Nantucket Sisters: A Novel
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Nantucket Sisters: A Novel Hardcover – June 17, 2014
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Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Emily Porter can’t wait to get to her family’s vacation home on Nantucket because that means another summer of adventuring and imagination with her best friend, Maggie McIntyre. At 11, Emily is too naive to understand why Maggie is never invited to her house or why Emily’s mother looks down on Maggie’s mother, a divorced seamstress. As they get older, and the class divisions deepen, Maggie and Emily remain Nantucket sisters even when Emily falls in love with Maggie’s older brother, Ben. But when they finish college, they finally drift apart as they try to settle into adulthood. Then Emily meets the dashing Cameron Chadwick, who is old-money New York, just like her. At the same time, Maggie has a one-night stand. The two women go through their pregnancies separately, and it is not until tragedy strikes that they are brought back together again. Thayer obviously knows her Nantucket, and the strong sense of place makes this the perfect escapist book for the summer, particularly for fans of Elin Hilderbrand. --Susan Maguire
Review
Praise for Nantucket Sisters
“[Nancy] Thayer obviously knows her Nantucket, and the strong sense of place makes this the perfect escapist book for the summer, particularly for fans of Elin Hilderbrand.”—Booklist
“Thayer keeps readers on the edge of their seats with her dramatic story spanning the girls’ childhood to adulthood. This wonderful beach read packs a punch.”—Library Journal
Praise for Nancy Thayer
Beachcombers
“Thayer’s sense of place is powerful, and her words are hung together the way my grandmother used to tat lace.”—Dorothea Benton Frank
“A charming and fun summer read . . . Readers will love this story of family and love.”—The Plain Dealer
Summer Breeze
“Nancy Thayer is the queen of beach books. . . . All [these characters] are involved in life-changing choices, with all the heart-wrenching decisions such moments demand.”—The Star-Ledger
“An entertaining and lively read that is perfect for summer reading indulgence.”—Wichita Falls Times Record News
Island Girls
“A book to be savored and passed on to the good women in your life.”—Susan Wiggs
“Full of emotion and just plain fun, this novel is delightful.”—Romance Reviews Today
“[Nancy] Thayer obviously knows her Nantucket, and the strong sense of place makes this the perfect escapist book for the summer, particularly for fans of Elin Hilderbrand.”—Booklist
“Thayer keeps readers on the edge of their seats with her dramatic story spanning the girls’ childhood to adulthood. This wonderful beach read packs a punch.”—Library Journal
Praise for Nancy Thayer
Beachcombers
“Thayer’s sense of place is powerful, and her words are hung together the way my grandmother used to tat lace.”—Dorothea Benton Frank
“A charming and fun summer read . . . Readers will love this story of family and love.”—The Plain Dealer
Summer Breeze
“Nancy Thayer is the queen of beach books. . . . All [these characters] are involved in life-changing choices, with all the heart-wrenching decisions such moments demand.”—The Star-Ledger
“An entertaining and lively read that is perfect for summer reading indulgence.”—Wichita Falls Times Record News
Island Girls
“A book to be savored and passed on to the good women in your life.”—Susan Wiggs
“Full of emotion and just plain fun, this novel is delightful.”—Romance Reviews Today
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By
Nancy E. Turner
VINE VOICE on May 1, 2014
Format: Hardcover
Vine Customer Review of Free Product
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I don't know what I was expecting when I ordered this book from Amazon Vine, but I'm drawn to anything Nantucket oriented, and a story about sisters or best friend-relationships always appeals to me. The story begins when Maggie and Emily are both 11, and the narrative voice sounds appropriate for that age of reader as well, quite child-like in the language and syntax, yet smooth and slick, vastly professional compared to many YA books. It is not, however, aimed at a YA audience, though the reading is cloyingly vapid at first. As I read, I asked myself whether I was mistaken and checked again to see the advertising said this was general audience adult fiction, when the story goes no deeper than "This happens all the time between Emily and Maggie. They think the same thought at the exact same time." But it was early in the story, and the sales blurb mentioned a long relationship and shared pregnancies, so I kept going.
What Nancy Thayer does brilliantly - to the point I wish she would write a volume of poetry with her beautiful language that floats above the mundane - is description. Page 48 rings like magic with phrases like "...Quaker ladies and shad bushes bloom in bridal profusion...scarlet wood lilies play like children in the breeze." It almost feels like something lovely is coming, that the reading is going to be worthwhile after all, that we've hit a vein here, and the story will go with it.
Alas, the story stays on the level of pre-teen giggling girls, even through very graphic (but devoid of actual emotion) sex. I just hated the whole message that being adult meant being a slut, and that it was happily accepted as normal. Maggie declares she doesn't want to "do that dating stuff" because she has plans for her life that don't include pregnancy.Read more ›
What Nancy Thayer does brilliantly - to the point I wish she would write a volume of poetry with her beautiful language that floats above the mundane - is description. Page 48 rings like magic with phrases like "...Quaker ladies and shad bushes bloom in bridal profusion...scarlet wood lilies play like children in the breeze." It almost feels like something lovely is coming, that the reading is going to be worthwhile after all, that we've hit a vein here, and the story will go with it.
Alas, the story stays on the level of pre-teen giggling girls, even through very graphic (but devoid of actual emotion) sex. I just hated the whole message that being adult meant being a slut, and that it was happily accepted as normal. Maggie declares she doesn't want to "do that dating stuff" because she has plans for her life that don't include pregnancy.Read more ›
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By
Marilyn T.
VINE VOICE on May 6, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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I've always liked Nancy Thayer's writing, but this novel and her preceding one have fallen a bit short. This tells the story of two girls on Nantucket, one an island girl, one a wealthy summer resident. Their friendship begins when they're children when they decide they're Nantucket Sisters. Then life happens as they grow up and make their way in their respective worlds. I was very engrossed in this book until about three quarters of the way through, when all of a sudden, all these inconsistencies started appearing in relationships. For example (small spoiler), Character A decides to end a romantic relationship with character B, who beats Character A to the punch. All of a sudden, Character A can't live without Character B, and is begging for a reconciliation. No nod given to the fact that it was Character A's idea in the first place, and the book even goes so far as to blame Character B for the entire thing much later. Characters which played fairly large parts in the first part of the story, barely rate a mention in the last part, when their reactions to happenings would be relevant. The ending had things developing at a VERY unrealistically fast pace. Had to meet that 330 page thing?
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By
KDMask
VINE VOICE on April 27, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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In a tale as old as a summer home on the beach, Nantucket Sisters is a light tale off two friends from opposite sides of the tracks that build a friendship over several seasons. Ranging from age 11 to adulthood, they keep each others secrets and finally end up falling for the same man. There's not too much heavy thinking involved in reading this book, which is great when you want a beach read. Buy one for yourself and one for your bestie to enjoy!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By
Laurel-Rain Snow
TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on June 18, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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Emily and Maggie met as children on Nantucket Island. Maggie lived there year-round, while Emily came for the summers. They were so close that they called themselves Nantucket Sisters: A Novel.
Ben, Maggie's brother, is two years older, and Emily has had a crush on him since childhood.
Slowly, over the years, we watch as time and life changes them. Maggie goes away to college, and so does Emily, but to different universities, their paths only crossing occasionally. Emily's relationship with Ben becomes deeper over time, but their differences seemingly pull them apart.
As they reach adulthood, forces consume them, and compromise seems impossible. What secrets and betrayals stand between them? Can anything repair the broken ties?
Maggie's desire to be a writer keeps her connected to the island, and Emily's passion for the environment also connects her to that world. Will they finally discover how to resurrect what they've lost? What tragedies happen to ultimately reunite them? And what secrets will remain between them?
As the author's prose painted pictures of the setting and the people, it all seemed like a gift to be unwrapped slowly. I loved the author's descriptions of the island, from the homes to the waves against the shore. The parties seemed to invite me in, welcoming me as if I were in attendance. But what truly engaged me was the strength of friendship in spite of mistakes and the knowledge that even broken trust can be repaired. The ending was triumphant and a bit predictable, but heart-warming. 4.5 stars.
Ben, Maggie's brother, is two years older, and Emily has had a crush on him since childhood.
Slowly, over the years, we watch as time and life changes them. Maggie goes away to college, and so does Emily, but to different universities, their paths only crossing occasionally. Emily's relationship with Ben becomes deeper over time, but their differences seemingly pull them apart.
As they reach adulthood, forces consume them, and compromise seems impossible. What secrets and betrayals stand between them? Can anything repair the broken ties?
Maggie's desire to be a writer keeps her connected to the island, and Emily's passion for the environment also connects her to that world. Will they finally discover how to resurrect what they've lost? What tragedies happen to ultimately reunite them? And what secrets will remain between them?
As the author's prose painted pictures of the setting and the people, it all seemed like a gift to be unwrapped slowly. I loved the author's descriptions of the island, from the homes to the waves against the shore. The parties seemed to invite me in, welcoming me as if I were in attendance. But what truly engaged me was the strength of friendship in spite of mistakes and the knowledge that even broken trust can be repaired. The ending was triumphant and a bit predictable, but heart-warming. 4.5 stars.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By
Amazon Customer
on June 22, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
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I have been a big Nancy Thayer fan since Nell and Three Women at the Water's Edge. I have read all her books and feel she has lost something over the years. This one was a big disappointment. The narrative, the plot and the characters just never made it up to the level I expect from her although the descriptions of Nantucket were wonderful. My feeling upon finishing the book was, "Why did I bother?" I guess if you are looking for a "beach read," this will hit the mark, but I was hoping for something more from a favorite author, and I didn't get it. I don't know if it is because I am changing or she is. I am going back to read some of her early books again and try to figure that out.
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