The Summer Place: A Novel

Jennifer Weiner has a way of sweeping you up in characters’ lives, and The Summer Place displayed this talent. This novel focuses on a Cape Cod summer house, a special place for the Levy-Weinberg family. Matriarch Ronnie urges her adult children to bring their families to the Cape to spend more time together. Yet Sam and Sarah are too busy with their lives to make the time to visit. Eventually, the family is brought back together with the impending wedding of Ronnie’s step-granddaughter, Ruby. Soon, a trunkful of secrets is revealed that have the potential to alter Ruby’s relationship and break other ties.

This book was hard to put down as each betrayal unfolded. I loved getting to know each character and appreciated the depth that Weiner created in each one. I felt that Annette and Rosa’s characters were slightly less developed, but I was able to understand their motivations during their short chapters. Parts of the story were quite dramatic, and the interconnectedness of each poor decision was perhaps beyond belief. However, I found these details to be part of the book’s allure, and I was hooked on the story. This book is the perfect escape from reality!