Summer Island

I really enjoyed SUMMER ISLAND, but perhaps a tad less than some of Hannah's other books. I think the inevitability of the story may have dampened my enthusiasm somewhat. That said, I think the author handled the weighty subjects of the book with aplomb and, yes, even humor.

It was a stroke of genius to have one of the main characters be a comedian. Addressing cancer, divorce, abandonment, and injury is not the breeding grounds of laughter. Probably the strongest, or to me the most touching, component of the story lay with the character, Eric, a gay man facing cancer without the support of the bio-family. This book was copyrighted in 2001, and a lot has changed since then, but this is by no means an outdated story. Sure we have more acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex marriage is now protected by law, but that doesn't make everyone accepting of the lifestyle.

As always, Hannah brings great stories and characters to life on her pages. But this isn't the beach read that the title might suggest.