The Book of Summer: A Novel

Michelle Gable

May 2017 · Sold by Macmillan

About this ebook

“Michelle Gable has moved in on [Elin] Hilderbrand’s home turf with a humorous and smartly written story of two generations of love and vacations.” —Wall Street Journal

From New York Times bestselling author of A Paris Apartment comes a novel about summer in Nantucket and a guestbook that reveals family secrets.

The ocean, the wild roses on the dunes and the stunning Cliff House, perched atop a bluff in Sconset, Nantucket. Inside the faded pages of the Cliff House guest book live the spellbinding stories of its female inhabitants: from Ruby, a bright-eyed newlywed on the eve of World War II to her granddaughter Bess, who returns to the beautiful summer estate.

For the first time in four years, physician Bess Codman visits the compound her great-grandparents built almost a century before, but due to erosion, the once-grand home will soon fall into the sea. Bess must now put aside her complicated memories in order to pack up the house and deal with her mother, a notorious town rabble-rouser, who refuses to leave. It’s not just memories of her family home Bess must face though, but also an old love that might hold new possibilities.

In the midst of packing Bess rediscovers the forgotten family guest book. Bess’s grandmother and primary keeper of the book, Ruby, always said Cliff House was a house of women, and by the very last day of the very last summer at Cliff House, Bess will understand the truth of her grandmother’s words in ways she never imagined.

Ratings and reviews

The Book of Summer by Michelle Gable takes us to Cliff House in Siasconset on Nantucket. Dr. Bess Codman receives a call from her father asking for her assistance. Cliff House, the family home, is slowly falling over the bluffs into the ocean. Thanks to erosion, they have already lost the tennis courts, pool, dressing rooms, and part of the veranda. It is just a matter of time before the house disappears, but Cissy Codman (her mother) refuses to leave the house. Bess’ father wants her to fly home from California and get her mother out of the house. Cissy is a force of nature. She is still trying to save her family home and is waiting for a Board of Selectman vote on Sankaty Bluff Preservation Fund (Damage Prevention Project). Bess arrives and begins packing up the house. She discovers the families The Book of Summer. A guest book started in 1911 when Cissy’s ancestors, Sarah and Philip Young moved into the newly built home. Guests and family were asked to write an anecdote or story into The Book of Summer. Bess would like to become the new caretaker of the book. Bess’ grandmother, Ruby was responsible for it until her death. Going through the book and the house will bring old stories and secrets to light. Bess will discover things she never knew about the women in her family. We journey back to the days of Ruby Young and relive her time in Cliff House. The past has a way of influencing our present lives. Will Cissy be able to save the family home? How will the family history affect Bess and her future? The Book of Summer is a novel that takes readers back in time to relive the Young family history. We are taken back to 1939 to relive Ruby Young’s life at Cliff House. There are several storylines in the book. One of them is how gay men were treated by the military during World War II. Another is Bess getting a divorce and the reason why. The writing is nice and there are some beautiful descriptions of Nantucket. The book does have a sweet ending. However, I found the pace of the novel to be slow, and I felt it needed some editing. The book was just too long. There is an extreme amount of foul language in the story and it was completely unnecessary (I found it offensive). My main problem with the book was Cissy Codman. She was an over-the-top eccentric who quickly got on my nerves (who picks up a person at the airport on a bicycle). Cissy is the most unique character in The Book of Summer, but not the only one. I believe it was supposed to come across as humorous, but I was not laughing. I give The Book of Summer 3 out of 5 stars. I just found The Book of Summer to be rather bland and unsurprising. I was never drawn into the story and did not connect with the characters. I was curious about The Book of Summer (the guest book belonging to the Young family). What a great concept. It is the type of item I would love to sit down and read through. While I did not enjoy The Book of Summer, I do recommend Michelle Gable’s A Paris Apartment and I’ll See You in Paris.

About the author

New York Times bestselling author of A Paris Apartment and I'll See You in Paris, MICHELLE GABLE graduated from The College of William & Mary. After a twenty-year career in finance, she now writes full time. Michelle lives in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California, with her husband, two daughters, and one lazy cat.