“Oh, when I look back now
That summer seemed to last forever
And if I had the choice
Yeah, I'd always wanna be there
Those were the best days of my life” —Bryan Adams, “Summer of ‘69”

While working my favorite “hobby job” at the bookstore, a regular customer recommended Summer of ’69, a recent release from her favorite author Elin Hilderbrand. I figured since I was always giving suggestions, maybe I should try one suggested to me. Not only does the story take place on Nantucket Island (one of my favorite East Coast getaways), Bryan Adams crooned that it was the best year of his life…so what did I have to lose?

Hilderbrand weaves together multiple historical events together with tumultuous (yet entertaining) family drama. Jessie, the youngest in the family, usually looks forward to her summers on Nantucket with her siblings, despite having to deal with her elitist host of a grandmother. This year, she finds herself alone with her grandma trying to navigate the many life changes her family is facing. With her brother, Tiger, off fighting in Vietnam, her oldest sister, Blair, waiting to have the first grandchild in the family, and her other sister, Kirby, “finding herself” as a chambermaid on the “lesser” island (Martha’s Vineyard doesn’t seem to be a lesser choice to me, but I digress), Jessie is looking forward to her Nantucket summer almost as much as her up-and-coming tennis lessons Grandma’s forcing her to take.

Jessie’s summer is anything but ordinary. Hilderbrand does a magical job of meshing together the Levin sibling’s stories throughout a summer of crazy changes. A solid 3.5 out of 5 stars, this is a good book to take on your next beach vacay. (2021, be good to us, please!) While I wouldn’t run out and grab it from your nearest bookstore, it’s a quick and light read that’s perfect for a break from reality.

Posted by Sharee