Book of the day: "The Beach House"

In honor of International Chick Lit Month and our one year blogoversary, we're bringing you a book a day (and then some). If you've read the book and want to comment on this post with your thoughts, please do. If you haven't read it yet, we hope you'll take interest in it after hearing our thoughts. To make this fun, anyone who comments on any of these posts has a chance to be entered in a drawing for a special prize. The more posts you comment on, the more chances to win! (See here for contest details.)

"The Beach House" by Jane Green:
Known in Nantucket as the crazy woman who lives in the rambling house atop the bluff, Nan doesn’t care what people think. At sixty-five-years old, her husband died twenty years ago, her beauty has faded, and her family has flown. If her neighbors are away, why shouldn’t she skinny dip in their swimming pools and help herself to their flowers? But when she discovers the money she thought would last forever is dwindling and she could lose her beloved house, Nan knows she has to make drastic changes.

So Nan takes out an ad: Rooms to rent for the summer in a beautiful old Nantucket home with water views and direct access to the beach. Slowly, people start moving into the house, filling it with noise, with laughter, and with tears. As the house comes alive again, Nan finds her family expanding. Her son comes home for the summer, and then an unexpected visitor turns all their lives upside-down. (Summary courtesy of Jane Green's website.)

Melissa P:
I love anything that Jane Green writes. She always develops her characters so fully and creates a perfect picture of the scenery. The story was easy to follow and there was a character for everyone. I was particularly fond of Nan.

Melissa A: I read this in 2008 and it still sticks with me. It was a beautifully told story that explored a lot of different relationship issues. When I met Ms. Green in 2009, she talked about her inspiration for Nan and that made the book feel even more real to me.

More by Jane Green: