Summer Island by Kristin Hannah
“Summer Island is a beautiful novel, funny, tender, sad, and ultimately triumphant”.
Years ago, Nora Bridge made a fateful decision, walking away from her marriage and leaving her daughters behind. Since then, she has risen to fame as a beloved radio talk-show host and newspaper columnist, revered for her moral guidance. Meanwhile, her youngest daughter, Ruby, a struggling comedian, uses her mother’s notoriety as material for her bitter and cynical humor. However, when a scandalous secret from Nora’s past is exposed by tabloids, their estrangement takes a dramatic turn.
In an unfortunate twist of events, Nora is injured in an accident, and a glossy magazine seizes the opportunity to offer Ruby a substantial sum to write a tell-all about her mother. Under false pretenses, Ruby finds herself returning home after nearly a decade of silence, compelled to care for the woman she once held so much resentment towards.
Nora insists on retreating to the enchanting Summer Island in the San Juans, to their cherished old waterfront house where Ruby’s childhood memories of love, joy, and belonging reside. It is there that Ruby reunites with her first love and his brother, rekindling a connection that was shattered when Nora departed, leaving broken hearts in her wake.
What begins as a potential exposé transforms into a profound exploration of Ruby’s family history. She discovers that Nora is not the villain she had despised all those years. With wit, wisdom, and vulnerability, Nora desperately seeks reconciliation with her daughter. As the magazine deadline looms closer, Ruby grapples with the painful realization that her writing project has become a betrayal. She is forced to mature and, finally, to see her mother—and herself—as a woman. Ultimately, Ruby must allow herself to embrace love, finally understanding the complexities of their relationship.
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