"The Castaways" - Great for a Book Club Discussion

Elin Hilderbrand is the author. She lives full time on Nantucket and all of her novels have been set there. This intriques me because I would like to live in a resort/vacation community. It has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl.

This novel is about four couples who have been friends for many years. They travel together, spend every Sunday together and believe they know everything there is to know about one another. At the beginning of the book, one of the couples dies tragically in a sailing accident leaving behind two children.

The story continues with each of the six remaining friends ; 1)reflecting on past memories of the group and the travelling they did together, 2) the grief they feel and how they go about the days and months after their friends deaths 3) the guilt they feel about something they should or shouldn't have done leading up to the deaths.

When I finished the book I would have given it three stars with the comment that it wasn't a believable story. But...... this story and the characters have been lingering and haunting me a little. The "Chief" is an easy character to identify as a man we all know. Phoebe's plight as the surving sibling after 9/11 rings true in that grieving takes many paths. The only character that I wish I had a better feeling for is Tess, the woman who drowns. I am left wanting to know more about her.

So, in the end, i give this book 4 STARS. And don't miss Elin's previous books, all great beach reads!

Why am I blogging?

I have decided to start blogging about the books I read for two reasons:

1) To keep a record of the books I've read and what I thought about them so I don't forget!

One of the worst things about growing older is I forget things.

2) To remember what books I would recommend to different people in my life. When I read; I always think to myself, "Oh this book would be perfect for my Mom" or "Emily, my daughter, would love this book"

"The Castaways" - Great for Book Club Discussion