest of the Wheelwright clan, however, as they worry that Charlotte may be positioning herself to inherit the entire estate. With summer upon them, everyone is making their annual pilgrimage to the homestead—some with hopes of thwarting Charlotte's dreams, others in anticipation of Nona's latest pronouncements at the annual family meeting, and still others with surprising news of their own. Charlotte's mother, Helen, a Wheelwright by marriage, brings a heavy heart. She once set aside her own ambitions to fit in with the Wheelwrights, but now she must confront a betrayal that threatens both her sense of place and her sense of self.
As summer progresses, these three women—Charlotte, Nona, and Helen—come to terms with the decisons they have made. Revisiting the lives and loves that have crossed their paths and the possibilities of the the roads not taken, they may just discover that what they've always sought out was right in front of them all along.
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"This is another good read from one of my favorite authors. The story is told by three different women and the views they have about life and family. If you like stories about the beach, family and hidden secrets this is the book for you."
— Ruthann (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Nancy Thayer has a deep and masterly understanding of love and friendship, of where the two complement and where they collide.”
— Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author -
“This well-wrought, appealing book…is packed with literally down-to-earth charm, what with a central character who escapes her family of starchy bankers by lovingly tending her vegetable garden.”
— New York Times -
Nancy Thayer has a deep and masterly understanding of love and friendship, of where the two complement and where they collide.
— Elin Hilderbrand
Summer House Listener Reviews
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" I just couldn't get into this one. I thought I'd try a new author and something different. It was hard to keep up with so many characters. "
— Angela, 2/20/2014 -
" Good beach read-interesting family dynamics and enough suspense and allusions to family secrets that will make you want to keep reading it. "
— Maryellenmrphy, 2/19/2014 -
" A fun Nantucket summer read, but not a great work of fiction. This book will please Nantucket lovers but probably not a wide audience otherwise. I enjoyed it because I am on island and love reading anything about Nantucket! "
— Emmie, 2/13/2014 -
" very similar to elin hilderbrand, nantucket families "
— Anne, 2/4/2014 -
" Family squabblings at the seaside compound on Nantucket. Kept me interested. "
— Beverly, 1/28/2014 -
" Surprisingly, there was more to this novel than a mindless beach read. Family relationships were explored as well as a little romance. "
— Mary, 1/27/2014 -
" A lazy sort of read. Listening to it on my MP3 while doing housework made the chores go a bit faster. No great climax but it ended somewhat suddenly. I had to make sure I hadn't missed downloading a part. Don't run out and buy it but if you want to curl up and read on a rainy day without having to keep a bunch of plot lines straight and it's just sitting there on a shelf, pick it up and enjoy. "
— Jeanie, 1/24/2014 -
" Fun book in great setting. "
— Trisha, 1/18/2014 -
" I love beach books! And this one did not disappoint! If I could have met Grace, I would have punched her right in the nose! But I just loved Nona! "
— Joan, 1/16/2014 -
" Pretty good beach read. Love to read books that take place in Nantucket during the summer. "
— Kate, 12/29/2013 -
" A little slow at times, but a good overall story! "
— Maureen, 12/10/2013 -
" I couldn't get the characters straight until about 25% through the book. Lots of family members. Then just a lot of nothing happened. I liked moon shell beach by Nancy way better. "
— Mandy, 12/4/2013 -
" Good light read. I liked the characters. Ending was abrupt. "
— Susan, 11/11/2013 -
" I thought it was a great book. It was one of those books where you were concerned about all the character while you are reading it. "
— Sharon, 10/23/2013 -
" I loved getting to know these characters. Even the wealthy successful lives have challenges! "
— Kim, 10/13/2013 -
" I really liked it. I've enjoyed Nancy Thayer's books since the '80's and this was was just as enjoyable as the others. Really what I think of when I hear the term "Women's Fiction" "
— Jeanne, 7/29/2013 -
" Another good book by Nancy Thayer. It was a little slow moving for me, but a good family story about love and jealousy. Nona was my favorite character in the book, with Helen and Charlotte next. "
— Mary, 7/19/2013 -
" Summer read that I swore was going to take me the whole summer to read. I stopped half way through...story line doesn't move at all. "
— Carin, 6/15/2013 -
" I love her! Just love a story about women and life and the choices we make! "
— Alicia, 5/26/2013 -
" This was good, a little slow and nothing earth shattering but worth reading. "
— Kim, 4/28/2013 -
" Good summer read. 3.5 stars "
— Chrisy, 12/21/2012 -
" Love family relationship books - such a good story of secrets, lies & coming back together. Love the location - want to go to Nantucket some day! "
— Tracy, 10/17/2012 -
" A complicated family all come together to celebrate their grandmother and mother, family drama and secrets insue...it was a fun audio book to listen to during the summer...a little language and some thematic elements that were odd but it was good. "
— Rebecca, 9/5/2012 -
" Completely predictable soap-opera like summer read about a rich extended family on I forget which East Coast island. Nantucket maybe? Obviously not memorable. "
— Joanne, 8/3/2012 -
" A good "chick read". Rather predictable, but still good for summer reading while floating in the pool or laying on the beach! "
— Deb, 5/3/2012 -
" I really liked this one a lot. Definitely a good summer read! "
— Stacy, 2/29/2012 -
" Enjoyed it quite a bit mainly bc it was set in a beach setting and the lifestyle that goes along w living in a beach community is one I adore "
— Lisa, 1/28/2012 -
" One summer house on Nantucket, three generations of women! Great story line and loved reading about grandma mom and daughter. "
— Claudia, 9/28/2011 -
" Nice easy read. Not a book that is going to go down in history but very enjoyable. "
— Joli, 9/23/2011 -
" again, another new author for me. It does make me want to visit Nantucket someday. "
— Lyndi, 9/20/2011 -
" Really enjoyed the depth and development of the characters. A very pleasurable read. Great chick lit with family issues and angst thrown in.<br/> "
— Liz, 9/6/2011 -
" Pretty good book. I enjoyed reading this, although I wish the characters names were a bit more normal. Guess the author was really trying to hard to paint of picture of snobbish uppercrust! "
— Diane, 9/1/2011 -
" It was a little slow through some parts of the book, but the author threw a huge curve ball into the end that really brought the book all together! "
— Kbrookecarter, 8/12/2011 -
" good way to spend a lazy afternoon, an easy read, an interesting storyline. "
— Amy, 8/8/2011 -
" Summer read that I swore was going to take me the whole summer to read. I stopped half way through...story line doesn't move at all. "
— Carin, 8/8/2011 -
" Worth reading if you've nothing to do, though the flaws of the characters are sometimes really awful with no comeuppance for some. The setting was decently visualized but the outcomes were pretty predictable. "
— Raiveran, 8/7/2011 -
" Took me a little bit of time to get "into" this book. However, I enjoyed the characters. Some you hate, others you love. Watch how each changes over the summer. "
— Lynne, 8/6/2011 -
" I couldn't get the characters straight until about 25% through the book. Lots of family members. Then just a lot of nothing happened. I liked moon shell beach by Nancy way better. "
— Mandy, 8/4/2011 -
" Loved it. A feel good ending, just made me say "awwwww". Very enjoyable. "
— Sunshine, 8/3/2011 -
" A good "chick read". Rather predictable, but still good for summer reading while floating in the pool or laying on the beach!<br/> "
— Deb, 7/31/2011
About Nancy Thayer
Nancy Thayer is the bestselling author of The Hot Flash Club, The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again, Hot Flash Holidays, The Hot Flash Club Chills Out, and Between Husbands and Friends. She lives on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts.
About Emily Durante
Emily Durante has been narrating audiobooks for over ten years and is also an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning audiobook director. She has been acting since the age of seven and has performed in a number of stage productions at the professional, collegiate, and regional levels.