The Beach Club [Paperback]

Elin Hilderbrand (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 13, 2008

Gorgeous Nantucket is an island where memories are made, friendships begun, passions ignited. Now, during one unforgettable summer, the exclusive Nantucket Beach Club and Hotel will shape the fates of the men and women who walk through its doors...

Mack Petersen escaped the past and started over in a hotel that has become his life.  This summer his secrets can't stay hidden. Love O'Donnell, a glamorous Aspen native, takes a job at the Beach Club to implement her life plan--to find a man to get her pregnant. Vance Robbins has his African-American pride and festering resentments. This season, a gun and a woman offer him a chance to get even with the man he hates most. Cecily Elliott, the owner's daughter, wild and beautiful at eighteen, is about to do something to break her parents' hearts. And Lacey Gardner, the Grande Dame of the Beach Club for 45 years, knows about desperate desire--and about the storm coming that will change everything.

The Beach Club, Elin Hilderbrand's first Nantucket novel--the one that started it all--is still the most satisfying read of the summer.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Inspired by her home island, Nantucket resident and first-time novelist Hilderbrand maps out a sprightly summer saga at the exclusive Nantucket Beach Club and Hotel, from the season's May opening through the October finale. Transplanted Iowa farmboy Mack Petersen begins his 12th summer as hotel manager, wondering if the time has come to ask for a share in the ownership of his beloved adopted home; meanwhile, his gorgeous girlfriend, Maribel Cox, is dropping strong hints about getting married. Aging owner Bill Elliott returns from winter in Aspen with several conundrums: he begins to receive mysterious, anonymous letters from someone insistently offering to buy the property; his rebellious 18-year-old daughter, Cecily, refuses to learn about managing the family business; he fears growing old and broods on the uncertain future of his hotel. Besides the usual duties of housekeeping and keeping wealthy guests happy, Mack also contends with the subtle hostility of Vance Robbins, the African-American bellman who envies Mack's position and his girl; a hurricane that threatens to destroy the hotel; and tempting job offers that promise a new life away from Nantucket. Newcomer Love O'Donnell has been hired to work the hotel's reception desk, but her real mission is to find a man to father the child she desperately wants before her biological clock runs out, while callow college graduate Jem Crandall develops a hopeless crush on Maribel. Faithful to the easy rhythm of a real-life summer resort, the novel is lively with guests new and old who bring fresh problems to the plot. Though somewhat predictable, these summer escapades have a strong emotional pull, and readers will remain absorbed until the surprising denouement. Agent, Michael Carlisle.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

The relaxed sophistication of the Nantucket Beach Club and Hotel provides a vibrant backdrop for Hildebrand's delectably dramatic debut novel. Mack Peterson has managed the hotel for 12 years, ever since he stole the position from Vance Robbins by disembarking the ferry two minutes before him. Mack is now Vance's archenemy; best friends with wealthy, 88-year-old Lacey Gardner; fianceto the beautiful and sweet Maribel; an almost-son to proprietors Bill and Therese Elliot; and "just friends" with their daughter Cecily. But he senses that the number 12 will bring about change and force him to face the life choices he finds so overwhelming. Nonetheless, he failed to anticipate where true love would be found--or the hurricane that threatens to destroy his beloved hotel. The end of the season brings upheavals and revelations, including the surprise identity of S.B.T., an anonymous individual offering Bill $25 million to purchase the hotel. As she intertwines themes of commitment, family obligations, and resentment, Hilderbrand reveals tantalizing romances and unexpected heroes. Deborah Rysso
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 357 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (May 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312382421
• ISBN-13: 978-0312382421
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her husband and their three young children. She grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and traveled extensively before settling on Nantucket, which has been the setting for her five previous novels. Hilderbrand is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Start to Summer, June 17, 2002

By 

[e-mail] (United States of America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beach Club: A Novel (Paperback)

This book definitely exceeded my expectations. I bought it because Nantucket is one of my favorite places, and because it sounded like a great Summer read. Other then that, I was anticipating a less than quality quick and easy read.

Quick and easy it was, but that is because the writing and the characters drew me in from the first page, and didn't let me go until the very end. Ms. Hilderbrand is a talented writer who's works should not be overlooked as being too simplistic or soap opera like.

This book begins at the beginning of a Summer at The Beach Club, an exclusive hotel on Nantucket Island. The reader is introduced to the main characters right away, as well as a bit of their histories. All of them are on Nantucket for one reason or another related to who they are, and each reason is as compelling as the next. Each character is somehow related to the Beach Club.

This book delves into the inter-relationships between co-workers, lovers, rivals, parents and children, and so much more. It also opens a window onto one of the most beautiful, exclusive islands in the US. For anyone who has been to Nantucket or wants to go, this is a must read. From the smells, to the sounds and scenery, this book touches upon so much of the island's mystique.

I was sad to finish this well written, heartfelt story because there were so many characters who's lives were interesting enough to have encompassed their own novels. This book was a great pre-Summer read. I look forward to reading Nantucket Nights, Ms. Hildebrand's newest book.

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun summer reading - a day at the beach, June 5, 2000

By 

Nancy T. Carini (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beach Club: A Novel (Hardcover)

I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Hilderbrand's style of writing. She captures you immediately and makes you laugh and cry throughout the story. The story line is good, but complicated and maybe too many story lines going on at once. However, the ending was a kick and it screams sequel. I loved most of the characters, although she left you hanging with one character, Vance, who seemed incomplete and not well defined, in comparison to her other characters. I definitely recommend this book and look forward to other books by Ms. Hilderbrand. She is a great author.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best EH book yet!, August 9, 2010

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hopelessromantic - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Beach Club (Paperback)

I've read all Hilderbrands books to date and this one is the best! I finished it in two days because I couldn't put it down. I love her writing style.