Dar was the only sister that you get to know but even so hard to accept. The oldest so father confided in her more, mother in ill health needed her. Father leaves at 12 yrs and now mom is dead. Dar has stronger memories of the ocean house. A recovering alcoholic who uses her graphic novel writing to understand her life wanting to hold to past sadness did not seem real. Mom seemed to have let go of father leaving for Ireland but daughter never did. Cleaning out house makes sisters decide to find out what happened to father by going to Ireland. Nice descriptions of small towns and wealthy ocean living. Unbelievable that 28 yrs later they find his boat, his claim to wealth. Sisters act close but question if they really just cared for each other. ( )

This book was handed to me by Mom- I really enjoyed the Manga-artist aspect of the narrator. ( )

I could not put this down and read it in two days. The details bring Martha's Vinyard to life in a way that one can truly feel what the beachhouse is like with all of the accumulated treasures from each generation. The characters are interesting and the story is compelling. This is my first Luanne Rice novel but it won't be my last! ( )

I was really looking forward to this book. I have read several others by Luanne Rice and enjoyed them very much. And the cover is so pretty! But I have to say, this book was a disappointment. The good news is that is is a quick, easy read. I finished in 2 days. The bad news is that it is a very forgettable story.

In many ways, it is a slow moving story with not a whole lot going on. And in other ways, there is far too much happening, with too many characters and too much going on. The result is the book ends leaving many questions unanswered.

The main storyline is about 3 sisters who feel forced to sell the family property on Martha's Vineyard following the death of their mother. They gather to sort through her things and list the property. Through their reminiscing, we learn their father disappeared when they were children, after leaving their mother and setting out across see in a boat he built to persue his 'birthright', a land grant issued by the King of England. Apparently he always felt inferior to his wife because her family was established in the Vineyard and wealthy, and he was not. I truly did not think much of him, though his daughters held him in high regard.

There are sub-storylines; one sister is separated from her husband, who is in the midst of an affair, and the other has a granddaughter whose father, her drug-addicted son, has never met. He has disappeared into Alaska. And then there is the trip to Ireland when the daughters attempt to learn the whereabouts of their father and we meet even more characters. These all could have been developed into interesting storylines on their own, but in many cases, we are left hanging. I'm not sure that ANYTHING is totally resolved in this book. It left me hanging.

Having said all this, I am not recommending you put aside all your Luanne Rice books. She is a very good author and for the most part, her stories are enjoyable. But unless you are committed to reading everyone of her books, you may want to take a pass on this one. Or at least save it until you've finished the rest of your list. ( )

I found this book a slow read at first but then it really pick up and I really enjoyed it. I think you just need to give it a chance. ( )