Summer on the Bluffs by Sunny Hostin
Summary
Welcome to Oak Bluffs, the most exclusive Black beach community in the country. Known for its gingerbread Victorian-style houses and modern architectural marvels, this picturesque town hugging the sea is a mecca for the crème de la crème of Black society—where Michelle and Barack Obama vacation and Meghan Markle has shopped for a house for her mom. Black people have lived in this pretty slip of the Vineyard since the 1600s and began buying property in the 1800s, making this posh town the embodiment of “old money.”
Thirty years ago, Amelia Vaux Tanner and her husband built a house high on the bluffs, a cottage they named Chateau Laveau. For decades, “Ama” played host to American presidents, Wall Street titans, and cultural icons. But her favorite guests have always been her three “goddaughters:” Esperanza “Perry” Soto, a beautiful, talented Afro-Latina lawyer with Ama’s strong, yet guarded personality; Olivia Jones, a gifted Wall Street analyst with Ama’s brilliant, logical mind; and Billie Hayden, a gifted marine biologist and rule-breaker with Ama’s courageous free spirit.
Growing up, these three goddaughters from different backgrounds came together each summer at Chateau Laveau. As adults, the cottage is a place this trio of successful yet very different women go to escape, to slow down from their hectic lives, share private time with Ama, and enjoy the gorgeous weather, cool water, and stunning views Oak Bluffs offers.
This summer on the Bluffs, however, will be different. An era is ending: Ama, now nearing seventy-one, is moving to the south of France to reunite with her college sweetheart. She has invited Perry, Olivia, and Billie to spend one last golden summer together with her the way they did when they were kids. And when fall comes, she is going to give the house to one of them.
Each of the women wants the house desperately. Each is grappling with a secret she fears will hurt her and her chances. By the end of summer, old ties will fray, new bonds will be created, and these three found sisters will discover they aren’t the only ones with something to hide. Ama has a few secrets of her own. What she has to give them is far more than property. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, she will tell these surrogate daughters she fiercely loves and protects everything they never knew they needed to know.
Book Setting: Martha’s Vineyard
The Flying Horses Carousel: Ama and Libby went here the first time Ama went to the Vineyard. Ama brought Carter here the first time he came to the Vineyard.
Inkwell Beach: Omar taught Perry, Olivia and Billie how to swim here
Rockfish: Dulce was a sous chef at this restaurant
Donovan’ Reef: Perry, Olivia and Billie stopped her for drinks before their first night out on the island
State Beach: Olivia’s favorite beach to walk on
Lucy Vincent Beach: Perry took Nikesh here over Fourth of July weekend
Giordando’s: The first time Perry brought Damon to the island they picked up fried clam platters and had a picnic at Sengekontacket Pond.
Sengekontacket Pond: Perry and Damon’s picnic spot
Atria: Ama and Omar brought Perry here after Perry’s first summer on the island
Union Chapel: Where Omar’s Memorial Service was held
East Chop Lighthouse: Omar and Ama’s favorite after-dinner destination
Port Hunter: Dulce and Billie met here after their fight
Atlantic: Perry and Billie got lunch here after Perry found out about her family history
Nobnocket Boutique Inn: Where Ama and Carter would stay when Carter came to visit
Reviews
“Hostin’s debut novel is aspirational escapism at its best, balancing an idyllic setting and lush, evocative language with emotional heft and adroit social commentary… Hostin’s story is a vast, intricate and ultimately rewarding one about love, family and self-fulfillment... In short, this book is summer incarnate.”
— New York Times Book Review
“The Emmy Award–winning lawyer and journalist invites readers to the exclusive Black beach community of Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard where the money is old, the secrets are deadly, and summer is more of a sport than a season…Think The Undoing with a hint of melanin, where everyone’s wearing $300 sandals.”
— Essence
“This glorious piece of summer fiction takes us to Oak Bluffs, a slice of the island that’s been home to the Black community elite for summers since the 1600s. Come for the ethereal setting and beautifully drawn characters, stay for the family dynamics, personal secrets and wisdom revealed.”
— Boston Herald