Summer Island: A Novel Kindle Edition

Fabulous story. Has every emotion. Love, loss, forgiveness. Can’t say enough good things about this book. Loved it. Should make a movie.

I love Kristin Hannah - she is masterful at showing us relationships, especially strong female ones. When I read that Summer Island was about a mother-daughter who struggle to mend what got broken, I thought for sure this book was for me. In ways it was, in others, meh, not so much.As with all Hannah's writing it is undeniably flawless. Strong, visual usage of phrasing brings the reader directly into the story. Summer Island is no exception.When Nora Bridge walks out of her life, she leaves behind not only her husband, but her daughters, Caroline and Ruby. As the years go by, Caro's heart softens toward her estranged mother while Ruby's hardens. But when Nora, who has found fame as a marriage and family adviser on a radio show and in print, falls from public grace, she is forced to seek care and comfort with Ruby at home on Summer Island.While back on the Island, Ruby not only needs to learn to navigate what's left of her relationship with Nora, but also try to rebuild the bonds with her childhood friend and boyfriend, while figuring out how far she is willing to go to for her own fame.Perhaps it's because I've read a lot of Kristin Hannah's hard hitting books, the ones that rip your heart out while opening your eyes and then rebuilds you one fragment at a time, that this book was just mediocre. There is nothing wrong with the book, all loose ends are tied up, all relationships (shy of one that was unfortunately more of a throw-in than an actual relationship) are mended, and life ended HEA (which to me is just not realistic).In all honesty I would give this book a 3.5, but am rounding up because of my love for the author and the memories of her other books. If you aren't a long-time reader of Kristin Hannah, you will likely find this book quite good.

A good read which is not surprising when it comes to Kristin Hannah. Another story of love, disaster and triumph.

Who hasn't had their heart broken? Who hasn't carried wounds? This story is about love and family and the depths of pain that can be felt because we cherish others. It's a story of mistakes and regrets and an amazing journey of understanding and self discovery. The book is rich with imperfect, honest and endearing characters who will steal your heart and show a pathway to redemption and healing.

I realize this was an earlier book written by the author, but boy was it a cheesy one. It drags at some points and then is super rushed through other points. Definitely a fluff, easy read to intersperse between more heavy reads.

I have been SO BLESSED to have discovered this pearl of an author named Kristin Hannah. Her passionate writing has inspired me to no end. I’ve read The Women, The Nightingale, and Four Winds and have awarded each with five plus stars. They were THAT good. This book is very good but just not quite the caliber of a storyline the others were, for me. The most memorable was Eric’s plight. I felt so deeply for his life’s journey, his parents abandonment, his pure love and loss for his partner Charlie, and the bond with his brother, Dean. The unfairness of life, and the cruelty of a cancer battle was touching and gut wrenching.Rose, Dean and Nora’s storyline was good but for me a little underwhelming and under developed, especially Dean and Rose’s rekindling. What was not lost for me was the takeaway message from the dynamics of this novel. Seek understanding and acceptance of those you love and REALLY SEE THEM FOR WHO THEY ARE. For that alone it was worth reading this book. Ms.Hannah is a gifted, stellar writer and she has always helped me become a better individual for having taken the time to journey through her stories. They left me momentarily raw with emotion, but it’s worth it.

This intimate look at family and love and forgiveness was just beautiful. I cried through the last two chapters, feeling all the joy and pain. Another brilliant story to add to my favorites.

This was a typical Hannah in that I started crying halfway through and didn’t stop until the end. This is about mothers and daughters finding their way back to each other and the complexity of family and healing. Worth it but be warned if you are working through trauma it might be a hard read.