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Overview
When two estranged sisters inherit a Hamptons beach house, they search for fortune but find love instead.
Cassie and Peck are half sisters with little in common beyond a shared last name—that is, until their beloved aunt Lydia bequeaths them equal shares of her ramshackle old cottage in the Hamptons with instructions to "seek the thing of utmost value" within it. Cassie and Peck fantasize about discovering a lost Jackson Pollock, or a first edition of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, as they revel in one last summer of fabulous parties and nostalgia.
From the author of Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him, Danielle Ganek's The Summer We Read Gatsby, a perfect beach read, captures the spirit of New York's most glamorous resort town, and will captivate readers with its spellbinding blend of romance, mystery, and charmingly eccentric characters.
Synopsis
A delightful comedy of manners about two sisters who must set aside their differences when they inherit a house in the Hamptons
Half-sisters Cassie and Peck could not be more different. Cassie is a newly divorced journalist with her feet firmly planted on the ground; Peck is a vintage-obsessed actress with her head in the clouds. In fact, the only thing they seem to have in common is their inheritance of Fool's House, a rundown cottage left to them by their beloved Aunt Lydia. But Cassie and Peck can't afford the house, and they can't agree on anything, much less what to do with the place. Plus, along with the house, they've inherited an artist-inresidence and self-proclaimed genius named Biggsy who seems to bring suspiciously bad luck wherever he goes. As these two likable sisters try to understand their aunt's puzzling instructions to "seek a thing of utmost value" from within the house, they're both distracted by romantic entanglements with men from their pasts. The Summer We Read Gatsby, set in the end-of-an-era summer of 2008, is filled with fabulous parties, eccentric characters, and insider society details that showcase Ganek's pitch-perfect sense of style and wit.
Publishers Weekly
Ganek’s wispy story unfolds a tad too slowly for the audio medium; listeners may find their attention wandering as they wait for the slim plot about two sisters, an old house, and a missing painting to pick up the pace. But Justine Eyre’s delightful narration provides ample reason to tune in: she switches back and forth from practical Cassie to melodramatic Peck, from proper Englishman Hamilton to Scottish-burred Scotty, all with authentic voices, without missing a beat. Her lively performance injects much needed energy into the proceedings and makes this audiobook an enjoyable listen. A Viking hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 12). (June)