Sixty-five-year-old Nan Powell has lived comfortably and happily in Nantucket since the suicide of her husband, Everett, so she is thrown for a loop when she learns that she is in danger of losing her beloved house. After weighing her options, Nan decides to turn her home into a bed-and-breakfast. The guests she gets for the summer are all at a crossroads in their lives in one way or another. Daniel has just separated from his wife and is facing something he has denied for years; Daff is recovering from the heartbreak of a divorce and getting a much-needed break from her anger-filled 13-year-old daughter; and Nan’s son Michael is on the run from a disastrous affair. Nan finds herself opening up to her guests and enjoying their company, but she is shocked when she discovers a person close to one of them has a startling connection to her. Peopled with likable, flawed, realistic characters and moving seamlessly between them, this is Green’s best novel in years, a compelling, unputdownable read.
In Jane Green‘s THE BEACH HOUSE, we are introduced to a cast of characters that are facing personal dilemmas and crossroads in their respective lives. The central character around which every character rotates is Nan Powell. Nan is a slightly eccentric, free-spirited widow who lives in the New England island paradise of Nantucket and on a whim (and because of financial strains) decides to turn her house, Windermere, into a charming inn. Each character is introduced with exquisite detail before they all converge on the island in search of peace and a chance to heal. Unfulfilled marriages, personal demons, hidden agendas and fear keep these characters prisoners in their own lives. Nantucket, an island never before explored with such beauty and tranquility, offers them a chance to reflect, understand and appreciate the obstacles and changes in their lives.
Nan is such a likable character because she throws caution to the wind. She refuses to be consumed by the worries and stress of every day life. Losing her husband to suicide nearly thirty years earlier has given her an appreciation for the fleeting quality of life and instilled in her a strength in character that very few people attain in a lifetime.
Jane Green writes with such fluidity and honesty that her novels never read like typical girl-meets-boy fare. Her novels are about journeys in life. Her dialog is exceptional, nothing feels forced or out of place, and every scene is significant to the ultimately satisfying end. I am looking forward to reading Jane Green’s summer release, PROMISES TO KEEP and will be certain to review this title when it releases.
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