28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
As a former English major and intense immigration lawyer, I usually snub “beach read” book recommendations. I’m not a fan of contrived storylines, weak plots and ridiculous romances. However, last weekend I planned a last-minute getaway to Canandaigua Lake. I was burned out from work and our family experienced two unexpected losses. Plus, July 14th is the anniversary of my Mom’s passing and even after eight years of missing her, July is always a tough month for me.
So, I packed my Grey Goose vodka, coconut sparkling water and iPad. I downloaded the first mindless book I came across, which was 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand. I am familiar with this author’s work because she is always on the bestseller list. But most years, I would have ignored this choice. This year, I needed it.
28 Summers is a good book. It’s not a great one, but it’s good enough for the summer of 2020. It takes place on Nantucket and the description of the beach house and ocean made me feel like I escaped to the beach for a few hours each day. The storyline is good. I love the main characters, the small-town gossip, the chronology of 28 summers.
I have to say there was a little too much politicking for my taste at the end. I literally skimmed those pages because I felt like politics didn’t belong in a summer beach read. However, despite the forced political opinions, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was a quick and easy read. Transported me to another place. Made me Google beach houses in Nantucket for next summer. All in all, a great read for the tenuous summer of 2020.