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    The Island: A Novel
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    The Island: A Novel
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    The Island: A Novel
    Audiobook15 hours

    The Island: A Novel

    Written by Elin Hilderbrand

    Narrated by Denice Hicks

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Birdie Cousins has thrown herself into the details of her daughter Chess's lavish wedding, from the floating dance floor in her Connecticut back yard to the color of the cocktail napkins. Like any mother of a bride-to-be, she is weathering the storms of excitement and chaos, tears and joy. But Birdie, a woman who prides herself on preparing for every possibility, could never have predicted the late-night phone call from Chess, abruptly announcing that she's cancelled her engagement.

    It's only the first hint of what will be a summer of upheavals and revelations. Before the dust has even begun to settle, far worse news arrives, sending Chess into a tailspin of despair. Reluctantly taking a break from the first new romance she's embarked on since the recent end of her 30-year marriage, Birdie circles the wagons and enlists the help of her younger daughter Tate and her own sister India. Soon all four are headed for beautiful, rustic Tuckernuck Island, off the coast of Nantucket, where their family has summered for generations. No phones, no television, no grocery store - a place without distractions where they can escape their troubles.

    But throw sisters, daughters, ex-lovers, and long-kept secrets onto a remote island, and what might sound like a peaceful getaway becomes much more. Before summer has ended, dramatic truths are uncovered, old loves are rekindled, and new loves make themselves known. It's a summertime story only Elin Hilderbrand can tell, filled with the heartache, laughter, and surprises that have made her engrossing, bestselling novels as much a part of summer as a long afternoon on a sunny beach.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateJul 6, 2010
    ISBN9781607882411
    Unavailable
    The Island: A Novel
    Author

    Elin Hilderbrand

    Elin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket, has three children and is the author of 27 novels, including SUMMER OF ‘69.  Elin met Dottie in the spring of 2017 at the annual Post & Courier luncheon in Charleston and Elin says, “It was love at first sight.” The two authors proceeded to meet on Nantucket every chance they got and they texted and emailed non-stop. They dreamed of doing a joint cooking show called “Cook the Books,” where they would invite a third author on to make a signature dish for each episode. They also talked about a cookbook called “The Southern Belle and the Gray Lady.” Elin’s summer of 2020 novel, 28 Summers, is dedicated to Dottie and Dottie makes a cameo appearance in Elin’s summer of 2021 novel, Golden Girl. “I will never again have a writer friend like Dottie,” Elin says. “Those of you who knew her understand what I mean, and those of you who didn’t will just have to trust me. They broke the mold.”

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    Reviews for The Island

    3.5/5

    298 ratings42 reviews

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    • 3/5
      The story was good - the characters were a little 'whiney' to me at times though.
    • 4/5
      The Island is a heartfelt story of four women who resort to casting themselves away to a private family-owned island of Tuckernuck, Mass. It is a story between two sets of sisters, both sets of separate generations. The women all have their baggage, but it's the type of baggage you're intrigued to read about. I hold The Island in high regard because although the book is what I consider to be very long (over 400 pages) it told each of the character's stories; capturing their triumphs, sadness, elation, and devastation from beginning to end, never missing a beat. The Island is so many things OTHER than a "light read" in my opinion. It is an ernest look into the lives of very different women. It is a story of love of family, unrequited love that is hard-won and conquered, emotional growth, and surviving trauma. It's complex concerning the issues woven into this piece of fiction and the ending is well-deserved for all characters. Have I mentioned there are actually FOUR characters' stories in this ONE novel? It's well worth the time to read it and will leave readers yearning for more. Good thing Hilderbrand has a solid booklist: I look forward to reading all the rest, too!Laurie Kozlowski Book Escape Reviews
    • 5/5
      Even though I have never been close to rich, I did identify with the women staying in this cabin on the island, Tuckernuck. I am a fan of Elin Hilderbrand who wrote this book, The Island. It is a small island close to Nantucket but it is owned privately by families. They all rough if there, no hot water and shops, bathrooms are came in later. I can remember going to both of my grandmothers before either one had indoor plumbing and going to town was a major event.All of the group of women were taking a break from life to get refreshed or get their bearings back. Birdie was involved with a married man whose wife had a later stage of Alzheimers. She and her husband had parted but she still miss him. Her oldest daughter, Chess was in deep emotional tormoi. Her fiancee had died in a mountain climbing accident. She had recently broken the engagement and quit her job in a food magazine. The younger daughter was more athletic and was a software geek. She wanted to have a long term relationship and was always jealous of her older sister. The last one of the group is India whose husband had committed suicide while depressed in another country. They all were escaping their life on the mainland and were closed lipped about telling what was wrong.Told by alternating narrators, it was great to see all of them struggle with their problems and make decisions be open to their true selves and binding together at the end.
    • 1/5
      This is like a Lifetime movie from 1986. Oh the whining, the spoiled people! Imagine a middle aged woman writing what she thinks is a scandalous romance novel, but she herself only has sex with the lights off and under the covers. I think the voice of the narrator makes it that much worse. It was read so slowly that I sped it up to 1.5x and it still sounded almost normal. It was the only way to get through it!
    • 4/5
      romantic drama. family issues. perfect beach read! love the nantucket setting!
    • 2/5
      When it's summer and it's hot and I don't want to think about much, I enjoy a trashy beach read just as much as the next person. The Island, however, is such formulaic trash that it's hard to get past its awfulness to wallow in a good old-fashioned & improbable romance.Between the irritating characters, the constant product placement (Tori Burch bags, Brooks Borthers, Veuve Clicout, blah, blah, blah,) and endless narcissistic navel gazing, I wanted the whole bunch of them to get into boat and be lost at sea.Judging by the 3 1/2 stars composite review of this book, I know I'm in the minority in my opinion. But when one if faced with a problem of "so many book,s so little time" it's really a shame to waste a minute on a book like this one.
    • 4/5
      Couldn't put it down. Read it in 2 afternoons. Story of two women (sisters) and their lives and the 2 (30ish) daughters of one of the women. All takes place during a month on a N.E. island owned by the family. Book flashbacks to what has brought each of them to the island. They all needed to reassess their lives and put them back together again in a different way than before.
    • 5/5
      This is not an "exciting" book, but I don't think that it was meant to be. It's the kind of book you would want to curl up with by the fire on a dark cold day. It's a comfortable book.It's a story of a family, four women, spending time together in an old family cottage that hasn't been lived in for a long time on a small island away from everything.Each of these women had distinct personalities and are all in different stages in their lives. I felt a closemess to each woman. They were unique from each other. It was a joy getting to know and understand them.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed reading this book.The strength was in the characters, 4 interesting, complex women. Although they had very different personalities, each had something I could identify with.But even more than their individual quirks, I enjoyed their relationships-- with their love interests, and especially with each other. The two generations of sisters interacting with each other, the different way each daughter related with her mother, all these added the texture to the book that made it work for me. The love and the tension between them all seemed very real.Sure, I also loved the thought of an island getaway, and the glimpses of life with a lot more money than I'll ever have. My only real problem with this book was with the ending. This is my biggest challenge as a reviewer-- I'd like to give you information to decide if my issue with a book is going to be a problem for you, but I don't want to spoil the book. I'll just say that if you like happy endings, you'll love The Island.
    • 4/5
      Chick lit -better than many of this genre.
    • 3/5
      This is the first book I have read by the author. Fun, easy beach reach if that's what you are in the mood for. My only criticism is that it seemed a little too long. However, I probably will read more by the author.
    • 5/5
      After a slow start, I really enjoyed this book about two sisters, Chess and Tate, their mother Birdie, and their aunt India who share a house on Tuckernuck one summer. Tuckernuck is a remote island off the coast of Nantucket, owned privately, with about 30 houses on it. I was fascinated by this glimpse into a lesser-known corner of the world, and equally caught up in the dramas of the four women. Although Chess was my least favorite for a while, she redeemed herself by the end.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this audiobook that brought me into the lives of these women that found themselves needing to rely on each other as they were dealing with their own personal problems within their lives. When they decide to go spend a month on the island of Tuckernuck at the family's summer home that barely has running water and no electricity, they really have no idea how much stronger their family bond will become.Birdie is the divorced mother of both Chess and Tate, who really has never wanted for anything in her lifetime. She has led a very fortunate life married to Grant Cousins, a successful lawyer, but found herself unhappy in the relationship as she was emotionally abandoned. While Grant put all of his time into his career, his family life deteriorated before he knew it and his marriage ended in divorce.Birdie tried to move on with her life as she is starting a relationship with a gentleman as this novel begins. Even though Birdie is trying to take control of her own life she also wants to try to take care of her daughters in a way that she didn't in the past. As Chess's upcoming marriage falls apart Birdie decides this is a good time to head to Tuckernuck for a little vacation. Birdie is surprised when Chess accepts her invitation to go on vacation with her, but is even more surprised when her other daughter Tate calls her asking if she can go too! Birdie is ecstatic with the possibilities of this girls vacation that lies ahead, but is also a little nervous about it so decides to ask her sister India to join them. Wow, are we in for a ride!Their little vacation on Tuckernuck grows into a month long hiatus for these ladies and as we are there with them, day in and day out, we get to learn their secrets, hopes, and fears. We learn the reason for Chess's broken engagement and why Tate has never had a true romance within her life. Although Birdie and India are older they learn about each other in a new way. As they discover things about each other they also learn new things about themselves that help them appreciate life in a whole new way.This was a wonderful audiobook that gave me such a vivid picture of what Tuckernuck must look like. Denise Hicks did a great job narrating by giving a believable voice and attitude to each of the characters. I found that I didn't want their vacation to end because I didn't want to leave Tuckernuck either! With themes of love, family bonds, and carefree living this book is great for both a book club discussion and to bring along on vacation. I highly recommend this book.
    • 5/5
      Elin Hilderbrand is a favorite author. Reading a book by her is like taking a vacation at the ocean with a bunch of fascinating people. The Island is about 4 women spending a month on an isolated island off the coast of Nantucket, two younger sisters plus their mother and their aunt. Each woman has reached a crossroads or a crisis in her life. Chess, one of the younger sisters, has recently broken her engagement resulting in the "accidental" death of her fiance. Her younger sister Tate is searching for love and unexpectedly finds it while staying on the island. Their mother Birdie has divorced their father and embarked on a new love affair with uncertain results. Their aunt, India, lost her beloved husband to suicide several years ago and is torn about starting a new relationship. All of these characters come alive in this book and we come to care about them very much.
    • 3/5
      This book is about two sets of sisters from two different generations, Birdie Cousins, and her two daughters Chess and Tate along with Birdie's sister India. They decide to spent the month of July at the family home on Tuckernut Island.Each woman woman has a story to tell and each of their stories revolve around love. Birdie divorced after thirty years of marriage is developing a relationship with Hank, a married man. They justify this relationship because Hank's wife has Alzheimer's and is in a nursing facility.India's husband committed suicide 15 yrs prior and is starting to develop a relationship with an art student. Tate, Birdie's youngest daughter comes off as arrogant, but actually she just uses that as a front to hide her insecurities, she has never really been lucky in love but maybe perhaps that will change since there is a cute handyman hanging around.Then we have Chess, she has called off her wedding not really explaining why, and then falls into depression when her former fiance suddenly dies. She is the true reason for the trip, the women hope that spending time together can help Chess heal. Soon though the women realize that they all needed this time together.Even though this was a very quick paced novel filled with women bonding, romance and drama,along with mother daughter relationships it just didn't click for me. The characters were explained in depth, I just couldn't connect with them for some reason. I could sympathize with Chess but ultimately I really couldn't get enthusiastic about any of the characters. I really didn't care for the relationship between Birdie and Hank, I guess I am just to old fashioned but I think the wedding vows say till death do us part, not" till my spouse gets Alzheimer's."Even though this book really didn't click for me, I do think that Ms. Hilderbrand is a good storyteller, and I will read more of her work.If your looking for book with romance, drama with a chic-lit feel, and a happy ending then this might be the perfect read for you.I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
    • 2/5
      Drivel, drivel, drivel, the kind of writing that gives chick lit its oft deserved bad name. Cardboard characters, predictable (and boring) plot, whiny audio narrator, unrealistic setting, generally overated drivel. I know the author states in the end that Tuckernuck Island is a real place. I simply hope that the private residents of this privately owned abode of the wealthy have more ooomph in their lives that this group of really annoying women. The only reason I listened to it was because the Hachette Audio group provided it to me in exchange for my running a contest on my blog and providing a review. Sorry Hachettel, this one is gruesomely boring. Other than that I don't feel strongly about it.
    • 2/5
      I wanted to like this story but the women in this book annoyed me. I found them far too whiny for a group of people who have the means to spend part of their summer on a private island on Cape Cod.
    • 4/5
      This is certainly a worthy beach read. It's also suitable for winter, when you want to curl up next to the wood stove with a good book. It's told from the perspective of four women, and since two or more characters might give their take on the same event, you can appreciate how much advance thought went into the story. If you like sweet romances with lifelike characters, pick up this book.
    • 4/5
      Two sisters, their mother and her sister end up on the family home on Tuckernuck Island (near Nantucket) for a month in the summer. All are embroiled in personal dramas. As the book progresses, we learn the details of why they all have chosen to spend the month there, and also learn the backstories to all the drama. We also learn what it's like to live on an island with no electricity and only cold running water, and that you can only get on and off of by boat.Kind of soap opera, but I enjoyed the book a lot. I found the characters well fleshed out and likable, very real. When I finished the book, I thought I wanted to read another book just like this one. I guess that must be a sign that a book entertained me pretty well.The only kink in the plot I noticed was how Barrett apparently switched his attentions so suddenly from one sister to the other. I didn't feel that was explained very well.
    • 5/5
      Gritty and realistic -- these are real women going through real relationship with each other, the good and bad, the ups and downs. Birdie Cousins has thrown herself into the details of her daughter Chess's lavish wedding, from the floating dance floor in her Connecticut back yard to the color of the cocktail napkins. Like any mother of a bride-to-be, she is weathering the storms of excitement and chaos, tears and joy. But Birdie, a woman who prides herself on preparing for every possibility, could never have predicted the late-night phone call from Chess, abruptly announcing that she's cancelled her engagement. It's only the first hint of what will be a summer of upheavals and revelations. Before the dust has even begun to settle, far worse news arrives, sending Chess into a tailspin of despair. Reluctantly taking a break from the first new romance she's embarked on since the recent end of her 30-year marriage, Birdie circles the wagons and enlists the help of her younger daughter Tate and her own sister India. Soon all four are headed for beautiful, rustic Tuckernuck Island, off the coast of Nantucket, where their family has summered for generations. No phones, no television, no grocery store - a place without distractions where they can escape their troubles.But throw sisters, daughters, ex-lovers, and long-kept secrets onto a remote island, and what might sound like a peaceful getaway becomes much more. Before summer has ended, dramatic truths are uncovered, old loves are rekindled, and new loves make themselves known. It's a summertime story only Elin Hilderbrand can tell, filled with the heartache, laughter, and surprises that have made her page-turning, bestselling novels as much a part of summer as a long afternoon on a sunny beach.
    • 5/5
      Elin Hilderbrand's novels, set on Nantucket, are one of my favorite summer pleasures. The author has an amazing ability to conjure up a place so well that you can picture it, and "The Island" is no exception. The story, about the difficult relationships between mothers, daughters, and sisters, and how we look to these strong bonds in times of need, is both heartwarming and real.
    • 5/5
      Elin Hilderbrand's latest novel, The Island, tells the story of 4 women over one month on Tuckernuck Island. Birdie's daughter, Chess, is about to marry the perfect man. To celebrate and try to reconnect with Chess, Birdie invites her to spend a week in the old family vacation home on Tuckernuck Island. When Chess calls off the engagement and shortly after the ex fiancee dies in a freak climbing, the accident, the week turns into a month and Birdie invites her other daughter Tate and her own sister India to try and help Chess find her way out of the deep depression she has fallen in. They plan for a quiet, nurturing month caring for Chess, but the island has its own ideas. The reality will turn out to be far more exciting and healing than any of them expect.This was my first introduction to Elin Hilderbrand and I was very pleasantly surprised. I anticipated a shallow but mildly entertaining summer read. Instead I found impressive depth and detail with all the mess and complication of real life. The characters were interesting, fully realized people who I would be friends with in real life. I enjoyed every minute of getting to know them. If the end is a bit of a fairy tale, all neatly tied up and happy, I liked the book even better for it. A thoroughly enjoyable read and I look forward to diving into the rest of Hilderbrand's work.
    • 4/5
      "The Island" follows a family of four women as they spend a month on Tuckernuck, a remote island off the coast of Nantucket. The women are two sets of sisters, Birdie and India, and Birdie's two daughters, Chess and Tate. The trip emerges in the midst of Chess' broken engagement and the tragic death of her ex-fiance. Although the women arrive on Tuckernuck hoping the quiet and remote place will heal Chess, each of the four women finds a type of healing and rebirth on the island that they had never expected. This is another excellent offering of smart chick lit from Elin Hilderbrand. The novel is told from the rotating perspectives of the four women, which gives the reader the opportunity to identify with each of the women and her story. Each of the women has her own internal demons that she must overcome on the island--from Chess' anguish over her fiance, to India's memories of her famous husband, to Tate's uncertainty at first love, and Birdie's challenge of starting again after a difficult divorce. The different experiences of the four women gives every reader a character that she can identify with, and makes for an never dull read. If you are a fan of Hilerbrand's brand of smart and fun women's fiction, this is a novel for you. It's light enough for a beach read but with enough genuine emotion and real life to suck you in for this genuine good read.
    • 3/5
      The Island a long story about four women who are trying to work through problems in their lives. The island is a secluded privately owned island off of Nantucket. They all four in the end came to terms and determined to move on in their lives. It took a long time to get to the happy ending. Three stars were awarded to this book because it was just a nice unpredictable unremarkable story.
    • 3/5
      I took this book with me to read by the pool in Florida, it seemed like it would be an easy read. I was very wrong. I read a little bit of this book each day but it took awhile to finish. The island of Tuckernuck sounds heavenly. I was really hoping for more of a happy beach read with these four women instead of lots of drama.

      This book was full of angst. Birdie and her sister India, grew up spending summers on Tuckernuck. Birdie is now the owner of the house on Tuckernuck, but no one has been there for twelve years. When her daughter Chess is supposed to get married, they plan a two week mother/daughter getaway on the island. When things do not work out, and Chess' life is falling apart it becomes a four woman getaway with India and Birdie's younger daughter Tate joining them for a month instead, to help Chess deal with her depression and issues. This group of woman have so many issues in their life that I am surprised they did not kill each other before the month was over. However, real life is messy, so it was aptly written. There is a lot of anger but there is a lot of love as well. Of course issues do get solved and life works out but I do not want to spoil the story. Just do not think that this is a light beach read.
    • 4/5
      I thought the author did an excellent job of keeping the characters separate. It made the book easier to read while the story moved around. I liked the fact that each character was true to their feelings in the end of the story.
    • 4/5
      A summer on a remote island filled with revelations and secrets - mothers, daughters, sisters (oh and a man or 2). Ms. Hilderbrand weaves a lovely story. Her characters are enjoyable and at points I loved and loathed each one.
    • 3/5
      A good beach read about relationships: Sisters, mothers and daughters, fiances, ex-fiances, boyfriends. Two sisters, their mother and their aunt spend 30 days on a east coast island.
    • 3/5
      "Awesome story about heartaches, family, and secrets. " Great author~!
    • 1/5
      Book on CD read by Denise Hicks

      This is just a sappy soap opera set on Tuckernuck Island off Nantucket. Everyone is wealthy. Everyone is unhappy in love, OR, has fallen instantly in love (possibly with the wrong person). Everyone behaves like a 3-year-old or at their best like they’re in junior high.

      Here’s a sample:
      They had officially been “together” for only nine days, but every day on Tuckernuck was a lifetime, and so it felt like forever. They had made love sixteen times, they had shared eleven meals, they had watched three movies, gone to two restaurants, taken five boat rides, caught two fish.
      I don’t know a single high-powered, computer genius professional woman who thinks like this!

      The sibling rivalry arguments are even worse. Not only do the two young women carry on like toddlers who can’t share a toy, their 50-something mother and aunt also dig up their own sibling rivalries.

      I finished it only because it fulfilled a challenge. It was fast (thank heavens for MP3 players that let you speed up the delivery) and didn’t require much thought. But it was still a waste of time.