Call number
FIC CLA
Collection
Genres
Publication
St. Martin's Press (2020), 352 pages
Description
"After a disastrous summer spent at her family summer home on Cape Cod, seventeen-year-old Ann Gordon was left with a secret that changed her life forever, and created a rift between her sister, Poppy, and their adopted brother, Michael. Now, fifteen years later, her parents have died, leaving Ann and Poppy to decide the fate of the Wellfleet home that's been in the Gordon family for generations. For Ann, the once-beloved house is tainted with bad memories. Poppy loves the old saltbox, but after years spent chasing waves around the world, she isn't sure she knows how to stay in one place. Just when the sisters decide to sell, Michael re-enters their lives with a legitimate claim to the house. But more than that, he wants to set the record straight about that long ago summer. Reunited after years apart, these very different siblings must decide if they can continue to be a family-and the house just might be the glue that holds them together. Told through the shifting perspectives of Ann, Poppy, and Michael, this assured and affecting debut captures the ache of nostalgia for summers past and the powerful draw of the places we return to again and again. It is about second homes, second families, and second chances. Tender and compassionate, incisive and heartbreaking, The Second Home is the story of a family you'll quickly fall in love with, and won't soon forget"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member jfe16
Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley
The Gordon family . . . Ann, Poppy, adopted brother Michael, mother Connie, father Ed . . . called Milwaukee, Wisconsin home but spent every summer at their other home in Cape Cod. The house had been in the family for generations and the family loved spending
Fifteen years after that disastrous summer, Connie and Ed have died, killed in a horrific automobile accident. The sisters have no idea where Michael is; they’ve decided to sell the house and move on. But when Michael comes back into their lives, can they find a way to right the old wrongs and become be a family once again?
There’s a strong sense of place that firmly anchors this narrative. The unfolding story, told alternately through the points of view of the three siblings, switches between past and present. While well-drawn and believable, the characters are flawed; Ann, in particular, is not particularly empathetic. And readers may find it difficult to accept the family’s wiliness to jump to unsubstantiated conclusions rather than seeking real answers.
The narrative reveals the fragility of family, of home. It reminds readers that love and life can be ephemeral. And, although they will find it easy to predict the ending of this compelling tale of family dynamics, there remains a hefty dose of heartfelt compassion drawing everyone together.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#TheSecondHome #NetGalley
The Gordon family . . . Ann, Poppy, adopted brother Michael, mother Connie, father Ed . . . called Milwaukee, Wisconsin home but spent every summer at their other home in Cape Cod. The house had been in the family for generations and the family loved spending
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time there. But the year Ann was seventeen, everything changed. Fifteen years after that disastrous summer, Connie and Ed have died, killed in a horrific automobile accident. The sisters have no idea where Michael is; they’ve decided to sell the house and move on. But when Michael comes back into their lives, can they find a way to right the old wrongs and become be a family once again?
There’s a strong sense of place that firmly anchors this narrative. The unfolding story, told alternately through the points of view of the three siblings, switches between past and present. While well-drawn and believable, the characters are flawed; Ann, in particular, is not particularly empathetic. And readers may find it difficult to accept the family’s wiliness to jump to unsubstantiated conclusions rather than seeking real answers.
The narrative reveals the fragility of family, of home. It reminds readers that love and life can be ephemeral. And, although they will find it easy to predict the ending of this compelling tale of family dynamics, there remains a hefty dose of heartfelt compassion drawing everyone together.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#TheSecondHome #NetGalley
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LibraryThing member litwitch
I didn't expect to love this family drama as much as I did. Instead of rehashing the plot (the book summary on Netgalley and Goodreads does that already), I want to talk about how this story made me feel.
Nostalgia, grief, tears, laughter, closeness, longing, FAMILY. It had it all. I instantly found
Don't let my emotions fool you, though. This isn't all rainbows. Truth is, the story is dark most of the time. I think that's what I adored. I felt like these characters were real.
I understand the reviews that mention how unbelievable some of the plot was. It's true that many of the issues were caused by bad communication. I just reminded myself that these were kids.. teenagers who were scared and manipulated.
TW: there is a sexual assault, so be forewarned going into this one. It had me a little over emotional at first, reliving my own trauma. The author did a great job making it feel real without crossing a line.
4 stars!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book and give my honest opinion!
Nostalgia, grief, tears, laughter, closeness, longing, FAMILY. It had it all. I instantly found
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myself wishing I was a part of this perfectly flawed family. Don't let my emotions fool you, though. This isn't all rainbows. Truth is, the story is dark most of the time. I think that's what I adored. I felt like these characters were real.
I understand the reviews that mention how unbelievable some of the plot was. It's true that many of the issues were caused by bad communication. I just reminded myself that these were kids.. teenagers who were scared and manipulated.
TW: there is a sexual assault, so be forewarned going into this one. It had me a little over emotional at first, reliving my own trauma. The author did a great job making it feel real without crossing a line.
4 stars!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book and give my honest opinion!
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LibraryThing member fastforward
I'm always up for a book that revolves around some long-standing family drama. This story held my interest but I wouldn't say that I loved any of the characters. That's okay though because that's not really a requirement for me to enjoy a book. I do wish that lack of communication which was an
Ann Gordon is back at the Cape Cod home she spent her summers at while she was growing up. Her parents have recently died and she has been tasked with selling their summer home as neither she nor her sister, Poppy, can afford to keep it. Her adopted brother, Michael, hasn't been in contact with the family in years and when he tries to claim he has rights to the home, it doesn't go over well with Ann. You see something pretty major happened about 15 years ago when they were teenagers that caused a huge rift in the family. It's not a cliche to say things were never the same after that particular summer on the Cape. The story follows Ann, Poppy, and Michael during that fateful summer and the present day when they are reunited. Hmm... family members that aren't on good terms and now you throw in a disagreement about a house. Yes, there is going to be some drama in this story, that's for sure.
For much of the book I thought Poppy was an unnecessary character to include but by the end I did think she brought something to the table. As I mentioned before it was easy to feel frustration when some characters make certain decisions. It's like I wanted to reach thru the pages, grab them by the shoulders, shake them, and yell, "what are you doing?'. However, despite my varying levels of annoyance with some of the characters, I still felt invested enough to want to see how everything would play out in the end.
There are two random things I really loved that the author included in the story. I was happy to see a couple Polish references, and my guess is if she can name drop Polish Falcons, she must have some Polish blood in her like I do. The other thing I liked was at the end of Part One there was a good joke about the parents. I gotta tell you it was 100% necessary as it really had been driving me nuts how naive and oblivious the parents were when it came to the kids. The joke at least acknowledged this fact which helped ease my frustration.
There were a few times the author kinda glossed over something I thought could have been covered more thoroughly. While I liked the story, it could have used some polishing up a bit in order to really take it to a higher level. I still consider it a good read though. If you are interested in reading this one, be prepared, there are some dark moments in the story. If you are strictly looking for a lighthearted read, I would look elsewhere.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
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ongoing theme wouldn't have been so prevalent in the story. I think that's part of the reason I became frustrated with just about every character in the book.Ann Gordon is back at the Cape Cod home she spent her summers at while she was growing up. Her parents have recently died and she has been tasked with selling their summer home as neither she nor her sister, Poppy, can afford to keep it. Her adopted brother, Michael, hasn't been in contact with the family in years and when he tries to claim he has rights to the home, it doesn't go over well with Ann. You see something pretty major happened about 15 years ago when they were teenagers that caused a huge rift in the family. It's not a cliche to say things were never the same after that particular summer on the Cape. The story follows Ann, Poppy, and Michael during that fateful summer and the present day when they are reunited. Hmm... family members that aren't on good terms and now you throw in a disagreement about a house. Yes, there is going to be some drama in this story, that's for sure.
For much of the book I thought Poppy was an unnecessary character to include but by the end I did think she brought something to the table. As I mentioned before it was easy to feel frustration when some characters make certain decisions. It's like I wanted to reach thru the pages, grab them by the shoulders, shake them, and yell, "what are you doing?'. However, despite my varying levels of annoyance with some of the characters, I still felt invested enough to want to see how everything would play out in the end.
There are two random things I really loved that the author included in the story. I was happy to see a couple Polish references, and my guess is if she can name drop Polish Falcons, she must have some Polish blood in her like I do. The other thing I liked was at the end of Part One there was a good joke about the parents. I gotta tell you it was 100% necessary as it really had been driving me nuts how naive and oblivious the parents were when it came to the kids. The joke at least acknowledged this fact which helped ease my frustration.
There were a few times the author kinda glossed over something I thought could have been covered more thoroughly. While I liked the story, it could have used some polishing up a bit in order to really take it to a higher level. I still consider it a good read though. If you are interested in reading this one, be prepared, there are some dark moments in the story. If you are strictly looking for a lighthearted read, I would look elsewhere.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
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LibraryThing member susan.h.schofield
enjoyed this family drama from Christina Clancy. It was well written and the characters were interesting. I did find it a little hard to believe that Poppy and Ann or even Ed and Connie wouldn't have looked a little harder for Michael or even that Michael wouldn't have reached out to Ed. And it was
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a little strange to me that he felt such deep ties to them when he had only lived with them for 2 years. But overall I enjoyed the story and the setting on Cape Cod. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC. Show Less
LibraryThing member arlenadean
Title: The Second Home
Author: Christina Clancy
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"The Second Home" by Christina Clancy
My Speculation:
This is one read where you will find mistakes and miscommunication that have been made by the Gordon family [Ed, Connie, Ann,
It was interesting seeing how these family relationships and struggles had turned so much against each other. I was left wondering, couldn't this drama had been resolved if someone had chosen to talk to each other? All I can say is that only if these characters had made different choices in their solutions, things might have turned out differently.
Will this summer home that had been filled with so much heartbreak be the place that will mend all of their hearts? Well, to find out, you will have to pick up "The Second Home" to see how each one of these protagonists gives us their perspectives.
Be ready for a compelling and haunting read from 'family dynamics, sisters' complex relationships, and add an adoptee,' and all I can say is get ready for a good read. Also, I will say at this point, and there will be a 'trigger warning' rape.
I received an ARC from NetGalley via St. Martin's Press, and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.
Author: Christina Clancy
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"The Second Home" by Christina Clancy
My Speculation:
This is one read where you will find mistakes and miscommunication that have been made by the Gordon family [Ed, Connie, Ann,
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Poppy & Michael] that will almost shake them all apart. From 'secrets, heartbreaking, emotional read, miscommunication, disaster, lies, and betrayals,' this family will have there share that almost destroyed them as they had been estranged from each other for the past fifteen years. And to think most of this was from years of misunderstandings where no one would talk about the situations. It was interesting seeing how these family relationships and struggles had turned so much against each other. I was left wondering, couldn't this drama had been resolved if someone had chosen to talk to each other? All I can say is that only if these characters had made different choices in their solutions, things might have turned out differently.
Will this summer home that had been filled with so much heartbreak be the place that will mend all of their hearts? Well, to find out, you will have to pick up "The Second Home" to see how each one of these protagonists gives us their perspectives.
Be ready for a compelling and haunting read from 'family dynamics, sisters' complex relationships, and add an adoptee,' and all I can say is get ready for a good read. Also, I will say at this point, and there will be a 'trigger warning' rape.
I received an ARC from NetGalley via St. Martin's Press, and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.
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LibraryThing member LoriKBoyd
*** Review may contain spoilers...proceed at your own risk ***
Family. Friendship, secrets, lies and always, love. When something happens to one, it happens to all. What would you do to protect your loved ones? I enjoyed this story, I found it moved at a good pace and the story line was new and
Story takes place from 1999 thru 2017. The story flips seamlessly from teenage siblings Ann, Poppy and newly adopted Michael. From Wisconsin to Cape Cod. Parents Ed and Connie are well loved teachers with a hippie-like vibe, and huge hearts. At their daughters suggestion, they adopt fellow student Michael. They spend their vacations at a family house on Cape Cod. What transpires from their second summer together changes to the course of this family. The sisters are very close and Michael adds a new dimension and feelings like no other.
The author does an excellent job relaying teenage feelings, angst and longings in this book about growing up in a tight knit, loving family when something unspeakable happens. It may happen to one, but all are effected equally. The adoption of an older child and their ‘baggage’ is handled with sensitivity and honesty, showing the struggle to find their forever place within the family. I have first-hand knowledge of adoption issues and memory issues and found this part of the story true to fact.
Thanks to Ms. Clancy, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
Family. Friendship, secrets, lies and always, love. When something happens to one, it happens to all. What would you do to protect your loved ones? I enjoyed this story, I found it moved at a good pace and the story line was new and
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easily followed. The characters were likable, and situations they found themselves in were age appropriate. Loved the dynamics within the family. Enjoyable read with a little more depth than a normal summer read. Story takes place from 1999 thru 2017. The story flips seamlessly from teenage siblings Ann, Poppy and newly adopted Michael. From Wisconsin to Cape Cod. Parents Ed and Connie are well loved teachers with a hippie-like vibe, and huge hearts. At their daughters suggestion, they adopt fellow student Michael. They spend their vacations at a family house on Cape Cod. What transpires from their second summer together changes to the course of this family. The sisters are very close and Michael adds a new dimension and feelings like no other.
The author does an excellent job relaying teenage feelings, angst and longings in this book about growing up in a tight knit, loving family when something unspeakable happens. It may happen to one, but all are effected equally. The adoption of an older child and their ‘baggage’ is handled with sensitivity and honesty, showing the struggle to find their forever place within the family. I have first-hand knowledge of adoption issues and memory issues and found this part of the story true to fact.
Thanks to Ms. Clancy, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
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LibraryThing member carole888fort
The Second Home by Christina Clancy is an interesting beach or cottage read, perfect to pass the time while social distancing. Ann, Poppy and Michael are teenage siblings who spent their summer holidays with their parents on Cape Cod at their Wellfleet summer home. The novel gives the perspective
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of each of them throughout. Something went horribly wrong one summer that caused the adolescents to disperse in all directions, never to return to Wellfleet. After the parents were killed in a car accident many years later, the adult siblings returned to the Cape to dispose of their second home. They had been haunted by what had happened there one summer and are uncertain about their relationships. Will they separate again? Or will they bond again as they had when they were younger? Will the past interfere with their future? Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Show Less
LibraryThing member dawnlovesbooks
The second home in this novel is a beach house on Cape Cod where the Gordon family has spent their summers for generations. This book “is about second homes, second families and second chances.”
At the beginning of the book, Ed and Connie Gordon, adopt a teenaged boy that becomes a sibling to
Poppy surfs and travels all over the world and rarely returns home to visit. To her, “Nothing quite compared to the intoxicating sensation of living a life that was always changing, always moving.” “She liked being disconnected.” She left home because she felt like she’d become invisible to her family. “She’d always defined herself as someone who could continually expand outward, never needing to return,” but when tragedy forces her to return back to the family’s beach house she “felt like she was reuniting with an old friend.”
Ann was always been the confident one in the family. Poppy’s long absence makes Ann feel rejected and abandoned by her sister. The summer that everything fell apart, Ann suffered from a traumatic event that still haunts her to this day.
Michael was orphaned when his own mother died and the Gordon family took him in as one of their own. He treasured the family and his place in it and the beach house was a magical place to him. He felt like that house was “the only place where his life ever felt like it made any sense.” “The houses he once inhabited now inhabited him. They were witnesses to who he once was, to the people he’d loved-and hated.”
“Is that what houses really were, containers for family? And once the containers were gone, the people inside were just set loose in the world, particles.”
In the end, the second home ends up being the anchor that brings the family back together. I highly recommend this book. I loved it!! Three of my favorite things: #beach read, #literary fiction, #dysfunctional family.
At the beginning of the book, Ed and Connie Gordon, adopt a teenaged boy that becomes a sibling to
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their daughters, Poppy and Ann. One summer everything goes wrong and the siblings go their separate ways. Poppy surfs and travels all over the world and rarely returns home to visit. To her, “Nothing quite compared to the intoxicating sensation of living a life that was always changing, always moving.” “She liked being disconnected.” She left home because she felt like she’d become invisible to her family. “She’d always defined herself as someone who could continually expand outward, never needing to return,” but when tragedy forces her to return back to the family’s beach house she “felt like she was reuniting with an old friend.”
Ann was always been the confident one in the family. Poppy’s long absence makes Ann feel rejected and abandoned by her sister. The summer that everything fell apart, Ann suffered from a traumatic event that still haunts her to this day.
Michael was orphaned when his own mother died and the Gordon family took him in as one of their own. He treasured the family and his place in it and the beach house was a magical place to him. He felt like that house was “the only place where his life ever felt like it made any sense.” “The houses he once inhabited now inhabited him. They were witnesses to who he once was, to the people he’d loved-and hated.”
“Is that what houses really were, containers for family? And once the containers were gone, the people inside were just set loose in the world, particles.”
In the end, the second home ends up being the anchor that brings the family back together. I highly recommend this book. I loved it!! Three of my favorite things: #beach read, #literary fiction, #dysfunctional family.
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LibraryThing member shazjhb
The premise did not make sense. There was something weird with the time line
LibraryThing member marquis784
I received the digital arc of this book from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
Anne Gordon returns to Wellfleet after the death of her parents in a tragic car accident to sell the summer home her family has owned for years. Of course, Anne is overwhelmed with ambivalence
The Gordon family lived in Wisconsin and drove to Cape Cod every summer which worked out well given her parents were both teachers. The story is a tale about what constitutes a family and the loyalties that might bind people. The story is told through the POV of Anne, Poppy and Michael. They are “siblings” each with their own unique perspective yet deep firm commitment to their parents.
It’s an emotional story which addresses sensitive topics such as sexual, physical and drug abuse as well as homelessness and poverty. Sometimes families may look “perfect” from the outside which makes looks deceiving. The Gordon family adopt Michael, a student who lost his family and was friends with Anne. Although unconventional, her parents were admired for their relaxed acceptance of people’s differences.
The strong family values instilled by the parents are what ultimately brings the estranged siblings together after their death. Poppy has always been free-spirited never setting roots anywhere for too long. Meanwhile, it seemed Michael was never as “lost” to them as they believed. The summers on the Cape changed all of them in ways they could never expect.
Once they work together they discover the truths of the past and that no matter how far away you go your family ties will lead you back home.
Anne Gordon returns to Wellfleet after the death of her parents in a tragic car accident to sell the summer home her family has owned for years. Of course, Anne is overwhelmed with ambivalence
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once the memories starting flooding back to her. Anne is a 35 year old practical woman looking to tie up the loose ends of her family’s complicated history. The Gordon family lived in Wisconsin and drove to Cape Cod every summer which worked out well given her parents were both teachers. The story is a tale about what constitutes a family and the loyalties that might bind people. The story is told through the POV of Anne, Poppy and Michael. They are “siblings” each with their own unique perspective yet deep firm commitment to their parents.
It’s an emotional story which addresses sensitive topics such as sexual, physical and drug abuse as well as homelessness and poverty. Sometimes families may look “perfect” from the outside which makes looks deceiving. The Gordon family adopt Michael, a student who lost his family and was friends with Anne. Although unconventional, her parents were admired for their relaxed acceptance of people’s differences.
The strong family values instilled by the parents are what ultimately brings the estranged siblings together after their death. Poppy has always been free-spirited never setting roots anywhere for too long. Meanwhile, it seemed Michael was never as “lost” to them as they believed. The summers on the Cape changed all of them in ways they could never expect.
Once they work together they discover the truths of the past and that no matter how far away you go your family ties will lead you back home.
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LibraryThing member tamarack804
This book was excellent. Every once in a while a new author comes along and has a great talent of putting you in the book. Three siblings growing up and how their life's continued after they left the nest. Coming of age plus adulthood. A great write for a first time author. Looking forward to more
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from Christina Clancy. Show Less
LibraryThing member nyiper
I'm just sorry this is Clancy's FIRST novel---I was so hoping there were lots more of her books available. I found it a page turner as Clancy provided what was happening with the different members of this fascinating family. And....I kept getting surprised---this was not a novel I figured out ahead
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of time and I kept wondering how she was going to solve the problems that were developing. Great reading! I hope she's writing another novel NOW! Show Less
LibraryThing member froxgirl
An enjoyable family beach saga in the Elin Hilderbrand vein, this novel takes place in Wellfleet, an outer Cape Cod town. The schoolteacher parent homeowners are Wisconsin natives with two daughters and an adopted teenage son, all close in age, and the house is an antique vacation home, in the
Quotes: "Although her parents were gone, she could feel them there. It was as if they were sitting behind mirrored glass during a focus group, watching everything Ann said and did. She kept waiting for some magical door to swing open and for her parents to walk out from the other side of the glass to tell her they'd been watching her this whole time."
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family for generations. Daughters Ann and Poppy are very different, one a most-popular type and the other a stoner-to-be, and non-blood brother Michael is in love with Ann. A horrendously vivid scene involving the father of the children Ann babysits and a dreadful car accident set up the next fifteen years of drama, as seen from the alternating perspectives of each member of the trio. Happily, the denouement is only mildly predictable. Quotes: "Although her parents were gone, she could feel them there. It was as if they were sitting behind mirrored glass during a focus group, watching everything Ann said and did. She kept waiting for some magical door to swing open and for her parents to walk out from the other side of the glass to tell her they'd been watching her this whole time."
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LibraryThing member zmagic69
Wow an amazingly well written book, and interesting story on top of it.
Ann and Poppy are sisters who live with their teacher parents in Milwaukee and spend every summer in Cape Cod at a home past down to them from their great great grandparents. Ann befriends Michael, a kid at school and her
During his second summer at the Cape is a catastrophe for the 3 teenagers.
Jump ahead 15 years and those disasters are the basis for the rest of the book.
I really liked this story, and can’t wait to read more from this (hard to believe) first time author!
Ann and Poppy are sisters who live with their teacher parents in Milwaukee and spend every summer in Cape Cod at a home past down to them from their great great grandparents. Ann befriends Michael, a kid at school and her
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parents eventually adopt him.During his second summer at the Cape is a catastrophe for the 3 teenagers.
Jump ahead 15 years and those disasters are the basis for the rest of the book.
I really liked this story, and can’t wait to read more from this (hard to believe) first time author!
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ISBN
1250239346 / 9781250239341