Summer of '69

Elin Hildebrand's novels are my go-to choice for beach reading, offering the perfect blend of engaging storytelling and light-hearted entertainment. This particular book captivated me with its rich historical backdrop, weaving an intricate narrative that kept me thoroughly engrossed. The unexpected plot twists and surprising revelations added an extra layer of excitement to the reading experience. The author's skillful storytelling and compelling characters make this book a must-read for anyone seeking an immersive and enjoyable literary escape. I wholeheartedly recommend this novel to fellow book lovers looking for a delightful and memorable reading adventure.

Summer of '69 was a good way to forget what is going on around the world. The story centers in one family: The Levins/Nichols (Although, Kate was a Foley at some point. She was married to Wilder Foley). Kate Levin is the mother. Kate is devastated that her only son, Tiger has been drafted to Vietnam. She's terrified he is going to die during this terrible war. She believes this is life paying her back for a secret she has been carrying for a long time. Kate knows she's drinking too much while her marriage and her relationship with her daughters are deteriorating. The oldest daughter, Blair is married and pregnant. She is unhappy with her husband, Angus who's a physicist who doesn't want her to pursue her career. Instead, he wants her to stay at home barefoot and pregnant which is terribly lonely since he doesn't get home until very late every day. Furthermore, her husband also has some spells where he doesn't want to go out of the house at all and wants to seclude himself instead. Kirby is the middle sister. She is all about fighting for civil rights, love not war, getting high and living free. Although, recently after she got in trouble with a man, she wants to heal and spend the summer at Martha's Vineyard. She's offered a job working the graveyard shift which she takes. She wants to prove she can be self-sufficient. In regards to her heart, She's not ready to date again until she meets Darren. Lastly, there is Jessie, the half-sister. She just turned thirteen and the last thing she wants to do is to stay with her mother Kate and her grandmother, Exalta in Nantucket for the summer. It's implicit that she would need to start taking tennis lessons even though it is not a sport she wants to learn. It doesn't help that her first class in nothing but a nightmare. *** Going back to Nantucket through Elin Hilderbrand's vision is always fun. But this time, it was not only Nantucket that was relevant but instead she decided to transport us to 1969. A year which was important for America and the world for so many reasons. Some awe-inspiring moments but also some terrible tragedies occurred during this time. Summer of '69 had relatable characters. I liked them all except maybe I never really warm up to the Exalta. I can't wait for Mrs. Hilderbrand's next Nantucket beach read. Cliffhanger: No 4/5 Fangs

I love Elin Hildebrand books, they never miss, they are perfect beach reads every time and I can never put any of her books down. You can always count on them to be great reads, and summer of 69 is no exception. Utterly Fantastic and engrossing. The only problem with her books is that they are all set in Nantucket so I can’t always remember which ones I’ve already read thru the years! I wish when I had discovered her I had kept a list of the books I have read from her because she has written so many. I would and hope to read every one!!

This book was just ok. Certainly not as good as many others from this author. It seems like famous authors after writing so many books just try to fill pages with meaningless words. This is that kind of book. Lots of descriptions of places that are unnecessary to the story, too much about thoughts, emotions. Then some history thrown in. I found this book boring in so many parts that I just had to skip over. Disjointed and even the ending was lacking.

I think that this might be hands down one of my favorite Elin Hilderbrand novels. It is historical and tells the story of a family in the Summer of ‘69 which was an interesting turning point in our country. There is so much here to love, the characters who come to life, 1969 Nantucket which just sparkles in your memory and the warmth like a summer breeze. You can see it, you can taste it. Perfection, no notes!

I very much enjoyed reading this book, however the ending I found was really abrupt and left so many questions and stories unfinished. But overall the book was fun to read, especially for those of us who grew up in that time period.

Ms. Hilderbrand is new to me as an author but I know I will be sticking with her in the future. I already have another book of hers to read sitting on my shelf (a sequel to this one). There is so much going on in this book as 1969 had so much going on in America—the moon landing, the Kennedy tragedy/scandal, Vietnam, Woodstock. And these are all covered in Summer of ’69. But the most enjoyable part was getting to know the diverse three-generational characters of the Nichols-Foley-Levin family. Each chapter followed them one at a time, switching back and forth. I enjoyed this book tremendously. The detailed islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, where most of them spent the summer, were so well-written. In the fact, the whole book was so well-written that I would get upset every time I had to stop reading for a while. The anxiety and angst associated with the events that year (one of them in Vietnam, one pregnant, one a protestor for women’s rights, and one coming of age) came through. Secrets long suppressed came to light that summer. This book has everything!! I loved it! Highly Recommended. I remember that year well—Hilderbrand did an excellent job of bringing it back to me.

I'm late reading this because I gave up on EH for a time after books that were montages, bullet points, & outlines because she couldn't seem to even bother w/full sentences. When she's good at contemporary beach reads, she's very good. When she's not, she's horrid. BUT this is a departure for her - a back in time family saga. It's a good read. It takes place on both Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket and the family - who, of course, has been going to Nantucket for a century - has enough members for each to have an interesting story line tied to happenings of the eventful1969 - the walk on the moon, Woodstock, Chappaquiddick, and Vietnam. It's a well-paced emotional family drama that's probably not what her readers expect, but was a refreshing change. One of the characters who ventures beyond the family home/club/select restaurants is stunned to discover there's a lot more to Nantucket - and the world - than what her circumspect family has previously given her. This reader felt that, too.

Es una historia conmovedora, expone los echos más impactantes del siglo XX durante la década de los 60, Vietnam, las manifestaciones por la lucha racial en los Estados Unidos o la llegada del hombre a la luna. Todo narrado a través del punto de vista de una familia media acomodada, con sus valores y sus secretos, y como vive estos echos históricos. A veces divertida y a veces entrañable. No te dejará indiferente.

Si vous voulez passer un agréable moment sans vous prendre le chou, ce livre vous conviendra. Si vous attendez des faits historiques détaillés sur l'année 69, passez votre chemin. Ce livre n'est pas un récit historique mais juste un bon livre qui vous parle d'une famille américaine pendant cette année si particulière. Ce que j'attendais. Pas trop de rebondissements. Ecriture agréable et roman facile à lire pour ceux qui veulent lire en VO.

Elin Hilderbrand is rapidly becoming one of my very favourite authors! I discovered her during a trip to the US when browsing in a bookstore. Her name had cropped up as one of the authors my readers also enjoy, so I was keen to find out what kind of books she writes. And I was immediately hooked. 'Summer of '69' is slightly different from this author's usual books, as it's set in a bygone era, but her research into the 1960s is impeccable, as is the atmosphere she invokes. There's casual sexism, racism and good descriptions of the new generational gap in the social norms that symbolized the end of the decade. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this novel. If you haven't yet discovered Elin Hilderbrand, I envy you! You have a bunch of books to enjoy.

I absolutely loved this book! I think it’s my favourite Elin Hilderbrand novel. The characters are diverse and interesting and I couldn’t help reminiscing about the late 60’s when I was a teenager. Great summer read!

As always a good easy read by Elin Hilderbrand. I really enjoyed this, a perfect summer read. ☀️