The Castaways: A Novel

Product Description Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy’s closest friends for what will be revealed. Once again, Hilderbrand masterfully weaves an intense tale of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of endless summer island life. From Publishers Weekly In the close-knit group of four successful Nantucket couples who call themselves the Castaways, Greg and Tess MacAvoy had what everybody wanted. Or so it seems to Delilah Drake, the voluptuous bon vivant Castaway married to staid farmer Jeffrey. But when Greg and Tess sail to Martha’s Vineyard to celebrate their anniversary and mysteriously drown, their deaths stir up more secrets than there are tourists on the island’s golden beaches. Hilderbrand ( Barefoot) goes deep into each of the surviving Castaways’ hearts, revealing old affairs and new entanglements. Was Greg involved with someone else? Was Tess going to leave Greg for Addison Wheeler, the rich Castaway married to the pill-popping Phoebe? Hilderbrand will reveal all, as well as plenty of other tidbits that aren’t as interesting–including how long Delilah was in labor with her first son, the titles of songs that come on the radio at important moments and the lengths Addison went to get a stoned Phoebe to sleep with him. Readers of women’s fiction who don’t mind digressions should be satisfied with this tale of knotty relationships set against the lovely Nantucket backdrop. (July) Copyright (c) Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author Elin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her husband and their three young children. She grew up in Collegeville, PA, and traveled extensively before settling on Nantucket, which has been the setting for her seven previous novels. Hilderbrand is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa. From AudioFile Katie Hale portrays four close-knit Nantucket couples, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers, who call one another “the Castaways.” Hale’s depiction of their complex relationships, including their sharing of children and marriage partners, is believable, although some aspects of the story are maudlin. When the MacAvoys set sail alone for Martha’s Vineyard to celebrate their anniversary, tragedy strikes–and the question of murder arises. Hale’s stylistic portrayals give each character a distinct voice and a credible set of circumstances. However, the plot is somewhat overdone, and the novel would be better as an abridgment. Solving the mystery of the couple’s death is the most compelling part. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine