The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand
Grace and Madeline are best friends who live with their families on Nantucket. On the surface, the two friends seem to have the perfect lives. But not all is as it seems. Madeline is a writer who is struggling to come up with the plot for her next novel. Grace spends her days working in her garden while nourishing her crush on her landscaper, while her husband is quickly losing money at his real estate business but doesn’t want anyone to know.
The Rumor is a story about what happens one summer when secrets are told and rumors are spread. It’s about how rumors grow and can break people apart.
I loved the friendship between Grace and Madeline. They have the kind of friendship that all friendships are compared to – they talk at least once a day, go on double dates, have dinner nights with their families, they share all their secrets.
I also loved the relationship between Grace’s twin daughters, Allegra and Hope. It was very real and filled with resentment and jealously, but also love. Just like most siblings.
I thought all the characters came alive against the Nantucket background. Through the secondary characters, we get the feeling of small town life, especially when the rumors start to stir. The small island seemed just the right place for rumors to flow from person to person.
This book was a fun and quick read. The author describes Nantucket beautifully and I could picture its charming and peaceful nature in my head. All the descriptions of the beach houses and restaurants definitely made me want to book the next flight out to visit.
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