Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

Endless Summer

Stories

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

The "queen of beach reads" (New York Magazine) presents nine captivating stories of summer on Nantucket—and days that last forever—to carry us through when those warm sandy days feel far off.
Inside the collection, you'll find:

  • Three years after Mallory Blessing's death (in 28 Summers), her friends gather for another eventful Labor Day celebration on Nantucket in "The Sixth Wedding."

  • The marriage at the heart of Beautiful Day enters uncertain territory when Margot Carmichael encourages her husband to reunite with his ex-girlfriend in "The Surfing Lesson."

  • In "The Tailgate" the weekend of a Harvard/Yale football game recharts the course of "Matchmaker" Dabney Kimball's first—and abiding—true love.

    • In "Summer of '79," the three Levin sisters reunite after a decade after the summer that changed everything.

    • And more . . .

    With a foreword by Elin Hilderbrand about the writer's reluctance to leave treasured characters behind and a prefatory, "behind-the-scenes" note included with each story, this book answers the prayers of both new and seasoned readers everywhere who, like the Kirkus reviewer, "would rather be living in an Elin Hilderbrand novel."

    • Creators

    • Publisher

    • Release date

    • Formats

    • Languages

    • Reviews

      • Library Journal

        May 1, 2022

        Backman's The Winners revisits the small but tough rural community first seen in the multi-best-booked Beartown, inspiration for the HBO original. From Cousens (This Times Next Year), Before I Do features Audrey, who's about to marry dependable Josh when his sister turns up with the guy Audrey always wanted. With Thief of Fate, Deveraux and Sheets wrap up a trilogy about an 1840s Irish thief in contemporary Providence Falls, NC, who is tasked by the angels with righting the wrong of having lured away Cora from her intended (75,000-copy paperback and 10,000-copy hardcover first printing). Hilderbrand's Endless Summer offers nine stories serving as prequels, sequels, and interim chapters illuminating her beloved novels (375,000-copy first printing). In Edgar-nominated Kennedy's Billie Starr's Book of Sorries, down-on-her-luck Jenny Newberg (mother of the eponymous Billie) unwisely accepts money to seduce the so-called Candidate (75,000-copy first printing). Macomber gets us in The Christmas Spirit with the story of two friends, a bartender and a pastor, and what they learn when they trade places for the holidays. Second in a series set in Wishing Tree, WA, Mallery's Home Sweet Christmas features two women--one a town newbie, another home temporarily--with Christmas surprises in store (250,000-copy paperback and 10,000-copy hardcover first printing). Bringing together stay-at-home witch Lucy Caraway and merman Alex, out of his element in Freya Grove, NJ, Martin's Witchful Thinking launches a series featuring Black characters with books already slated for publication in 2023 and 2024 (45,000-copy first printing). Nigerian British Nwabineli debuts with Someday, Maybe, about a young woman struggling to recover from her husband' suicide (75,000-copy first printing). Thanks to Patterson and coauthor Safran, lonely widower Henry Sullivan and children Will and Ella end up welcoming a raucous bunch of animals and houseguests to their Harlem brownstone during The Twelve Long, Hard, Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas (125,000-copy first printing). Picoult and Boylan's Mad Honey stars a wealthy wife returning to her New Hampshire hometown after discovering her husband's ugly side. In Steel's latest, a sensational young singer who hits all The High Notes must wrestle freedom from those who would exploit her, including her father.

        Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

      • Kirkus

        September 1, 2022
        Prequels, sequels, and bonus tracks for favorite Hilderbrand novels. One wonders what the author of 28 novels, sometimes appearing at the rate of two per year, does in her spare time. It turns out she writes what might almost be called Elin Hilderbrand fan fiction, creating short stories piggybacking off already-developed characters and plots. Brief introductions to each of the nine stories presented in this collection explain which book it goes with and the circumstances of its creation (most were digital or limited-edition publications; three were unpublished until now). Though it certainly would be best to read each story with its progenitor, as suggested, some can also work on their own. Both "The Surfing Lesson" (which goes with Beautiful Day) and "The Tailgate" (The Matchmaker) have the tight narrative focus and limited character set that make the short form shine. Less successful are the add-on stories "Summer of '79" and "Summer of '89," because if you haven't come fresh from Summer of '69, the large, multigenerational cast and intricate tapestry of the backstories are a little challenging. Fans of Golden Girl, in which Nantucket novelist Vivi Howe dies in the first chapter, will be pleased to see her resurrected here in "The Workshop." Vivi's experiences at the Bread Loaf Writer's Conference in Vermont are based on Hilderbrand's famously terrible time at the University of Iowa graduate writing program. Also fun is "Barbie's Wedding," in which realtor Fast Eddie Pancik's little sister, a bit player from The Rumor, marries the competition, shaking off any latent bad juju from the prostitution ring she helped run. A generous gift to the fans.

        COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

      • Booklist

        September 15, 2022
        Readers can't get enough of Hilderbrand's signature Nantucket style, and here she obliges their appetites with short stories (and one novella) that revisit some of her most beloved characters. Some are prequels, like ""The Surfing Lesson,"" in which Margot from Beautiful Day (2013) realizes she's ready to divorce her husband, Drum. Some are sequels, like ""Frank Sinatra Drive,"" an unpublished chapter from The Perfect Couple (2018), in which a character envisions a very different perfect ending to that horrific wedding weekend. Not all of them take place on Nantucket; ""The Tailgate"" brings readers to a mid-1980s Harvard-Yale football game, and standout ""The Workshop"" finds Vivian Howe from The Golden Girl (2021) attending a writing workshop. All carry Hilderbrand's signature traits, flawed, likable characters and plenty of details about clothing, housewares, and food. The introduction encourages readers to read these stories alongside the novels they expand; sound advice, as those new to Hilderbrand won't fully appreciate the magic that unfolds in her novels and makes readers clamor for more.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Hilderbrand's novels are always bestsellers, and all of those readers will be curious to revisit old favorites.

        COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

      • AudioFile Magazine
        Erin Bennett narrates nine short stories, chapters, and novellas, each based on beloved characters from the author's published novels, most of which take place on Nantucket. Bennett gives background on the new material and which published work it builds on. Some of these stories are prequels, some sequels, and some additional chapters that add to the original story. All are enriched by the gentle pace and emotional depth of Bennett's portrayals of characters. She embodies a Nantucket summer, complete with boozy evenings and extravagant lifestyles. This production is especially for Hilderbrand fans who have wondered what happened to a favorite character after an earlier book ended or what happened to a character to make them act the way they did. Bennett answers those questions with finesse. L.M.G. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

    Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

    Languages

    • English

    Loading