Summer Island

Rating:
Summary: Summer Island
Review: Kristin Hannah is a wonderful author and I've read and loved everything she's written. Most of her books are so heart-rending, that I've gone through a box of Kleenex before the end of the book. Summer Island, unfortunately was not one of these. The core story line was a wonderful, heart-warming story of the relationship between mothers and daughters..

However, the secondary story line between Ruby and Dean was out of place and never fully developed. The love story between these two childhood friends and "first loves" was hinted at a couple of times early on, but the two characters didn't meet again until halfway through the book. On their second meeting, it appeared the author felt the need to hurriedly wrap up this story line and threw in a superfluous love scene that was completely misplaced in this book.

Another small complaint concerns timelines. It bothers me when an author doesn't accurately portray true events in concert with the characters. For example, Ruby and Dean are 28 and 29 years old, respectively. There was a scene in the book where Ruby and Dean were reminiscing that when they were 7 they talked about getting married and having Elvis sing at their wedding. However, when these characters were 7, Elvis had been dead for 3 years.

If one can overlook the misplaced love story and concentrate on the mother/daughter relationship, there are many touching scenes and overall this story line was well worth the price of the book.

Rating:
Summary: Loved it with one slight complaint
Review: This is a complex, absorbing story of relationships -- mother/daughter, brother/brother, young lovers who lost their way and are now seeking a way back. Summer Island is beautifully told, and the characters are realistic. They are flawed and imperfect and lovable all the same.

My one and only complaint has to do with the gratuitous love scene. I don't like anything gratuitous in a book, and the lovemaking scene on the dock seemed just that to me. Thrown in. As if the author felt compelled to have one just for the sake of having one. The rest of the book was about love and healing of relationships. This scene was just about [making love] and seemed very out of place.

But that's a small criticism. The book is certainly worth reading.

Rating:
Summary: A familiar place
Review: It was eloquently written and a fabulous story that hits home. As a daughter that is currently mending an estranged relationship with her mother, this novel gave me a lot to think about. Ms. Hannah did a great job at balancing the main story with several minor stories that made this book an excellant tale about relationships and love. I can't wait to read more of her work.

Rating:
Summary: Tender, Heart-warming Story
Review: Summer Island, by Kristin Hannah is an incredible, moving story about fragile relationships between mothers and daughters. I guarantee that every woman who reads this books will see either herself, her mother or her daughter, or maybe even all three relationships in this heartfelt tale. You will cry, you will laugh and then you will cry tears of joy - so keep that box of Kleenex handy! I would love for my daughter, who is 12, to read this book when she is older and I am sure that there will be many other mothers out there who will be passing this book onto their daughters to read as well, or even vice versa!

As with all of Hannah's books, and I have read them all, her characters remain so true to life that once again the reader feels that they know each and every character personally and intimately. Hannah draws you in from the very first chapter and never lets you go. I found this book a bit different than her usual, "romantic" love stories, in that this story focused entirely on the relationship between Nora Bridge and her two daughters, Ruby and Caroline. There was a romantic twist between Ruby and her childhood sweetheart, Dean, but this was a side bar, and was not the main focus of the book, although it was true to Hannah form! Hannah fans will not be disappointed with this book, but if they are looking to read a pure romance book, this particular book will not fit the bill this time!

Hannah weaves stories that one can relate to on a personal and intimate level. One can "feel" each and every emotion her characters are going through and through it all Hannah implants her message of love hope. "Sometimes people get hurt . . . It's never something you should seek out, or do on purpose, but you can't live a life that hurts no one. If you try, you'll end up touching no one."

A mother and daughter relationship is so complex, so tumultuous, so endearing and so precious. We enter into so many phases with our beloved daughters, yet our hearts are forever bound to them and we only want for them all of the perfection in the mistakes that we have made. Hannah divides this gap so that it is torn in two and with the beauty of a master craftsman, brings these wounded souls back together again with nothing but pure and simple love. A mother's love indeed knows no bounds.

Another winner from Hannah!! When is the next book coming out? - this reader is most anxious!!!

Rating:
Summary: Could Not Put It Down!
Review: This was the first book I read by Kristin Hannah. I bought it for my honeymoon, but finished it before I even got married! She has a way of making you a part of her story. I visualized the whole book. Put myself on Summer Island. It was very refreshing and as a mother and a daughter very down to earth. I saw myself as Ruby when she was young and it brought back memories for me that I haven't thought of in years. I will definitly read another book by Kristen. Maybe take that one on my honeymoon!

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT MOTHER/DAUGHTER STORY!
Review: This is the first book I've read by Kristin Hannah and if she continues to write stories like this, it will surely not be my last. This was a wonderful story about the realtionship between a mother & daughter and how recent events in their lives affect their realtionship which has been badly bruised since the mother walked out on her family 16 years earlier. The writing was beautiful and on every page, the characters came to life inside my head. As a mother and daughter myself, I easily identified with both characters as will many other readers. It is a definite MUST-READ for every mother/daughter out there. I guarantee that you will see yourself as the child in one chapter, then as the parent in the next. Congratulations on a wonderful book - if the word is spread, this will definitely be a Best Seller. Hope to see more work like this one from Kristin Hannah in the future

Rating:
Summary: GIVE IT TIME
Review: Few authors can write about the complex relationship between mothers and daughters. I found that Kristan Hannah has done this successfully. If they would listen, talk and forgive each other, a relationship can be had. Neither one has liked their life and for the most part experienced loneliness, the need to be loved and to love. They have each missed one another and would have wanted to share their feelings and the years with each other. I could easily associate with the women, their life and needs in the book and wish to have my niece/daughter, whom I've been fortunate to have in my life share it with me. Thank you Kristen Hannah for having written it with such insight and compassion.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Although I liked the subject matter, the story of a troubled mother-daughter relationship, I found the story a little too drawn out, full of clichés, sappy at times & too predictable. The mother character is not sufficiently realistic to be convincing. I have read Hannah's other novel, "On Mystic Lake", which was the best fiction I had read in years - so I was disappointed with "Summer Island".

Rating:
Summary: Excellent,Excellent,Excellent!!
Review: I loved this book. Great characters and a wonderful story.

Rating:
Summary: SUMMER ISLAND
Review: This is a fantastic novel that should be read by all mothers and daughters. Its a book that can make you laugh and make you cry. It touched my heart so much. I highly recommend this book to all Kristin Hannah fans and also for all who have never read her books. Once you read this book you will want to read her others.