The Book of Summer - by Michelle Gable

About the Book

"Physician Bess Codman has returned to her family's Nantucket compound, Cliff House, for the first time in four years. Her great-grandparents built Cliff House almost a century before, but due to erosion, the once-grand home will soon fall into the sea. Though she's purposefully avoided the island, Bess must now pack up the house and deal with her mother, a notorious town rabble-rouser, who refuses to leave. The Book of Summer unravels the power and secrets of Cliff House as told through the voices of Ruby Packard, a bright-eyed and idealistic newlywed on the eve of WWII, the home's definitive guestbook, and Bess herself. Bess's grandmother always said it was a house of women, and by the very last day of the very last summer at Cliff House, Bess will understand the truth of her grandmother's words in ways she never contemplated. The bestselling author of The Paris Apartment and I'll See You in Paris, Michelle Gable now transports readers to Nantucket"--

Book Synopsis

"Michelle Gable has moved in on [Elin] Hilderbrand's home turf with a humorous and smartly written story of two generations of love and vacations." --Wall Street Journal

New York Times Bestselling Author of A Paris Apartment

The ocean, the wild roses on the dunes and the stunning Cliff House, perched atop a bluff in Sconset, Nantucket. Inside the faded pages of the Cliff House guest book live the spellbinding stories of its female inhabitants: from Ruby, a bright-eyed newlywed on the eve of World War II to her granddaughter Bess, who returns to the beautiful summer estate.

For the first time in four years, physician Bess Codman visits the compound her great-grandparents built almost a century before, but due to erosion, the once-grand home will soon fall into the sea. Bess must now put aside her complicated memories in order to pack up the house and deal with her mother, a notorious town rabble-rouser, who refuses to leave. It's not just memories of her family home Bess must face though, but also an old love that might hold new possibilities.

In the midst of packing Bess rediscovers the forgotten family guest book. Bess's grandmother and primary keeper of the book, Ruby, always said Cliff House was a house of women, and by the very last day of the very last summer at Cliff House, Bess will understand the truth of her grandmother's words in ways she never imagined.

Review Quotes

"Michelle Gable has moved in on [Elin] Hilderbrand's home turf with a humorous and smartly written story of two generations of love and vacations." --Wall Street Journal

"A sure bet for women's-fiction fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Nantucket novels." --Booklist

"Gable cleverly illuminates the past, revealing how it mirrors the present. This is a splendid multigenerational novel about the strength of the women of Cliff House." --Publishers Weekly

"Gable develops fully rounded characters that readers feel as if they could reach out and touch. We want to know more about them and Gable gives us plenty." --Richmond Times-Dispatch

"These laid-back books epitomize the term 'beach read.'" --Coastal Living

"A must for any summer reading list." --The Boston Herald

"This time of year is meant for books to devour. Vacations, the beach, lazy afternoons all call for a good book that allows you to escape. Michelle Gable knows how to deliver." --Newport News Daily Press

"It's Gable's ability to weave a family's tale through the musings of summer visitors, war, relationship drama and a smattering of sexual tension that makes it a must for any summer reading list." --Fort Worth Star- Telegram

"A deep look at the strength of women, this will tantalize readers as they, along with Bess, learn of her family." --Parkersburg News + Sentinel

About The Author

New York Times bestselling author of A Paris Apartment and I'll See You in Paris, MICHELLE GABLE graduated from The College of William & Mary. After a twenty-year career in finance, she now writes full time. Michelle lives in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California, with her husband, two daughters, and one lazy cat.