The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

Goodreads synopsis: From New York Times bestseller Elin Hilderbrand, a new novel set on Tuckernuck, a tiny island off the coast of Nantucket. Four women-a mother, her sister, two grown daughters-head to Tuckernuck for a retreat, hoping to escape their troubles. Intead, they find only drama, secrets, and life-changing revelations.

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My review: Listening to The Island was like taking a vacation.  Elin Hilderbrand’s novels usually take place on Nantucket but this time she takes us to the nearby island of Tuckernuck.

I found the relationships explored in the novel interesting.  There are two sets of sisters: Birdie and her sister India are in their 50s; Birdie’s daughters Chess and Tate are in their early 30s.  The dynamics are realistic and quite believable.  The story is told from all four points of view which always gives the reader a fuller understanding of the characters.

Birdie, recently divorced, planned a beautiful wedding for her daughter Chess and her fiancé only to have Chess call the whole thing off a few months before the event was to take place.  India, a widow, has recently experienced a personal relationship that made her uneasy. Chess called off her wedding and then received shocking news. Easy-going but workaholic Tate  is overdue for a vacation. They all decide to head to the Tuckernuck summer house that’s been in Birdie and India’s family for generations.  It has been thirteen years since the last visit but it is just as they remembered.

It was fun reading (listening) as they revisited favorite places on Tuckernuck, met friends who meant so much, and reminisced about past family trips to the island. Hilderbrand’s pace is good.  I liked how Chess’s story was revealed slowly through her journaling.  Most of the characters are enjoyable but  Tate wore a little thin at times.  I thought she was quite immature for a thirty year old woman but perhaps it was because she was back in the role of the younger sister/daughter of the group. There are a few twists along the way which make the story even more interesting. I can’t complain about the lack of an epilogue.  There is a lengthy one in which the author ties up all the loose ends.

Narrator Denice Hicks did a fine job.  Her lilting voice made listening a pleasant experience. The Island would be a great vacation read – exactly the kind of book I want when I’m going to the beach or at home wishing I was at the beach.

Review Audiobook from Hachette Book Group