Beachcombers

April 26, 2010
After her husband leaves her for one of her best friends, middle-aged Marina Warren takes a friend’s advice and retreats to Nantucket, the stomping grounds of her youth. She rents a cottage from handsome local widower Jim Fox, who has recently welcomed back his two older daughters, Emma and Abbie, into the house he shares with his third daughter, Lily. Emma has recently lost her job and been left by her fiancé, while Abbie has decided to start an odd-jobs company servicing the wealthy summer crowd. Lily, meanwhile, earns a living as a society reporter for the local magazine and stews in her resentment toward her sisters (who return the sentiment) and newcomer Marina, who clearly has eyes for her father. As each search for fulfillment (and a man), they encounter vexing villains, class struggle, and good old-fashioned romance. Thayer gives narration duties to each sister and Marina in turn, keeping the proceedings fun and engrossing, if a bit repetitive.

May 1, 2010
Life for the three Fox sisters changed dramatically after their mothers tragic death. Abbie, the eldest, took on the responsibility for raising her sisters and taking care of their father. She is exploring the world beyond Nantucket as a nanny when her youngest sister, Lily, sends her an e-mail about their middle sister, Emma, who has come home to lick her wounds. Emma has always strived to be the best, and when her job, savings, and fianc' are ripped from her due to the economic crisis, she begins to sink into depression. Lily, who was doted on, is at a loss now that she is expected to behave like an adult. The sisters reunite for the summer and start an island service, doing odd jobs for summer residents as they each come to terms with new challenges. Even their father has moved on, as he becomes involved with newly divorced Marina, who is renting the small cottage on their property. Thayer gives readers a charming summer read, filled with family and love.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)