The Guest Book: A Novel

Sarah Blake

May 2019 · Sold by Flatiron Books

About this ebook

Instant New York Times Bestseller
Longlisted for Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence
2020 New England Society Book Award Winner for Fiction

“The Guest Book is monumental in a way that few novels dare attempt.” —The Washington Post

The thought-provoking new novel by New York Times bestselling author Sarah Blake

An exquisitely written, poignant family saga that illuminates the great divide, the gulf that separates the rich and poor, black and white, Protestant and Jew. Spanning three generations, The Guest Book deftly examines the life and legacy of one unforgettable family as they navigate the evolving social and political landscape from Crockett’s Island, their family retreat off the coast of Maine. Blake masterfully lays bare the memories and mistakes each generation makes while coming to terms with what it means to inherit the past.

Ratings and reviews

I received a free electronic copy of this novel on July 25, 2019, from Netgalley, Sarah Blake, and Flatiron Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this historical novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest personal opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend The Guest Book to friends and family. This is a novel you can't put down, so reserve a couple of lazy days and go for it. The Guest Book is the family saga of the Milton family, old school bankers, beginning in 1935 and carrying through three more generations. The family spends 10 months of their year in NYC or Long Island, but for that wonderful summertime, they hie themselves to their summer place in Maine, on their own Crockett's Island. The men of the family more or less define themselves by their work, but the women and children find their self-image in the summer sun, their hopes and dreams winding around the island trails, their purpose and heart songs all a part of Crockett's, all formed and bound by the island's tides. We follow them through heartache and pain, joy and happiness, peace and war. We watch as these ladies and girls re-define the roles they wish to play as women in a changing world. And we see all the decisions and choices, good and bad, that go into the making of this tight family, the forming of their alliances with others, the effect of those choices on themselves and others. And the influence on all of them, cast by Crockett's Island. For some, summer is just a time out. But for others, it is the be-all of their lives. It is how they define themselves, and their relationship with siblings and extended family. What is the cost of remembering? What is the value of memories? And we see the damage done by secrets. I hope you are gonna love this family. I sure did.

Good

About the author

Sarah Blake is the author of the novels Grange House and the New York Times bestseller The Postmistress. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and two sons.