The Beach at Summerly

The Summerly mansion on the quaint island of Winthrop has been a place of heartbreak in recent years.  So many families lost sons in World War II, and as other families’ sons return home, their grief is renewed.  But it is a different grief that tears the island apart at the end the summer.  The Cold War suddenly arrives pulling two families that have been intertwined for decades into the fray.  A Soviet spy, an FBI agent, and the boy next door – each has a long-lasting impact on life on the island.

Beatriz Williams has made a name for herself with historical fiction set both at the New England coast, and in the post-World War II era.  The Beach at Summerly bridges the gap between the return to normal so many families sought after the war with the impending Cold War espionage.  With mystery and romance, this novel is a more serious read than your typical beach novel but leaves the reader lacking the full-blown thrill of espionage.  This is a book about the constraints of family commitments and the importance of taking action when the opportunity is present.

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I give The Beach at Summerly 4 out of 5 stars. This book was not exactly what I had expected from a historical fiction about the time period.  I found myself lost among the characters, confused by the varied plots and timelines, and frustrated by the half attempt at a thriller.  With that said, the writer built scenes that were easily visualized.  I did notice a few challenges with the facts around the FBI and CIA, but nothing that changed the meaning of the plot.

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This book would be best directed to audiences over 16.  With references to sex and murder, this is not the book for younger readers.  If you enjoy books about the CIA or Cold War, and are looking for something with a little more romance, this may be a good fit for you.  However, if you’re looking for something with a full tale of espionage, this will leave you unsatisfied.

I chose The Beach at Summerly for the United States reaching challenge prompt “Massachusetts”.  While not technically a real life island, the town of Winthrop, Massachusetts, is very much a real city near Boston Harbor and on a peninsula.  It is the birthplace of many artists and sports figures, as well as the poet Slyvia Plath.  I was drawn to this book for the time period it covered – the years in the 1940s are not typically featured in novels, but is just as important a period as the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War for how the Union came back from a low point.  There are some great options for books set in Massachusetts listed in the agenda from Sunday – especially Walden by Henry David Thoreau, or possibly Plath’s The Bell Jar.

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What I’m Reading

• Current print book: Ordinary Grace, William Kent Krueger
• Current audio book: Biloxi, Mary Miller
• Book I’m most looking forward to: Legends of the Fall, Jim Harrison