Summerland

By Elin Hildebrand

Nantucket is an island a summer place, a place for tourists, a summerland.  But locals live on the island as well and this story begins with a high school graduation. Everyone who has a teenager knows what graduation entails.  There are lots of parties and a little drinking but usually everyone goes home and all is well.  Unfortunately for four teens, this was not to be.  Penelope, Penny to all is told something by Demeter which sends her in a tailspin.  She rushes to her boyfriend’s car and since she is the only who hasn’t drunk alcohol she takes the wheel. In the car are her boyfriend Jake, her twin brother, and Demeter.   She starts driving way to fast and crashes.  She and her brother are thrown from the car since they were not wearing seat belts. Raced to the hospital Penny does not survive and her brother is in a coma.  The other two walk away banged up but ok.  Physically ok.

The author then takes you through the wrenching emotions of a mother’s grief, a boyfriend’s loss of the love of his life, a brother who has lost half of him and all the other characters who deal with the pain, grief, guilt and heartache surrounding this tragic event. Everyone has to learn to live in a new reality and try to find a way to heal.  I have read other books by this author, but I think this is my favorite.