DRIFTWOOD SUMMER by Patti Callahan Henry
There is an adage that states “Write about what you know.” Patti Callahan Henry takes this to heart in her new book DRIFTWOOD SUMMER. Patti lives in the South so she sets her story in the South. Patti is one of three sisters in her family so she inhabits her story with three sisters. Patti loves books and bookstores so the locale of the story is in a bookstore. Then she takes all of this and thrusts it out of her life and into an imaginary world. The result is a fascinating book that should be stuck in every beach bag this summer.
The main character is Riley Sheffield, a thirty something single mother of a young son. She and her son Brayden live in an apartment above the “Driftwood Bookstore.” She and her mother Kitsey run this business and try to make a profit. But times with bookstores are difficult, plus Kitsey has developed some health problems.
Riley contacts her sisters Maisey and Adalee and asks them to come home and help the store celebrate her mother’s birthday as well as its own anniversary. They come but they come reluctantly. Kitsey is a demanding woman in many ways and her relationships with her daughters are tenuous at best.
There is also the fact that Riley and Maisey once competed for the attention of Mack Logan, a summer resident of the beach community. There is a good chance he might return to the community after thirteen years away, and both women wonder what his appearance might entail.
As the days of summer play out in the story old hopes are renewed, and old dreams are vanquished. It seems that each of the women is in love with the wrong man and each of the men in question is drawn to the wrong woman. Plus there is the possibility that after thirteen years Riley might finally have to reveal the identity of Brayden’s father.
Reading DRIFTWOOD SUMMER is like having a delightful day at the beach. You create friends with these characters and enjoy your time with them. Then when it is time to go home, or finish the book, you regret you couldn’t stay longer.
It isn’t every author who can create such a strong sense of place and people. Henry knows every path to the beach, every favored fishing spot, every aroma and sight that is worth smelling and seeing. She gathers these all up and presents them as the background to a totally compelling story about love, family and fortune.
There is an optimism in Patti Callahan Henry’s writing. Her characters may be down but they are never out. There is always hope for a silver lining and a better tomorrow if you keep the faith and don’t falter.
DRIFTWOOD SUMMER is one of Henry’s most satisfying novels. You will like the people, the place and the story. It doesn’t get any better than that.
DRIFTWOOD SUMMER is published by NAL. It contains 384 pages and sells for $15.00.