The Castaways~Review!

Sifting sand through ones toes, watching the waves lap the shore, the call of shore birds in the audible background, basking in the heat of the sun or crossing sweater wrapped arms to guard against the cool yet calming winds gusting off the water...this is what one should be doing while reading an Elin Hilderbrand novel! I, without question felt the unyielding urge to cast bathing suit, cut-offs, soft well-worn tees and sweater into a suitcase and lose myself on some distant shore after reading The Castaways!

The Castaways is Elin Hilderbrand's latest Nantucket tale. A tale of four couples--"The Castaways", metaphorically "washed-up" on the shores of Nantucket--inseparable friends who share life but withhold many secrets! One of these couples is Tess and Greg MacAvoy now found dead--drowned mysteriously while on an anniversary voyage meant to repair a marriage tattered by the rumours of an illicit affair Greg may have had with a student. Tess and Greg's friends are altered forever and their secrets are revealed as they piece together what has happened and come to terms with their grief and guilt!

I felt almost like a voyeur peering into the personal lives and guilty secrets of Hilderbrand's characters. The characters in this novel are well-developed and multi-faceted. They reveal layer upon layer of themselves through their own personal recounting of memories and emotions. I felt as though I was piecing together a puzzle as I gradually became privy to everyone's secrets! The story of eight friends interconnected so tightly reveals the secret life of friend relationships and the many facets of human intimacy!

The Castaways is a great leisurely summer pleasure read full of unforgettable characters and mystery! If you are interested in this and other novels set in Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand visit her web community {I have the link on my right sidebar}.
Thank you to Miriam Parker at Hachette Book Group for this fantastic read and review opportunity.