One of the best books I have read this summer

Summer House revolves around a family's summer house in Nantucket and the ninety year old matriarch who resides over the family and the house.

Family secrets are at the heart of the story and the author, Nancy Thayer, lets each story evolve slowly so that you savor every small moment of the summer in Nantucket.

The author portrays the past and the present through the reminisces of Nona, the 90 year old grandmother of the Wheelwright clan. The present is told through various famliy members; Nona's grandaughter Charlotte, Charlotte's mom, Helen and others.

Find a cool place and relax and enjoy. I could not wait to get back to the story when I had to leave it. I am going out to find some other books by Nancy Thayer.

FINDING WHAT YOU SEEK -- RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU

With a title like Summer House: A Novel, this book could be just an ordinary beach read. But Nancy Thayer has transformed this story from light to deep in her multi-layered family drama.

The Wheelwrights of Boston, with an ancestral summer home on Nantucket, have traditions and a legacy; many who have married into the family have striven to live up to both with some difficulty. From the current matriarch Anne (Nona) down to the contemporary Wheelwrights, there are expectations and disappointments aplenty. And the bank that has sustained the family and employs family members is an institution in and of itself.

We follow the family members as they move from Boston to Nantucket and back again over the summer months. Interspersed within these pages is Anne's story, alternating with the current family saga; gradually we come to learn about secrets and betrayal that will impact the family for years to come.

Worth and Grace are the children of Anne and Herb (who is deceased); they compete and struggle to live up to the family traditions. Grace's husband Kellogg works in the bank, along with Worth. However, Worth's children have all declined to join in this family business, and Helen, Worth's wife, supports their children's individuality. Worth has more difficulty with their children's decisions.

In the months leading up to the summer highlighted in this book, Helen discovers a secret of Worth's that has the potential to unravel their marriage and their lives.

Meanwhile, Worth and Helen's daughter Charlotte has been living with Nona on the island, developing her environmentally friendly garden and selling the goods to the islanders. Son Oliver is planning to marry his partner Owen, and just as summer begins, son
Teddy--alcoholic/drug abusing troubled son--shows up with a pregnant Suzette.

Everyone is poised for drama as the months unfold.

Thayer has the ability to enthrall the reader, which is one reason I have enjoyed this book, and many of her others that I have read.

The characters were believable and flawed just enough that we could almost know them as real people. Definitely a five-star read.

Laurel-Rain Snow

Summer House by Nancy Thayer

The wealthy Wheelwright family meets each summer at their home on Nantucket. Matriarch Anne (called Nona by everyone) lives there year-round along with her LPN/housekeeper, Glorious. Nona's granddaughter Charlotte also lives there and maintains a prosperous organic garden. The men (who all work for the family-owned bank in Boston) commute to the island on the weekends while their wives and children move in for the season. This creates an opportunity for plenty of interesting interactions. I enjoyed reading about the multigenerational relationships.

I like Nancy Thayer's writing. I think she is spot on with her portrayal of extended family dynamics. I come from a large family and I easily related to a few things. Importance is given to the issues involving each main character - and they're all dealing with some personal struggle.

Thirty-year-old Charlotte isn't taken seriously by her family and she feels pressured to settle down and marry the right man. Her mother Helen has just discovered a betrayal and is trying to figure out what to do. Nona is feeling every bit of her ninety years. Her days consist mostly of trying to avoid family strife. She dozes during the day and dreams about things that happened in her life (which fills in a lot of family background for the reader). She's not looking forward to Family Meeting - the annual discussion of family investments, etc. that usually results in disagreements. And then there's the relationship between Helen's youngest child Teddy and his father. Worth refuses to believe that Teddy has changed his errant ways. As the book progresses, secrets are revealed and some are life-changing.

Summer House is exactly what I love a novel to be - I found it almost impossible to put down. I recommend it to any fan of Women's Fiction and anyone looking for a good book to read on vacation (or any other time).

Perfect Beach Read!

The Wheelwright's are an affluent Boston family. They meet up every summer at the family's Nantucket summer home, also the permanent residence of the family matriarch, Nona, and Charlotte, Nona's 30 year old granddaughter.

This summer the family really has something to celebrate: Nona's 90th birthday! Soon the quiet Nantucket house will be overflowing with family members, and with them comes extra family drama.

Summer House is told from the viewpoint of three generations of Wheelwright women: Nona Wheelwright, Helen Wheelwright, and Charlotte Wheelwright.

Nona Wheelwright is the oldest surviving member of the Wheelwright family. Her husband, Herb, passed away several years ago. Her days are spent reliving her youth. Through flashbacks, the reader catches a glimpse of her introduction to the Wheelwright family. Although her midwestern family was wealthy as well, Nona (known as Anne in her youth) had to work hard to be accepted into the family. Secrets she's kept for decades may change the family forever...for the good and and the bad.

Helen Wheelwright is married to Nona's oldest son, Worth. She's recently discovered he was having an affair, and spends the summer weeding through her thoughts as to what her future will hold.

Charlotte Wheelwright has finally found her passion: running an organic gardening business on her Grandma Nona's land. She's the free-spirit of the family. After attempting to join the family banking business without success, the Wheelwights agreed to allow Charlotte to take upon this endeavor. It also helped that she'd be caring for Grandma Nona, a task Nona's children hadn't been able to take upon themselves.

Three years later she's still at it and with a profit! When the older generation of Wheelwrights learn that Charlotte's "pet project" as bloomed into a profitable endeavor they want to put an end to it immediately. Although Charlotte pays her grandmother rent for the land she uses, her family thinks she is taking advantage of Nona's generosity.

Summer House contains everything you would want a summer book to have: love, deceit, drama, mystery. I loved that the story is relayed through the eyes of three different generations of family members. Each gives a different perspective on a situation. The Wheelwright family is a large one, and at first I got a little confused with all the differerent names. After long, it wasn't too difficult to distinguish between them as each has their own very distinctive personality.

This book was the perfect quick summer read for me; I read it in one afternoon alone. I appreciated Thayer's descriptive writing and in-depth characterization. You fall in love with each of the family members, despite their many flaws. I held great reverance for Nona--she was an incredibly selfless, inspiring woman.

So, be sure to pick up a copy of Summer House before you head out on your summer beach (or backard!) getaway. You won't regret it.

Great Beach Read!

The Wheelwrights are a wealthy banking family whose summer house is located on the island of Nantucket. All family meetings are held there and the house is usually full of family during the summer months. Nona Wheelwright is the oldest member of the family still living and her ninetieth birthday is quickly approaching. The family is planning a spectacular party for her and she is looking forward to all her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren coming home to visit.

Nona seems to nod off alot and when she does she dreams of her past. We learn that Nona has a dark family secret and time is running out for her to reveal it before her time has passed.

Nona's daughter in law Helen is recently found out her husband was cheating on her. She spends her summer on the island questioning her decisions of the past and questioning what she wants from the future.

Helen's daughter Charlotte leases three acres of Nona's land for an organic garden. She spends all daylight hours working. She hopes to attone for a sin she feels guilty for that transpired three years ago.

Summer House is a wonderful read. Spanning three generations, there is romance, scandal, and at the heart there is love and family. A wonderful beach read!