The Castaways: A Novel [Hardcover]

Elin Hilderbrand (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2009

Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy's closest friends for what will be revealed.

Once again, Hilderbrand masterfully weaves an intense tale of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of endless summer island life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the close-knit group of four successful Nantucket couples who call themselves the Castaways, Greg and Tess MacAvoy had what everybody wanted. Or so it seems to Delilah Drake, the voluptuous bon vivant Castaway married to staid farmer Jeffrey. But when Greg and Tess sail to Martha's Vineyard to celebrate their anniversary and mysteriously drown, their deaths stir up more secrets than there are tourists on the island's golden beaches. Hilderbrand (Barefoot) goes deep into each of the surviving Castaways' hearts, revealing old affairs and new entanglements. Was Greg involved with someone else? Was Tess going to leave Greg for Addison Wheeler, the rich Castaway married to the pill-popping Phoebe? Hilderbrand will reveal all, as well as plenty of other tidbits that aren't as interesting—including how long Delilah was in labor with her first son, the titles of songs that come on the radio at important moments and the lengths Addison went to get a stoned Phoebe to sleep with him. Readers of women's fiction who don't mind digressions should be satisfied with this tale of knotty relationships set against the lovely Nantucket backdrop. (July)
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About the Author

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

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316043893
• ISBN-13: 978-0316043892
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1.6 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (99 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #387,971 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

54 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Castaways - not your usual summer beach book, July 7, 2009

By 

Angela Sandelier "CPA Mom" (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Castaways: A Novel (Hardcover)

Last summer, I was privileged to read and review Ms. Hilderbrand's previous novel entitled A Summer Affair (you can read my review here (and I'm excited to tell you that an excerpt of my review was included in the paperback version that was released on June 1, 2009!!). In The Castaways, Ms. Hilderbrand seems to be sticking with her theme of disillusioned marriage partners seeking diversion outside the marriage (again with the affairs! I guess books about successful marriages wouldn't sell very well?). Regardless, I absolutely loved this book. And you will too. Far from a simple "beach read," The Castaways has a pretty involved plot with several well developed characters. And those characters are so interwoven throughout their lives you really need to pay attention to keep up. Ms. Hilderbrand keeps you guessing throughout the entire book by writing the chapters from the point of view of all the characters at different points in their lives - so often you are reading the same story but from a different perspective. In my humble opinion, this is a great way to flesh out the story lines AND the characters. And her writing is so vivid, the characters and the beautiful shores of Nantucket are brought to life. So if you are looking for a good book to read this summer that is not at all cut from the usual "beach read" mold, The Castaways is a must read for you.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not-fluffy summer beach read, July 9, 2009

By 

A. Salick "drey" (WI, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Castaways: A Novel (Hardcover)

Who knew that dying would cause so much confusion? Consternation? Guilt? Pain--well, that's given. In any case, Greg & Tess MacAvoy's deaths while sailing to celebrate their 12th anniversary, definitely opens up a can of worms for their close-knit group of friends. Everyone has secrets. Everyone has regrets. Some more than others. Without giving the whole story away, The Castaways was a well-written and engrossing look into the lives of this close-knit group of friends, and how they deal with the loss of two of their own. Along the way, hidden secrets reluctantly come to light, and forgiveness lets the living carry on.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The life of 4 couples, July 9, 2009

By 

A. Mason (Windermere, FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Castaways: A Novel (Hardcover)

I have heard that this is a great beach read, but I'm not sure I agree. For me, this book is too deep, too sad to be a beach read (I like mine to be fluffy!) But this book is definitely a good one! It's gossipy and it kept me hooked! It told the life of four different couples through the eyes of six different people. There were lots of twists and turns and inter-mingling (is that a word?) between the couples. I thought I had the death of the MacAvoy's figured out but then something new would pop up. And it all wrapped up nicely in the end!