The Summer Wives (by Beatriz Williams)
This is my first time reading a novel by Beatriz Williams. I have come to love historical fiction novels in the past few years and her books have piqued my interest, so I decided it was time to give her a try. I absolutely loved The Summer Wives!
Stories are told from three time periods; 1930, 1951, and 1969. In 1951, the main character, Miranda Schuyler, arrives to Winthrop Island as a teenager. Her mother is marrying a wealthy man, Hugh Fisher. Winthrop Island is on the coast of New England where the wealthy residents have summer homes. The locals, or permanent residents, are busy running the island’s businesses and providing services to the wealthy residents. Miranda arrives to the island for her mother’s wedding, plans to spend the summer getting to know her new step-sister, and will then attend college in the fall. Miranda falls in love with a boy her age, Joseph Vargas, who lives on the island with his parents who operate the lighthouse. Joseph and his father fish for lobster during the day and his mother maintains the lighthouse at night. Naturally, given the class dynamics of this time period, this is a forbidden romance.
Naturally, a tragedy occurs in which Joseph Vargas is convicted of the murder of Miranda’s step-father, Hugh Fisher. Miranda leaves the island and does not return for 18 years. During her absence, she has become a famous actress. When she returns to the island, the class structure remains intact, but the relationships with her mother and step-sister have changed significantly. Joseph’s escape from prison has caused a disruption to the island. Miranda is working through a different heartache.
This novel has so much depth and intrigue. There are a lot of characters that took me awhile to get everyone straight in my head, especially across the three time periods. I didn’t want to stop listening as I wanted to know how all of the pieces to the puzzle fit, and I didn’t want it to end. I devoured this book in a few days and was sad to leave these characters behind.
I borrowed this audiobook from the Libby app and enjoyed the narration by Kristin Kalbi.
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