Summer Island.

Summer Island.
Kristin Hannah.

Publisher:Random House Publishing.

Publication Date:June 1,2010.

Genre:Family,Drama.

Format|Pages:Paperback|416.

Source:Library|Goodreads.

4.7 STARS

Summer Island was another amazing novel by Kristin Hannah . So far not a single book of hers that I read had disappointed me, this book wasn’t any different. The book did start out little bit slowly for me and that’s why I only gave it 4 stars but once it picked up, I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to see what would happen with Nora, with Ruby and even with Dean but I mostly wanted to find what would happen with Nora and Ruby. The book kept me on the edge of my seat, and I found myself unable to put it down till I finished it.

 Nora Bridge walked on her family years earlier, leaving her daughters: Ruby & Caroline behind. Now, Nora is loved and successful advice columnist. While Ruby is struggling with her own career, as a comedian. Then a scandal from Nora’s past is revealed and she begins receiving hate mail, letter from people who once loved her. Top of the scandal, Eric Sloan, her daughter’s childhood best friend who she learned to love as her own son is dying. While trying to get away from everything and everyone, Nora gets in accident.

Meanwhile, Ruby gets an opportunity of lifetime, to write all about her mother, to expose her. Angry, hurt with her mother for leaving them, she agrees. Then she hears about her mother’s accident and agrees to be care taker for her mother while she recovers. Even though it’s the last place Ruby wants to be at, Nora & Ruby return back to Summer Island which is filled with so many memories for Ruby. While there with her mother, she decided it be a best way to find out more about her mother, to expose her mother even more.

Meanwhile there, she runs into Dean Sloan, a guy she once loved, a guy whose heart she broke so many years ago. Ruby finds her old feelings, return but she find herself pushing him away. Top of it, she found out more about her mother, more then she knew and the more secrets she finds, and she finds herself slowly liking her, forgiving her, and harder it gets for her to write the article about her.

There was quite bit drama in this novel, from very beginning to almost very ending. It was also an emotional book to read. It brought tears to my eyes anytime I read about Eric and way he was slowly slipping away within each day. However I was glad that he reunited with his brother Dean and Ruby. I could tell that Dean was feeling guilty, I wasn’t too happy with him when I found way he treated Eric once he found he was gay, but I could tell that he really cared about his brother. I could tell by way he talked to him and took care of him, and made sure that Eric still somehow enjoyed himself while he still had time.

Nora & Ruby : I loved their relationship, I loved the tension between the two of them, and well I guess it was more awkward for Ruby. I was actually surprised when she agreed to take care of Nora, considering the fact how much Ruby seemed to hate her, all those years. I think it made it more realistic that Ruby didn’t bond with Nora right away. I don’t think that she really bonded with her till she found the whole truth about Nora, from her father. I didn’t see that coming, all that time I thought that Nora was one cheated, especially considering how her husband acted after she left. I was happy to see when Nora and Ruby finally bonded, I was glad to see that Ruby finally got the mother she always wanted. I was wondering if she actually write the article after that.

Dean & Ruby : I got to admit that they were my favorite couple in the book. I knew that Dean loved Ruby even after all these years and at first I wasn’t so sure about Ruby. However after a while, especially after that bike ride that Dean and Ruby took, I knew that she loved him. I was hoping that she would come to her senses soon and go back to him; sometimes I wanted to talk some sense into her. However it made it more interesting this way, more interesting then if she went running to him from moment she saw him.

I could see how each character changed through the book, especially Ruby, It’s like she became completely different person. Even Caroline how she finally admitted to her mother how angry, hurt she was with her mother, all these years, for leaving. I’m glad that all of them finally bonded though. One thing I wish is that Eric could have lived till Ruby & Dean’s wedding. The last scene, of his last time alive, made me cry, I really liked Eric and I wish he could held on longer. I loved this book, it had a lot of family themes in it and a lot about betrayal, revenge, forgiveness, It’s worth reading it.