Publication
New York : Viking, 2011.
Collection
Call number
Fiction R
Physical description
289 p.; 24 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
Three far-flung sisters come home to Martha's Vineyard one last time. Their mother's beach house is the only place any of them ever found true happiness and they need to begin the difficult process of letting go. Memories of their grandmother, mother, and their Irish father, who sailed away the year Dar turned twelve, rise up and expose the fine cracks in their family myth--especially when a cache of old letters reveals enough truth to send them back to their ancestral homeland.
Genres
User reviews
LibraryThing member njmom3
This book was disappointing. A light and very quick read. I appreciated some of the family elements of the story especially how family relationships and memories can be associated with a particular place. And Martha's Vineyard is a beautiful setting. However, much of the story line was far fetched
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and somewhat disjointed. It is a story of three sisters, but really focuses on just one. Another story line is that of a nephew who is recovering addict. It really did not add anything to the book. Another character is an eccentric old friend who is living in a storage unit. There if friendship and an unexplored romance there, but again left unresolved and disjointed. Disappointing overall. Show Less
LibraryThing member EvelynBernard
I made a number of attempts to read this book after receiving it from the Early Reviewers Group several months ago. Finally, I accomplished this task - I think I know why. There has been a heat wave and this is a "beach book".
The book centres around Dar McCarthy who has lived her entire life in the
Pack this book in your hamper the next time you are at the beach or leave it beside the chair on your deck. It is a light, fairly readable book that is ideal for summer weather. However, if I were to leave it behind, I probably would not bother to go back for it.
The book centres around Dar McCarthy who has lived her entire life in the
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family home on Martha's Vineyard. Her financial situation demands that she and her sisters sell the family home - their mother had suffered from a lengthy illness and their financial resources were tapped out caring for their mother in her final days. There are 2 sisters, a boy friend, a close family friend, some nieces and nephews. What can I tell you about these people? Almost nothing. Very little time is devoted to developing characters that I could care about. Pack this book in your hamper the next time you are at the beach or leave it beside the chair on your deck. It is a light, fairly readable book that is ideal for summer weather. However, if I were to leave it behind, I probably would not bother to go back for it.
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LibraryThing member Neverwithoutabook
This was the first book I've read by Luanne Rice, and I loved it! The story involves three sisters, whose father left when they were young, and whose mother has recently died. They gather at the family home to pack everything up in preparation for selling the property. This leads them on an
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alternately sad and heart-warming search that re-affirms the bonds of family. If you're a Luanne Rice fan, don't miss this book, and if you're not yet a Luanne Rice fan, I'd recommend this as a great place to start! I'm now planning to read more by this great author. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cecilturtle
Three sisters are forced to sell their family home; memories of times past come flooding back and mysteries are discovered as they pack up the house and deal with legal issues. With the themes of family, friendships, unresolved questions and escapism, this novel is ultimately about a quest to find
There are some strong passages: a trip to Ireland, a rediscovered "treasure", struggles with alcohol and drug, but there are also many inadequacies: a sunk boat which has been creepily kept in a hangar for 28 years, a kooky friend who lives in storage unit, strained marital relationships that don't really add to the main thread. The book lacks balance and focus, shifting from one to other sisters although clearly Dar is the main character. While the ending is tidy enough, the reader still has questions as to what's next, and after all the sisters have been through, is this a happy ending? Some of the ocean's imagery is beautiful, but there are also clichés (the storm when Dar learns the house will be sold).
Overall, a book with potential, enjoyable even, if not analyzed too closely, but not one that will remain with me long.
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peace with the family history and build a new dynamic.There are some strong passages: a trip to Ireland, a rediscovered "treasure", struggles with alcohol and drug, but there are also many inadequacies: a sunk boat which has been creepily kept in a hangar for 28 years, a kooky friend who lives in storage unit, strained marital relationships that don't really add to the main thread. The book lacks balance and focus, shifting from one to other sisters although clearly Dar is the main character. While the ending is tidy enough, the reader still has questions as to what's next, and after all the sisters have been through, is this a happy ending? Some of the ocean's imagery is beautiful, but there are also clichés (the storm when Dar learns the house will be sold).
Overall, a book with potential, enjoyable even, if not analyzed too closely, but not one that will remain with me long.
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LibraryThing member jo2son
A light read about three sisters and their family property on Martha's Vineyard. Property taxes have become unmanageable and they must sell. All of the sisters unresolved feelings around their father who sailed away to Ireland many years earlier and disappeared without an explanation. Much of the
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book focuses on the land claim supposedly given to their father's ancestors by the British Crown. I enjoyed this story but the writing felt very choppy. The scenes did not seem to flow nicely into each other. It was almost as if the author was trying to fit everything into a fairly short book. My favourite parts of the book were the beautiful descriptions of Martha's Vineyard. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sparkle64
This book takes place in Martha's Vineyard and is mainly about three sisters who come home to the family beach house to sell it and deal with their personal issues.
At first this book was a little difficult to get into. It became more engaging however, when they decided to travel to Ireland to trace
The characters of this book are believable enough even though I felt that they could have been more developed. For those of you that enjoy "Nicholas Sparks", I think you will find this book is in the same vein as his writing style.
At first this book was a little difficult to get into. It became more engaging however, when they decided to travel to Ireland to trace
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family roots.The characters of this book are believable enough even though I felt that they could have been more developed. For those of you that enjoy "Nicholas Sparks", I think you will find this book is in the same vein as his writing style.
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LibraryThing member LynnB
This is the story of three sisters who are dealing with the sale of the family home following the death of their mother. Each of the sister is struggling with relationship issues, and memories of their father who sailed away when they were young.
This is a light read and a fair bit of angst without
A quick, not unenjoyable story, but nothing that will stay with me or prompt me to read more by the same author.
This is a light read and a fair bit of angst without
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a lot of depth of character development. The plot was somewhat implausible with the sisters finding answers about their father and his quest rather easily and most of the loose ends wrapped up by the end of the story.A quick, not unenjoyable story, but nothing that will stay with me or prompt me to read more by the same author.
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LibraryThing member jessstewart
I received this book as part of the early reviewers group. I had never read Luanne Rice before and I found this book to be good but not great. I did like the characters and the relationships between the sisters but I found that there wasn't a big hook to get me excited and want to keep reading. It
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did seem like there were many characters involved but I think fewer characters with more depth and detail about them would have been better. It was a nice story and I will try to read some more of Luanne Rice. Show Less
LibraryThing member Marlyn
The McCarthy girls, Dar, Delia and Rory, spent their summers at their mother's beach house on Martha's Vineyard. The house and property had been passed down through the family for generations, though Dar was the only one who still lived there.
But their mother had died after a lengthy illness, and
Dar still mourned her father, who had sailed to Ireland when she was twelve, searching for Something and promising to return when he found it. Though her sisters believed he had died, Dar nursed a hope that he was still alive. While clearing the house, Dar finds some letters from her father to her mother, which convinces her that he had indeed found what he was looking for, and that she and her sisters must visit his birthplace.
For a tale about families and their roots and ancestral birthrights, this is a fairly compact volume at less than 300 pages. Publishers are tending not to publish the weighty tomes they did 10 or 15 years ago, but there's something about this book that feels like there should be more.
But what is here is enjoyable. Rice has created characters that the reader really cares and wants to know more about, particularly Dar.
But their mother had died after a lengthy illness, and
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the money that should have gone for the house's upkeep and taxes had gone to her care. The three sisters had resigned themselves to selling the house, and were meeting pack up the furnishings in preparation. Dar still mourned her father, who had sailed to Ireland when she was twelve, searching for Something and promising to return when he found it. Though her sisters believed he had died, Dar nursed a hope that he was still alive. While clearing the house, Dar finds some letters from her father to her mother, which convinces her that he had indeed found what he was looking for, and that she and her sisters must visit his birthplace.
For a tale about families and their roots and ancestral birthrights, this is a fairly compact volume at less than 300 pages. Publishers are tending not to publish the weighty tomes they did 10 or 15 years ago, but there's something about this book that feels like there should be more.
But what is here is enjoyable. Rice has created characters that the reader really cares and wants to know more about, particularly Dar.
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LibraryThing member whitreidtan
When you see white shells on a book cover, it is generally a pretty good indication that the book itself is a beach read. That is very definitely the case with Luanne Rice's latest, The Silver Boat.
Dar and her sisters are having to say goodbye to their family home on Martha's Vineyard after the
While Dar takes the majority of the focus here, there is a veritable crush of other characters as well, all of whom seem to be suffering in some way. Both Delia and Rory, the other two sisters, are facing family dysfunction of grand proportions and Dar is a rather prickly, curmudgeonly, recovering alcoholic. Their friends on Martha's Vineyard are not terribly well-fleshed out and are unremittingly eccentric. Family drama this has in spades but it has too much going on and too little focus on the primary storyline to be terribly effective. It does, however, fulfill the promise of the cover: a superficially entertaining beach read albeit one that will stay in memory for a shorter time than the sand will stay in your beach bag.
Dar and her sisters are having to say goodbye to their family home on Martha's Vineyard after the
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long illness and eventual death of their mother. Dar is the only one remaining on the island, her sisters having built their lives and families elsewhere so she is perhaps the most affected by the hard decision to sell the family's house and land. As time winds down for the McCarthy daughters and the memories they have rooted in this home, Dar finds letters from her father to her mother. He had always maintained that his family had a royal land grant on the island and so he left to sail to Ireland in search of proof of his claim. Michael was always assumed lost at sea but something in the letters makes Dar believe that he could possibly have made it to Ireland and found the proof about which existence he was so adamant and so she heads off to investigate for herself. While Dar takes the majority of the focus here, there is a veritable crush of other characters as well, all of whom seem to be suffering in some way. Both Delia and Rory, the other two sisters, are facing family dysfunction of grand proportions and Dar is a rather prickly, curmudgeonly, recovering alcoholic. Their friends on Martha's Vineyard are not terribly well-fleshed out and are unremittingly eccentric. Family drama this has in spades but it has too much going on and too little focus on the primary storyline to be terribly effective. It does, however, fulfill the promise of the cover: a superficially entertaining beach read albeit one that will stay in memory for a shorter time than the sand will stay in your beach bag.
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LibraryThing member shazjhb
Not very realistic. Sweet.
LibraryThing member lyn21
I found this book a slow read at first but then it really pick up and I really enjoyed it. I think you just need to give it a chance.
LibraryThing member KarenRinn
I could not put this down and read it in two days. The details bring Martha's Vinyard to life in a way that one can truly feel what the beachhouse is like with all of the accumulated treasures from each generation. The characters are interesting and the story is compelling. This is my first Luanne
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Rice novel but it won't be my last! Show Less
LibraryThing member DivineMissW
Nice read. Great summertime reading. Hot in spots!
Language
ISBN
9780670022502