Where were you in '69? If you can remember, you weren't there. Simple, sassy, and continuously engaging, Summer of '69 fits neatly into the nostalgic reader's beach bag, right alongside the Chablis and the Coppertone. Oftentimes we don't hunger for a seven-course meal - oftentimes, a light repast will do. Against one wall is a lipstick-red sofa that looks like a woman lying on her side it's flanked by two shell chairs, one turquoise, one electric lime green.'

Period beach-house settings are spot on: 'Sliding screen doors open onto one long room with stark white walls and white beams.

Clothing and grooming, too, are painted in such meticulous detail that visualizing the characters is as easy as watching them on TV. Speaking of beach treats, a pleasant feature of Hilderbrand's narrative is specificity about food and drink, sampled in the various boites on the island. 'Summer of '69' fits neatly into the nostalgic reader's beach bag, right alongside the Chablis and the Coppertone. Charles Manson, 1969's poster boy of darkness, doesn't make the cut. Chappaquiddick, the moon landing and Woodstock all have cameos in this, Hilderbrand's 23rd novel. She presents another breezy yet gritty novel with Summer of '69, the story of a family of long-time Nantucket vacationers who weather some tough times and ultimately find redemption, solace, even a measure of happiness. Many of her books are quite literally littoral, in that they are set at the shore. Toes in the sand, sun in the sky, not a thought in our heads - that's a beach read.Įlin Hilderbrand has been named ' The Queen of Beach Reads,' and she wears the mantle lightly, with justifiable pride. Readers won't find themselves having to go back over particularly dense passages in order to keep up. But it takes more than sand to make a beach read: It needs a certain weightlessness, an ephemeral quality, with no heavy lifting required. How?Ī faint tang of snobbery hangs about the term 'beach read,' as if, given the choice, we'd all prefer to sprawl out on a blanket in the Hamptons with War and Peace, say, or Infinite Jest (those might be properly termed littoral reads). Your purchase helps support NPR programming. Close overlay Buy Featured Book Title Summer of '69 Author Elin Hilderbrand

The summer of 69 book