Author:  Elin Hilderbrand
Title:  The Island
Publisher:  Reagan Arthur Books/Little, Brown and Company

If the definition of a good summer read is a light, relaxing novel one can pick up and put down at will, then The Island definitely fits the bill. Elin Hilderbrand's ninth novel is even set on a remote vacation spot—a small, exclusive island off the coast of Nantucket (itself a small, exclusive island off the coast of Cape Cod). Beaches, romance, broken hearts, female bonding ... The Island has it all.

It's the story of four women in two generations of the same family. Birdie, the family matriarch, is recently divorced and a bit at loose ends when her fabulously successful daughter Chess enlists Birdie's help planning her grand society wedding. Birdie throws herself into the task, only to be shocked by an unexpected phone call from Chess announcing that the wedding is off. So, Birdie circles the wagons, calling on her other (also fabulously successful) daughter, Tate, and Birdie's own sister, India. (And yes, India is just as fabulous and even more successful. Apparently it runs in the family.) Off they all go to their ancestral cottage on Tuckernuck Island for a month of hibernation and healing.

At least, that's the plan. Birdie's idea is that India, whose husband committed suicide some years ago, can act as grief counselor to Chess. Meanwhile, Tate can serve as her sister's confidante and Barrett—a local hottie who brings supplies and mail twice daily by boat—can take Chess's mind off her broken heart. But plans like these seldom go smoothly. India is consumed by a potential romance of her own—with a younger woman, no less. Tate is too busy scheming how to get Barrett for herself to worry overmuch about Chess's state of mind. Meanwhile, Birdie is dealing with her own romantic entanglements. It's a tangled web of guilt and desire all around—but, as befits a vacation story, happy endings are just a few pages away.

Moral standards are pretty lax here—think typical network television fare—but the occasional display of passion is not too graphic. The characters are all pleasant enough (for a bunch of privileged, successful, self-absorbed women) but I can't say I missed them once the book was over. The story was well-written and easy to read, the setting was interesting and beautifully drawn, but do I think The Island is, as the jacket cover claims, an "unforgettable new novel"? No, not really. On the other hand, is it a good choice to take to the beach, on your next flight, or out to the backyard for a little light reading? Sure. If you're looking for a little mental vacation, The Island could be the perfect destination.

**This review first published on August 13, 2010.