Status
Available
Description
Fiction. Romance. HTML: From marriage, infidelity, and the mayhem of motherhood to scandal, tragedy, and illness�??three women seek peace and comfort in Nantucket as they cope with life's challenges.Three women�??burdened with small children, unwieldy straw hats, and some obvious emotional issues�??tumble onto the Nantucket airport tarmac one hot June day. Vicki is trying to sort through the news that she has a serious illness. Her sister, Brenda, has just left her job after being caught in an affair with a student. And their friend Melanie, after seven failed in vitro attempts, is pregnant at last�??but only after learning that her husband is having an affair. They have come to escape, enjoy the sun, and relax in Nantucket's calming air. But into the house, into their world, steps twenty-two-year-old Josh Flynn. Barefoot weaves these four lives together in a story with enthralling sweep and scope�??a novel that is as fun and memorable and bittersweet as that one perfect… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member JoniO
Three women are headed to Nantucket to spend the entire summer - each for her own reason. Vicki, the mother of two young boys, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. Despite her husband's wishes for her to stay home and get the best possible care - Vicki is hoping the sand, sun, and water will make
Brenda, Vicki's sister, is also spending the summer at Nantucket. Brenda is supposed to be there to support her sister....but she is running from her own reality. She was just fired from a prestigious job as a college professor for having an affair with a student, although the student was older than her. She is also financially responsible for damage she did to a rare painting. Since Brenda no longer has a source of income, she decides to write a screenplay based on a rare book she taught in college.
Joining Brenda and Vicki is Vicki's friend Melanie. Melanie has struggled to get pregnant - she has had seven failed in-vitro attempts and a husband that has started cheating on her. She escapes to Nantucket because not only is her husband cheating on her, but she is finally pregnant and her husband does not know.
Josh Flynn enters the lives of the three women - Josh is a twenty-two year old native faced with an unpromising summer of working at the airport. From the first time he sees these three women arrive at the airport, he knows that he will somehow be a part of their lives.
It ends up being a summer of lessons and all four of our main characters learn from their unique situation. Although summer doesn't solve all of their problems, each one has grown and the time spent together will have an impact that goes beyond the summer....
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her chemo treatments more effective.Brenda, Vicki's sister, is also spending the summer at Nantucket. Brenda is supposed to be there to support her sister....but she is running from her own reality. She was just fired from a prestigious job as a college professor for having an affair with a student, although the student was older than her. She is also financially responsible for damage she did to a rare painting. Since Brenda no longer has a source of income, she decides to write a screenplay based on a rare book she taught in college.
Joining Brenda and Vicki is Vicki's friend Melanie. Melanie has struggled to get pregnant - she has had seven failed in-vitro attempts and a husband that has started cheating on her. She escapes to Nantucket because not only is her husband cheating on her, but she is finally pregnant and her husband does not know.
Josh Flynn enters the lives of the three women - Josh is a twenty-two year old native faced with an unpromising summer of working at the airport. From the first time he sees these three women arrive at the airport, he knows that he will somehow be a part of their lives.
It ends up being a summer of lessons and all four of our main characters learn from their unique situation. Although summer doesn't solve all of their problems, each one has grown and the time spent together will have an impact that goes beyond the summer....
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LibraryThing member bakersfieldbarbara
Three women take a vacation together, and the friendships and relationships are daily tested. How they deal with their individual personal lives and decisions makes for a great summer reading, and it leaves you wondering how you would react with any of the women's lives, if you were one of them.
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Fun reading no, but interesting, and engrossing. Show Less
LibraryThing member KC9333
Well done....more substantive than expected. Three women each facing difficult times in their lives must make decisions for their future. Author avoids stereotypes and provides a realistic look at the messy lives we all live. This is an easy but worthwhile and enjoyable read .......
LibraryThing member MichelleRose
As chick lit goes, this was pretty good. I loved the total devastation that the younger sister caused in her life. It was a total wreck and entirely of her own doing. I tend to be a cautious person, so this really gave me a shiver. The almost dying of the older sister made me feel manipulated and I
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resisted the urge to cry (but of course, I finally gave in). There was another friend, but she was a pretty whimp and I couldn't connect to her at all. The relationship between Josh and his high school girlfriend felt familiar. It was strange how her death was sudden and shocking, but the lingering illness of one of the main characters was supposed to make you reflect on life and death in a kind of 'big picture' way. I guess it goes to show you that you never know how and when it will all end. Show Less
LibraryThing member bearette24
I thought the characters in this book were well-drawn - Brenda, the selfish younger sister; Vicki, the type-A older sister who is suddenly felled by cancer; Melanie, the shy, codependent pregnant woman who flees from her cheating husband; and Josh, the hunky 22-year-old who steps in for the summer
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as the babysitter. I found the ending a little unsatisfying, and the plot dragged a bit for the last 50 pages or so. Also, the writing was not terribly original, though the author is a good observer of human nature. All in all, an enjoying diversion but I probably won't be reading any more by this writer. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jemima79
In her novel Barefoot, Elin Hilderbrand tells the story of three women from New York who spend a summer on Nantucket. Two of the women are sisters and one is a friend. They are all running from their problems and spend the summer trying to forget the reality of their situations. The friend Melanie,
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has just discovered her husband is having an affair and that she herself is pregnant with their first child after years of trying to fall pregnant. Brenda has just been fired from her position as an English professor due to her relationship with one of her students. She has also been charged with vandalizing a very expensive piece of art (after throwing a book that accidentally damaged it). Brenda's sister Vicki is having to deal with lung cancer. She undergoes treatment on the island. Also along for the summer are Vicki's two small boys. I was not particularly fond of this book. It moved kind of slow and was obviously fairly depressing. The way in which everything was resolved in the end seemed a bit unrealistic in Brenda's case and kind of annoying in Melanie's case. I thought that the thread about Vicki was probably the strongest. So Barefoot was not a book I would specifically recommend. Show Less
LibraryThing member OvertheMoonBooks
What a fun read. A little more than a beach read, and perfect to curl up with on a winter evening with a cup of tea and a cold. Great characters, faulted, human and lovable.
LibraryThing member OvertheMoonBooks
What a fun read. A little more than a beach read, and perfect to curl up with on a winter evening with a cup of tea and a cold. Great characters, faulted, human and lovable.
LibraryThing member OvertheMoonBooks
What a fun read. A little more than a beach read, and perfect to curl up with on a winter evening with a cup of tea and a cold. Great characters, faulted, human and lovable.
LibraryThing member lchs.mrso
In Elin Hilderbrand’s Barefoot, three friends go to Nantucket for the summer to run away from their problems. Melanie has found out that after her several failed attempts at in-vitro, she finds out that she is pregnant but her husband has been cheating on her with his co-worker. Brenda who just
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got her first job as an English teacher at a university had a relationship with her student and got fired. Vickie, mother of two sons, has just been diagnosed with cancer. When they all arrive on the island they are observed by a local named Josh who works at the airport. Soon Josh becomes a part of the household, creating a relationship with one of the girls, being a babysitter to the boys, and in the end everyone figures out where they have been and where they need to go and what to do to get there. The cover of this book is very intriguing as the book itself. I recommend it to young women who would like to read a good romance. Show Less
LibraryThing member dawnlovesbooks
a woman coping with cancer goes to her family's charming little beach cottage in nantucket with her children, her sister and her best friend!!! all the characters come to realize that "love is all that matters" loving this author's books! perfect for a beach read!
LibraryThing member jenn_stringer
Good summer read. More realistic than you would expect.
LibraryThing member bremmd
I'm never really sure about what qualifies as "Chick Lit". Is it just books about mainly women or is it women empowerment novels? Either way I guess on the whole I'm not attracted to stories just because they're deemed "Chick Lit" but then again, I'm not totally turned off by them either.
That being
I've never read any of Elin Hilderbrand other books but I believe she is quite popular. I got this one for $1.99 on my Nook so I thought what the heck. It was not a great read. I thought she dealt with the character's cancer fairly well but the rest left me kind of flat. None of the characters jumped out at me and made me really care about them. Well, that's not true - the twenty-something guy they hired to be their babysitter - his story line was interesting but not enough to carry the book.
If my reading list wasn't so long I might try another of Hilderbrand's novels from the library but for right now I'll have to leave her to her fans. Maybe next year.
That being
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said I'm not sure whether or not "Barefoot' would be fall in the category but it was a girly kind of book. The story of three women and their summer in Nantucket. Two sisters and one of the sisters friend come to hide and heal in the families summer cottage. One sister is fighting cancer, the other sister is hiding from a scandal that cost her her job and reputation at the college where she taught, and the friend has found out after seven tries she's finally pregnant just as she also finds out about her husbands affair. So, yeah, I guess this is "Chick Lit".I've never read any of Elin Hilderbrand other books but I believe she is quite popular. I got this one for $1.99 on my Nook so I thought what the heck. It was not a great read. I thought she dealt with the character's cancer fairly well but the rest left me kind of flat. None of the characters jumped out at me and made me really care about them. Well, that's not true - the twenty-something guy they hired to be their babysitter - his story line was interesting but not enough to carry the book.
If my reading list wasn't so long I might try another of Hilderbrand's novels from the library but for right now I'll have to leave her to her fans. Maybe next year.
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LibraryThing member ldrumm16
This was my first experience with Elin Hilderbrand. Many people had suggested her books and when I came across a hardcover of Barefoot at a used book sale for four dollars and figured I'd give her a shot.The cover sucked me in. It looked perfect for a summer beach read. I liked the concept: three
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different women dealing with three different problems, spending a summer together on Nantucket.I fell out of my reading groove this summer so I actually didn't get to this book until almost fall (I finished it over Labor Day weekend). The story was very well written, the characters developed nicely (all of them, not just the main players) and the book flowed well - it wasn't choppy and the author didn't bounce around from storyline to storyline. Each character's story blended seamlessly into the story of the next character.There were a lot of different personality types: Vicki and Brenda I could relate to very well, Melanie I just wanted to slap. What I liked best was that everything wasn't wrapped up with a neat little bow at the end. It was much more true to life than the proverbial "happy ending."Overall, I enjoyed Barefoot and Elin Hilderbrand. I'm looking forward to reading more of her stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member meags222
I got this book in the mail a few weeks ago as part of the Library Thing Santa Thing. This is my Secret Santa's favourite book and I have to say that while I really enjoyed reading this novel the characters sometimes really got on my nerves. Melanie, who is pregnant with her cheating husband's
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baby, spent most of the time wallowing in her pity and completely ignoring the fact that her best friend has lung cancer. I mean come on get out of your head for minute. I realize that finding out you're pregnant right after finding out your husband is a huge douche is pretty bad there are still some things to be thankful for. She also starts having an affair with someone who is 15 years younger than her while still being pregnant. I just wanted to yell at her. Vicki on the other hand is the sister who has 2 children and lung cancer. She decides to skip one of her chemo treatments and at the time I felt frustrated with her but I could see how that may happen. I've never undergone chemo but I'm sure you are downer than down. It would drain every ounce of energy from you and I can fully sympathize with not wanted to go to every chemo treatment. I did feel bad for the other sister, Brenda who had an affair with one of her college students who just happens to be one year older than her. She got fired for this affair and is in some legal trouble due to her temper. While she should have waited until her student wasn't her student anymore I do not feel that she deserved to be fired for this offence. As I said before I really enjoyed reading this novel. Hilderbrand writes really well and draws you into the story. You want to know more and more about the characters and what happens in the end. While some of the characters annoyed me I think that may have made me enjoy the book. It made me want to see how these characters would change over the course of the story. Overall I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5. Show Less
LibraryThing member jlouise77
I really liked this book. I loved the way there were 3 stories in one and each story better than the next and hinged on each other. I really loved every character in the book, the setting and the storie lines. It was a serious book, yet light reading at the same time. Highly recommend!
LibraryThing member TerriBooks
Summer in Nantucket? Maybe you wouldn't want to have all the adult angst that follows these three women, but like all good beach reads, it works out in the end and it's fun getting there. Not a memorable book but enjoyable.
LibraryThing member pam.enser
first nook book!
I think this was a good one to start my nook with. I liked it. It kept me interested, but it wasn't great. I'm glad I got it from the library.
I felt the characters were a bit too self-focused and even though by the end things evened out, it still felt a bit much.
I think this was a good one to start my nook with. I liked it. It kept me interested, but it wasn't great. I'm glad I got it from the library.
I felt the characters were a bit too self-focused and even though by the end things evened out, it still felt a bit much.
LibraryThing member MonicaLynn
I wish time would have permitted me to read this a little faster as it held my interest. 3 woman go off to Nantucket for the summer. 1 has cancer, 1 just recently fired due inappropriate behavior and involved in a lawsuit and 1 who just found out she was pregnant and just recently found out her
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husband has been cheating on her. Each individual woman with their own issues going on vacation to help each other out. Along with 2 small children. What an interesting adventure these women go through in one summer at nantucket living together. Great story and background. Show Less
LibraryThing member LorettaR
My first time reading a book by this author and I am impressed. Really enjoyed the story about 3 women spending their summer in Nantucket. It was at times sad, happy, and heartwarming. Vicki's journey with cancer was told really well. A cancer survivor myself I really related to Vicki and I could
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tell the author did thorough research on this topic. An engaging, easy read that had me wishing I was there on the beach with them. I have never been to Nantucket, but after reading this book I definitely want to visit there. Show Less
LibraryThing member Laurie.Schultz
A delicious taste of summer wrapped up in some interesting twists. Not the most intellectually stimulating book, but it certainly was fun.
LibraryThing member JessicaStalker
Barefoot is a story about three women who take to Nantucket for the summer to escape their personal problems that linger at home. Dealing with cancer, an unexpected pregnancy and a career-ending mishap respectively, these women learn something about themselves if little about each other. As the
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summer wears on, the women begin to rely on a young man with problems of his own who becomes a vital part of their unusual family. I found the status of each relationship to be interesting though not at all satisfying in a conventional way. Similarly, each woman’s resolution leaves me with something to desire but I can appreciate Hilderbrand’s thought process for the conclusion. Best of all, its setting made for a nice read to fend off the mid-winter doldrums. Show Less
LibraryThing member cewtypye
Melanie, Brenda and Vicki are three sisters heading to their beach cottage for a Summer. Melanie has been trying to get pregnant with her husband for years with no luck. She finds out her husband has been having an affair in which he does not want to get out of at the same time she finds out she is
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pregnant finally. Brenda has been fired from her teaching job after she was caught dating her student. A student who was her age yet it was considered unethical and now she has no career to fall back on. Vicki has been a list maker who has two children. She has a perfect list and perfect newborn when she finds out she has cancer. They all have issues and many secrets kept from one another. This book is like a soap opera in pages. The characters are pretty developed and the plot is rather enjoyable. I will say it was a tad long considering the storyline was not to packed with actions. Minimal twists and turn yet pretty interesting read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
Three women, Brenda, Vickie (sisters) & Melanie (Vickie's friend) have run away from their lives (they all have a secret) and are spending the summer in Nantucket in a bungalow left to the sisters by their Aunt Liv.
I'm giving this a 2.5 rating due to the fact that although this was a good story and
The book definitely reminded me of Jennifer Weiner's "Fly Away Home".
I'm giving this a 2.5 rating due to the fact that although this was a good story and
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I did stay up most of the night reading it....there were too many places of "T.M.I." and the "secrets" kept being rehashed & rehashed...after a while I just didn't care....I wanted to get on with what was currently happening to them and the conclusion.The book definitely reminded me of Jennifer Weiner's "Fly Away Home".
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LibraryThing member SoubhiKiewiet
Kind of a fluffy chick-lit kind of read, but I enjoyed it. The characters are easy to related to and likable.