Last Summer at Maine Chance - by Jessica Everett (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Budding economist Cynthia Proctor knows everything there is to know about statistical impossibilities. In 1954, women like her from middle class families do not earn degrees from prestigious New England colleges. Zero is the number of women on faculty. When Cynthia receives notice that her scholarship program prefers to fund the education of male students next year, she knows her chances of graduating are almost non-existent.

Enter an extraneous variable: an invitation to spend the summer lakeside in Maine, mingling with her wealthy roommates' social set. But Cynthia has other ideas. When she learns of a summer job at Elizabeth Arden's Maine Chance Spa, Cynthia can feel her chances of funding her education increasing. Hired as a maid, she is thrust into a real-life lesson in economics. Her teachers hail from upstairs and downstairs: a fabulously eccentric local artist, the resident housekeeper whose family sold their land to Arden in the Depression, the summer people whose favor Cynthia's mother so desires, and an enigmatic chauffeur who challenges Cynthia to reevaluate her most valued assets. By summer's end, in the glow of Elizabeth Arden's idyllic health and beauty resort, a young woman will learn the most important lesson of all: that her best investment is in herself.

Review Quotes

"The Last Summer at Maine Chance by Jessica Everett is the perfect summer read. This fun, fascinating novel set in 1954 is as relevant and significant to women today as it was back then. Book clubs will love it!" --Nancy Thayer, New York Times bestselling author of Summer Light on Nantucket

"Sparkling, smart, and big-hearted, Last Summer at Maine Chance transports readers to Elizabeth Arden's legendary Maine spa in the 1950s. A scholarship student hiding a staff job, a housekeeper guarding family secrets, and a widowed artist searching for renewal find their lives unexpectedly intertwined over one transformative summer. Jessica Everett has written a captivating story of ambition, reinvention, and the bonds that change us." -- Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"A charming and spirited tale brimming with wit, heart and romance. Jessica Everett brings 1950s Maine to vivid life with grace and insight. Last Summer at Maine Chance introduces us to a plucky heroine navigating the fault lines of class, gender, and ambition. Even the legendary Elizabeth Arden comes to life on the page, and the setting, equal parts glamorous and revealing, is as luxurious as the story itself. Cynthia Proctor's journey is as enlightening as it is engaging--a story of self-discovery and transformation." -- Patti Callahan Henry, NYT bestselling author of The Story She Left Behind

"I loved this charming, witty, and heartwarming story of ambition, self-discovery, and the courage to break societal expectations. Jessica Everett's novel, set in an iconic place and time, is funny and full of surprises-and it delivers a powerful message that sometimes the best investment is in yourself. A must-read for anyone who believes in rewriting the rules." -- Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Set at a rural spa in Maine and told through the voices of three women, young/old, rich/poor, this book gives a great feel for the 1950s. You will cheer the young heroine who battles the snobbery and prejudices of the time to come out on top. It's also a perfect vacation read with an escape to Maine." -- Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author