Another winner of a story!
Because the week was so frigid cold, I stayed in most of last weekend and after cleaning my house, I curled up in my fave living room chair and read! And then 2 evenings this week, while waiting for Claire to come out of the ballet studio, I sat and read after running errands. Some of my friends always laugh when they see my book lying on the car seat....but hey...if I have to wait for someone, it's a good use of my time!
This is one of my very favorite "summer reads" authors. I chose the book because I am "thinking Spring"! She tends to have her books set in the southern part of the USA and this one was set off the coast of South Carolina. I hadn't read one of her books in about a year or more so I was excited to see it on the town library's shelves last weekend when I had to bring my daughter there for a project. It is a quick read, too. Most of her books are easy to read but with deep themes.
STORY SUMMARY
August is the perfect month for friends to get together for a beach house vacation and that's exactly what Madison (Maddy), Rachel, Barbara, and Melinda would do every year for one week. They would leave their husbands (all doctors) behind, and strengthen their friendships. They all live in various regions of the southern United States but would come together at the ocean.
They called themselves "the Girls of August".
And then one night, Melinda is killed in a car accident on an icy Kentucky road.
Leaving just 3 Girls of August.
Until Baby comes along. (real name, Lucy Ann Gaillard). Baby owns a beautiful beach house on an isolated island (Tiger Island) where the only other occupants are the Gullah people on the other side of the Island. There are no stores. They need to pack everything they will need and this year, they will be vacationing for two weeks.
Baby has married Teddy. Yes, she is only 22 and everyone else is middle-aged.
But Teddy, now on his 3rd marriage, has arranged all of this and the Girls of August do admit that the house is perfect. Coincidentally, the island is a place where Madison's husband Mac grew up!
Baby is not at all what the other women expected. Their patience soon gets tested by her young ways and manners. But that's not all that will be tested.
Their friendships will be tested while each woman discovers new secrets, dreams, truths about the other.
And they will be changed in ways they never expected.
MY THOUGHTS
This book was so real! I could really resonate with some of the characters...particularly Madison. Her relationship with her husband Mac reminded me of mine with Dave. I loved reading about it.
And Barbara's determination to face her issue (I don't want to write what it is as I don't want to spoil it for you) was commendable. She takes her life by the "bootstraps" so to speak and continues on.
Rachel's situation was sad. I had tears in my eyes when I read one section of when Maddy found Rachel in the ocean with her hands lifted to the sky. Again, I won't spoil it for you but it was very poignant and profound.....filled with much symbolism. (and I had predicted correctly what the issue was!).
The ending of the book is a complete surprise and not like anything I expected!
It was gripping right up to the very end.
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older (due to some content).
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 10.
4 comments:
Another book to add to my summer reading list...thanks Faithe. I am so ready spring, too. Blessings
You've got me very curious ... I am going to be looking for this book.
I had set aside a book by this author last year because I just couldn't get into it. It was called "Fault Lines". Maybe I'll give it another go as one of the challenges on my reading challenge this year is to finish I book that wasn't finished.
Susanne, I couldn't get into Fault Lines either!!! So I returned it! lol MY faves of hers are this one I just finished, Burnt Mountain, Outer Banks, and Up Island. LOVED those. I haven't read her earlier than Peachtree Road novels.
Post a Comment