The New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Guests returns at long last to her beloved Isle of Palms in this breathtaking novel about one family’s summer of forging new beginnings against the enduring beauty and resilience of the natural world. It might not be a coincidence that many of these books on my list are British. Yes, I am British too, so it makes sense these are the books I’m drawn to. But it’s also because there’s been a definite trend in the UK over recent years for something that’s been called “up lit” – books with “kindness at their core”, as the Guardian puts it. And regardless, there’s a certain kind of gentle British humour that infuses a lot of these books and helps to make them feel warm and fuzzy. But anyway, cover aside, this book was an utter delight. I have a lot in common with Nina – who buys a croissant on the way to work at her lovely bookshop, just like me – and she’s an endearing character, a slightly awkward introvert who loves trivia night, her cat, her routine, and her small group of friends, and find her life upended by an unexpected inheritance. It’s so warmly written by, yes, another British author, though one based in Los Angeles. When I finished this book, I felt like I’d been hugged.
