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    A Hundred Summers
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    A Hundred Summers
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    A Hundred Summers
    Ebook439 pages4 hours

    A Hundred Summers

    By Beatriz Williams

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    The New York Times bestselling novel.

    Rhode Island, 1938. A sweltering summer of secrets, passion and betrayal…

    ‘I wish I could remember more. I wish I had taken down every detail, because I didn’t see him again until the summer of 1938; the summer the hurricane came and washed the world away…’

    Lily Dane has returned to the exclusive enclave of Seaview, Rhode Island, hoping for an escape from the city and from her heartbreak. What she gets instead is the pain of facing newlyweds Budgie and Nick Greenwald – her former best friend and former fiancé.

    During lazy days and gin-soaked nights, Lily is drawn back under Budgie’s glamorous and enticing influence, and the truth behind Budgie and Nick’s betrayal of Lily begins to emerge. And as the spectre of war in Europe looms, a storm threatens to destroy everything…

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins UK
    Release dateApr 23, 2015
    ISBN9780008134914
    Unavailable
    A Hundred Summers
    Author

    Beatriz Williams

    Beatriz Williams is the bestselling author of over a dozen novels, including The Beach at Summerly, Our Woman in Moscow, and The Summer Wives, as well as four other novels cowritten with Lauren Willig and Karen White. A native of Seattle, she graduated from Stanford University and earned an MBA in finance from Columbia University. She lives with her husband and four children near the Connecticut shore, where she divides her time between writing and laundry.

    Read more from Beatriz Williams

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    Reviews for A Hundred Summers

    4/5

    221 ratings37 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Breathtaking!
    • 4/5
      Good book. I will search out this author again.
    • 5/5
      It's Memorial Day and New York socialite Lily Dane has come back to Seaview, Rhode Island, where her family stays for the summer. Unfortunately for Lily it's not going to be quite what she expected - the Greenwald's have decided to spend their summer in Seaview as well. Budgie is Lily's former best friend who has recently married Lily's former fiancé, Nick Greenwald. She inserts herself back into Lily's life as if she didn't steal the love of her life. But secrets and lies will eventually come out and turn everyone's lives upside down.

      I love, love, love the author's writing. It's descriptive, flows smoothly, and is easy to get lost in. The book has great characters and alternating chapters of past and present - how Lily and Nick met, fell madly in love and how their engagement ended, and now, almost seven years later, how they react to seeing each other for the first time since it ended and how Nick came to marry Lily's best friend.
    • 4/5
      I was thrilled to have the win the chance to read this book through ShelfAwareness and NetGalley. I really enjoyed the author's premiere novel, Overseas, and I was pleased to find that this book was also a wonderful read. Ms. Williams can tell a fascinating story, and she does a wonderful job with A Hundred Summers. It combined romance and history together with just the right amount of conflict to keep me totally absorbed. It was a quick read, but a satisfying story.A classic romance plot of two women friends who have a bit of competition between them for a guy is taken to a new level with some interesting twists that make for a rapidly moving plot. The author also goes back and forth between 1931 and 1938, slowly exposing the events of the past between the current which works very smoothly and effectively. The only thing that I really had any problems with in the book was the somewhat unbelievably perfect characterizations of Lily and Nick, two of the main characters. They were a bit too good to be true and as such not quite "real" to me, but it was easy to overlook as the story itself was too good to put down. The ending was particularly good reading and well done.If you happened to read and enjoy Overseas, you will definitely want to grab up this one. Ms. Williams has gotten even better at telling a great story. The timing and setting lend this well to a summer/beach read, and I do think it would be fantastic as such. A great romance with wealth, a touch of history, and some secrets all mix very well in this one. A Hundred Summers is a real winner for me.
    • 5/5
      A Hundred Summers tells the story of friendship, love and betrayal. Set in the 1930's, this book flashes between the early 30s when nick and lily were just starting out and in love and the late 30s when they are reunited because he has married her childhood friend. Beatriz Williams does a wonderful job in bringing the story full circle while unraveling the mystery that surrounds Nick and Lilys history. Once I started this book, I was unable to put it down until the end. Highly recommended!
    • 3/5
      A light summer read, but an exceptionally good one. The characters are clearly drawn and likable, and the setting is extremely beguiling -- an old summer colony on the coast of Rhode Island on the eve of a hurricane in 1938. This is basically a romance, but one that does not make you feel that you are killing brain cells by reading it. Beatriz Williams is a great storyteller, and I really liked her heroine, Lily Dane. Recommended!
    • 3/5
      The book takes place in Seaview, Rhode Island in 1938 and goes back and forth to 1931/32. Lily and Budgie have been friends forever until the summer of 1932. You do the back and forth to find out what happened to their friendship and how Budgie came to be married to Lily's boyfriend and in the end there is the great hurricane of 1938. An ok summer beach read for me.
    • 5/5
      This is exactly what I would refer to as the perfect summer read… it has all the right elements, beach houses, owned and summered in for 100 years, affairs of the heart, twists and turns of plots and of course a major hurricane of epic proportions! So what makes this book even better is the wonderful writing and development of characters. Buy it, read it, and enjoy!
    • 5/5
      Lily Dane is still a college girl at Smith in 1931 when she meets Nick Greenwald for the first time while at a weekend Dartmouth football game with her effervescent childhood friend, Budgie Byrne. After a whirlwind romance and engagement, however, something goes terribly wrong. Several years later, in 1938, Lily returns to the fictional oceanfront community of Seaview, Rhode Island to enjoy another traditional summer…and then learns that her once best friend, Budgie, has landed there as well, accompanied by her new husband – who is none other than Nick. The two young women reconnect, but there is tension that strums beneath the surface and the local townspeople seem to be shunning the Greenwalds primarily because of Nick’s Jewish background. And then there are the rumors about the parentage Lily’s six year old sister. As the summer unfolds, dark secrets begin to surface, while a history-making hurricane barrels up the coast and threatens to change Nick, Budgie and Lily’s lives forever.A Hundred Summers is a terrific and luscious summer read. Narrated in Lily’s singular voice and moving back and forth from 1931 to 1938, the novel is compelling.Beatriz Williams catapulted onto the literary scene last year with her debut novel Overseas. Her sophomore effort establishes her as a serious writer of women’s fiction. She builds believable characters who hook the reader…and creates sizzling romance interspersed with riveting historical events. The New England Hurricane of 1938 is one of those real events – in fact, it is the basis for the title of the book (Williams explains in the historical notes that New England hurricanes of a Category 3 are called “hundred-year storms” because the probability of such a disaster occurring in any one year is about 1 percent).I remember my grandmother and grandfather talking about the 1938 storm which they lived through. They told of huge waves, flooding and downed trees which forced my grandfather to drive through neighbors’ back yards and winds which howled endlessly. In her novel, Williams recreates those tense moments perfectly and uses them to amp up the already conflict-ridden plot.I read through this novel in no time. The way Williams sets up the narrative, flipping back from past to present, kept me turning the pages long into the night. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I really enjoyed this book! Readers who love women’s fiction, but who are also interested in historical fiction, will be drawn to A Hundred Summers. But it is Williams’ pitch perfect dialogue, emotionally engaging plot and fantastic characters who will keep them coming back for more. I’ll be looking for future novels by this talented writer.Highly recommended summertime read.
    • 4/5
      I received a copy of this book through the Early Reviewers program, and though I'd never read Beatriz Williams before, this certainly made me want to go back and read her earlier novel, Overseas. I'll be recommending this title to reader friends as a great beach/summer read--because it's light enough reading for a sunny day in a hammock, but the story is written with substance, not just fluff. The story transports us to a picturesque seaside town filled with affluent families around the time of the Great Depression, and depicts the complicated relationships and romantic tangles among a core group of characters in a too-small town where everyone knows everyone else's business. The author's talent for description is well suited to historical fiction, and the way the story unfolds--partially in flashbacks and partially in the present time of the story, leading up to a disastrous hurricane that was the ripped-from-the-headlines inspiration for the story's setting--kept me turning pages. Every character has his or her secrets, and that always makes for a compelling read! While I found the ending a bit too conveniently tied up and not entirely surprising, this was still a satisfying novel, and I look forward to more from this author.
    • 3/5
      Shy, somewhat socially awkward girl meets handsome football hero from Dartmouth. They fall in love, but he is Jewish, which does not go down well with her upper class WASP parents. They decide to elope, but, of course, tragedy ensues and they are forced to separate. Seven years later, the girl is summering in her family's exclusive Rhode Island beach community and said young man, now married to her supposed best friend, shows up for the summer. They are still wildly attracted to one another, but all the social barriers stand in the ay of their happiness The plot twists and the plot turns until the great reveal just as the disastrous 1938 hurricane comes barreling up the Eastern seaboard. Even the most mildly astute reader, however, will have figured it all out about 100 pages beforehand.An entertaining beach read
    • 3/5
      This fast reading novel follows Lily Dane through the school year 1931-1932, and the summer of 1938. Lily meets Nick Greenwald in college, falls in love, but somehow, in 1938, he is married to her friend, Budgie. The story is told in alternating chapters from each of the two years. I love novels set in this era and loved reading about the slow pace of life at the summer home at the beach. A Hundred Summers is a fun book to take with you on vacation this summer.
    • 3/5
      In 1931 Lily Dane meets Nick Greenwald through her friend Budgie. Sparks fly and Lily and Nick begin an intense and loving relationship. Fast forward to 1938- Lily and Budgie haven't spoken in seven years and Nick and Budgie are now married. All three are spending the summer in Seaview, RI. During that summer secrets are revealed and all their lives are changed.This is a great summer read, but I think the author sacrificed character development for a brisk plot. Lily is put on a pedestal while Budgie is reviled, it seemed very black and white to me. There are some definite Madonna/Whore themes going on that are never explored.There is also a precocious child in the mix who does not talk or act like child. Not a big deal, but it's a trope that bugs me.All in all, this is a fun summer read, but there's not much depth to this book.
    • 5/5
      This summer novel is set in Rhode Island just prior to WWII. The author tells the story from Lily Dane's viewpoint in the years 1931 (set in college) and 1938 (set at the beach) in alternating chapters, which works well. The plot has some unexpected twists with a satisfying resolution. There is a mystery that the reader might think to have solved, only to be surprised - several times!Main characters, Lily, Nick, Budgie, Graham, and Kiki, are developed as the story advances. There are references to college football at Dartmouth, the New York Yankees, high society, religious discrimination, and the New England hurricane of 1938 that wiped out an entire beachfront town. The title of the book is in reference to this hurricane, the force of which is only seen once every one hundred years.Although cigarette smoking was common in the 1930's, the characters smoked incessantly, and the author made cigarettes an integral part of each social interaction. I found this to be annoying.This book would appeal to those who enjoy beach novels, romance, historical fiction, and stories about relationships among family and friends.
    • 3/5
      A quick reading book and perfect for the beach since it takes place on the East coast. The story revolves around two best friends since childhood whose families summer together and then they go off to college together. Lily meets Nick and falls in love but her friend Budgie ends up married to him and they part ways until six years later they all meet again at their summer houses and what an interesting summer it turns out to be! Kind of a chick lit but still good and the beach is calling for all the readers to come enjoy!
    • 4/5
      A HUNDRED SUMMERS tells the story of two friends, Budgie and Lily. They have grown up spending their summers together on Seaview, a oceanfront community in Rhode Island. The book begins in 1931 while the two are in college and meet two dashing football players, Nick and Graham. What happens between the four of them that year and the years ahead is what is the premise of the story. There are secrets, betrayals, and long-held beliefs that will change Lily and Budgie's friendship forever. The book begins with Budgie and Lily attending a football game. Budgie is there to see Graham Pendleton and is hoping to introduce sweet, quiet Lily to the quarterback, Nick Greenwald, who just happens to be Jewish. Lily is smitten and their weekend together has them both head over heels in love. Then we suddenly jump to 1938, with Lily, her 6 year old sister, Kiki, their mother, and Aunt Julie settling into their beach house for the summer. At a gathering, Lily finds out that Budgie and her husband, Nick Greenwald are coming for the summer to restore her family beach home. So, at this point, the reader is obviously shocked because you are wondering how did Nick and Budgie end up marrying each other when Nick and Lily were so in love. You also find out that Lily and Budgie haven't spoken in the last 7 years. As Budgie works her way back into Lily's life, she also brings back an old friend, Graham Pendleton, to stir up their summer. As each chapter tells the story, you flip back and forth between 1931 and 1938. The author is wise in her telling, revealing just enough from each timeline to keep you guessing and turning the pages. You will have suspicions, predictions, and absolute angry moments as the story is revealed to you. Lily is well loved by all and you find out she has been alone all these years with a deep pain in her heart, blaming herself for the past. As you read, the truth of the past is revealed to you right along with Lily and you feel her anger, shock, pain and heartache.As if there wasn't enough drama in the book, the final chapters end with a hurricane that slams into Seaview, similar to the New England hurricane that hit in 1938. The author took great care in the details of these events and shared similar (yet fictional) accounts of the true details of the hurricane and it's devastating aftermath. This is a book easily read in a weekend. The chapters flow quickly and once the story begins you won't want to put it down. Even though this is a perfect "beach read" since the setting is in an ocean community, it would also be the perfect read to warm you up as the winter storms are raging outside. I bought this book as a birthday gift for my cousin and also purchased it for myself so we could read it together. This would make for a great gift book for birthdays or holidays for someone you know who loves to read. A HUNDRED SUMMERS would also make for a great book club selection as there are many topics to discuss. Budgie's actions in the book will cause many frustrating moments as you read and will give you plenty to talk about. The time frame, location, and decisions made by each of the characters could be questioned and talked over for hours. Don't let the idea of this book being a "beach read" fool you. This book is full of rich detail, characters full of personality, and consuming drama and suspense.Lily is a character you will want to root for and even though not everything works out as it should, you hope everything works out for Lily in the end. You will just have to read it to find out!
    • 4/5
      This is the definitive beach read. (I only wish I had been at the beach while reading it). It has been a long time since I picked up a book that held my attention like this one did. I couldn’t stop thinking about this story and hurried through my workday in anticipation of getting back into the story as quickly as possible. Ms. Williams is an incredible storyteller and I was hooked all the way through, wanting to know how the story would play out. I know a book is good when it can bring tears to my eyes. This is definitely one to put on your “to be read” list.
    • 5/5
      I devoured this delicious novel in one day. Nick and Lily are on the cusp of getting married. All that is holding them back is Lily's father blessing (Nick is half Jewish, quite the shockerooni for the day) but they aren't going to wait much longer. One massive misunderstanding later and Nick and Lily have gone their separate ways and Nick is married to Budgie, Lily's best friend! Oh no she didn't, oh yes she did! Where does that leave Lily? Well for one thing she's raising her little sister that everyone thinks is her and Nick's kid. She also needs to dig out that knife her best "friend" planted in her back. Seven years later Budgie has the nerve to parade Nick around Lily at the shore retreat in Rhode Island. Oh what a tangled web we weave. When first we practice to deceive. Lives will collide and secrets will spill as the storm clouds gather to form the deadly hurricane of 1938.I really, really, loved this book. The chapters are told alternating in time from when Nick and Lily begin their romance in 1931 and when they meet again in 1938 at the shore. In the end everyone gets what they richly deserve and you can't have a more satisfying conclusion than that. Historical, romance lovers, toss this in your beach bag now! I am off to find Overseas, Williams first book.
    • 4/5
      Definitely a great summer read! The storyline has some holes, but overall, is reminiscent of the times (1930s). We glimpse into the lives of the rich who have not only a home on the Upper East Side of Manhatten, but also on the coast for the summer. There's a main clubhouse (which I couldn't help but equate to the one in Dirty Dancing for some reason) and in it, are housed the secondary characters who definitely have some strong views on what is okay and NOT okay.The characters themselves are well done. Nick is tormented, handsome, irrisistable. You can't help but adore him, even if he has his share of faults. Kiki loves everyone, and her quest to just be a kid and play in the sand is, well....endearing. Lilly? Well, she is definitely the main character as the story is told from her perspective. I love her devotion to her family, however misdirected that is at times, but wanted to shake her at times and tell her to look around every once in a while. Strange that she's lived in a bubble for 7 years and not thought of what people think? As for Budgie (great name, btw), I think we all know someone like her. She's well written as a vapid socialite that is truly unhappy but relies on those around her to make her feel nomal. Seems like she stepped out of Gatsby a little. Graham? Stereotypical professional athlete. I never warmed up to him. Recommended as a summer read. In a book club, could easily discuss characters and what constitutes morality.
    • 3/5
      I am mildly surprised with A Hundred Summers. I had expected a chick lit or beach read, but the story has more substance than either of these genres. The story contains many subtle hints about the various characters. The story shows the life style of the old moneyed families and their life of privilege and consistency with the proper vacation and schools. Williams exposes on the sets of opposites with Graham and Nick, Budgie and Lily, and Julie and Mrs. Dane. What appears to be the truth sometimes is a misconception that can ruin a life. I enjoyed the alternating chapters of 1931 and 1938. And, this novel surprised me with its depth.
    • 4/5
      It's 1931, just after the crash, but Budgie and Lily are still living the grand life of New England socialites, attending college games and parties, trying to meet their future husbands. Time goes by, relationships change, and we meet the 2 again in 1938. Lily has stayed in RI, summering on the coast line as her family has done for generations. Budgie returns as well, married to a Jew, shocking news for the time. We soon learn that there is more to this marriage than originally meets the eye, with more than one love triangle to deal with as well. It all comes crashing down with the storm of the century, the great hurricane of '38.
    • 5/5
      This is a perfect beach read. So of course that means that I read it during December. That's okay because I loved this book and reading it in December didn't make me love it any less. This book transported me back in time to a small beach community. This alternates between the present events (1938-1939 oh and also 1944) and the past (1931-1932). I felt the author did a really good job writing about those time periodsLily is back at the beach for the summer with her family, when to her surprise her former fiance and her former best friend who have now gotten married show show up on the beach. The further you read into this story the more you learn about the past and you learn about why her best friend and former fiance end up married. I hated Lily's former best friend Budgie (That is her stupid nickname. I have a better one for her, pardon my language, Bitchie). I can't believe the nerve of this girl. I could just go on and on rambling about my hatred for her but I'll spare you.I was on the edge of my seat for what happens towards the end. I had a hunch at what some of the revelations would be and I had actually managed to guess some. I was holding my breath towards the end after what happens when Lily finds out the truth. I was yelling at my kindle thinking the book would end a way I didn't want it to end, but then it ended perfectly. I was flailing with joy when I read the last page.So to recap (since I just ended up rambling on and not making much sense in order to avoid spoilers) I loved this book and would highly recommend it especially as a beach read.
    • 3/5
      As I was reading this book, I was going back and forth about how I felt about it. Some of the narrative was a bit lame but the story ended with a bang. My final answer is that it was a good summer read but I'm glad I waited and borrowed it from the library.
    • 5/5
      A love story with twists and turns. Lily and Nick are meant to be together but secrets and lies have kept them apart. I thought I had figured out the family secret, but I was surprised by that twist when it was finally revealed. Set against the backdrop of a wealthy Rhode Island seashore community, as well as New York City.
    • 5/5
      I have been a fan of Beatriz Williams since reading "Overseas" but I liked “A Hundred Summers” the best so far. It perfectly captured the 1930’s for me. What a time that must have been. The world was in riot and Seaview had Lily.
    • 4/5
      Good book if a bit predictable. Interesting period of time.
    • 5/5
      A Hundred SummersByBeatriz WilliamsMy"in a nutshell" summary...An oceanfront community, a scandal, secrets and the scorching summer sun...OMG...this has the ingredients for an amazing summer book!My thoughts after reading this book...It certainly does not take long to totally fall in love with this book. I loved Lily from the start and was totally suspicious of Budgie immediately. A book is always fun when there is a sort of obnoxious bad girl who is overpowering the more quiet lovely girl...no matter how beautiful the bad girl is!I love the way this book alternates between 1931 and 1938. I wanted to be a part of that beach community...doing beachy stuff in the day and having dinner at the club at night. Sigh! I loved the mystery that began on the first few pages of this book! Quite wonderfully yummy! So...pretty much you have Budgie...supposed friend of Lily...but who eventually steals Lily's fiancé Nick...away from her. Thus we begin a myriad of family hush hush secrets.Why did Nick marry Budgie? Is Lily's little sister really her little sister or is she her daughter? Why doesn't anyone talk about this stuff? Is everyone really against Nick because his father is Jewish?What an era that must have been...people lost their fortunes, committed suicide, and kept secrets...all for what...Everything sort of comes crashing down the summer that these people are back together at Seaview...Lily can't keep Kiki away from Nick...Budgie can't stop drinking and lying and there is even an old friend from college who is now a relief pitcher for the Yankees in the picture!It literally takes a hurricane...well, almost...to knock some sense into everyone...oh, yes, and a war, too!What I loved about this book...Loved the era, loved the alternating years, loved the places...especially Seaview. The writing was wondrous...I was never not engaged.What I did not love...Not a huge fan of Budgie, Lily's mother and Graham Pendleton...Yankee relief pitcher. They are the characters that are the bullies and are fun to strongly dislike!Final thoughts...This book is amazing...a near perfect summer reading experience!
    • 5/5
      Wow. I wish I could just leave it like that. I just read the last 150 pages in the last few hours. I really just couldn't put this book down. The first 2/3 of it is a book that I didn't want to finish because I was enjoying it so much and I didn't want the story to end. But that last 1/3 is really fast paced. I don't read much historical fiction so I wasn't sure how I would like it. I loved it. I don't want to give any of it away. It's a great summer vacation book. The story is gripping, the characters are vivid. The story switches seamlessly back and forth between two different time periods with each used to enrich the other. It's just a great story, well told and the historical reference made it very real to me.
    • 3/5
      I'm not a big reader of "romance" novels and this book clearly falls into that genre. I was surprised to find that I did enjoy this book. I love the era in which the book was set (1930's) and the main character, Lily, was endearing. The story moved along at a good pace and it was, overall, and enjoyable and entertaining read. There were moments that I would categorize as "cheesy" - such as the love scenes - but overall a nice book.
    • 4/5
      Well paced story until the end.The last 75 pages had me turning so fast.The ending left me breathless.The writing reminds me of Kate Morton (to a point),so Morton fans may like this author.