Ratings4
Average rating4.3
From the beloved author of We All Want Impossible Things, a moving, hilarious story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch, and learning to let go.
For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their humble beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, sunny days, great meals, and messes of all kinds: emotional, marital, and—thanks to the cottage’s ancient plumbing—septic too.
This year’s vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past—except, perhaps, for Rocky’s hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) Her body is changing—her life is, too. And then a chain of events sends Rocky into the past, reliving both the tenderness and sorrow of a handful of long-ago summers.
It's one precious week: everything is in balance; everything is in flux. And when Rocky comes face to face with her family’s history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.
Reviews with the most likes.
Kinda cute story about a family who returns to their usual summer vacation spot, grown children, elderly grandparents, and a mom going through menopause. She reflects on her child-bearing years ( some of it tragic) and prepares for the next stage of life as the children get on with their own lives. I found the relationship between parents and children a little woke, and too open, but maybe I'm comparing my relationship with my parents to this? In any case, good prose.
More people are going through everything Rocky is. The menopause, death, love, self-analysis, etc. Am I the only one who loves Willa? She is phenomenal. This is a cute short read.
I flew through this audiobook, and it was fun, fresh, relevant for a woman of my age and place in life. I get the complaints that others made, and they are mostly fair. But it was still enjoyable and interesting. I appreciated the mother-daughter relationships she captured, as well as the somewhat idealized, but pleasant depiction of a mid-life marriage.