“The narrative constructed from her memories was of an enduringly skewed dynamic. . . It wasn’t wrong—just skewed” (347).

Haven Point: a place that holds history—the many stories of a community, of a people who return to its rocky shores each summer. This New England coastal town is a haven to the blue bloods who have called the place home for generations, but to those who don’t belong—are not part of the inner sanctum—this place is as dangerous as the unpredictable winds and shifting sands that surround the island.

In this multi-generational story, the women are placed at the center of this picturesque and isolated island, often finding themselves swirling in the maelstrom-like life Haven Point provides. While in the center of these storms, some find the place a refuge—a sanctuary—while others find the place more hazardous. But oftentimes, it’s both. For, Oliver and Georgie and Maud and Ben, Haven Point is home—as solid and fortified as the rocky battlement that protects the islanders. For Marren and Finn and Annie and Skye, it’s a bit more complicated—more like a perilous place, difficult to navigate through the murky waters of prejudices and narrow-minded expectations. In the end, though, it’s clear that this is the story of a community who, despite differences and shortcomings and sins, comes together in a sturdy and steadfast way, taking care of their own when the worst, most devastating storms of life sweep through. ( )

I meet monthly with a group of book-loving friends who read across genres. This month we read Haven Point by Virginia Hume, a multi-generational novel set primarily in fictional Haven Point, Maine, a mostly homogeneous enclave that promises safe freedom for the children of the summer visitors. The novel has two voices — Maren, a woman who marries into the enclave and her granddaughter Skye, who has an uneasy relationship with the privileged coastal community. Annie, the very present daughter of Maren and mother of Skye, is given voice through their recollections. There are a number of issues covered — alcoholism, infidelity, mental health. There is an over-arching theme of identity and the feeling of being other inside a group. The main characters are flawed and sometimes their insights into what is occurring are inaccurate — making them not really unreliable narrators, per se, but relatable to the reader. The book spans the years of WWII to the early 2000s with great details of the eras in which the story takes place. The book is what I would characterize as a mostly clean read as it is a general market offering.

I really enjoyed Haven Point and am looking forward to discussing it with my friends.

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(I purchased the Kindle edition from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

“Everything depends on the quality and direction of light”

If four+ stars means I loved reading this book, then yeah that’s my rating for Haven Point. The description drew me in when I was wanting a “summer read”.

The setting: Summer community on the rocky coast of Maine
The characters: three generations of several families
The premise: Unfounded assumptions on both sides create tension as outsiders are brought into a closed community through marriage or ambition.
The style: Told in multiple alternating timelines from 1944 to 2008
The story is what compels the reader from chapter to chapter. The characters are mostly likeable, no evil doers, just ordinary people with personal bias and blind spots. I would characterize this is a light read, but be warned that some of the events are the very opposite of light. ( )

I will admit, that cover with the Maine coastline brought back memories of seven trips to Maine, the last thirty-five years ago. I was ready to revisit the rocky coast and fresh sea air, the breaking waves and the bobbing of lobster boats.

We visited Maine as campers. Haven Point took me into another world, one of of class and privilege, a closed community of tradition with deep roots, where newcomers were seen with suspicion.

Central to the story is Maren, a Minnesota farm girl who comes to Washington D. C. to train as a nurse during WWII. Maren catches the eye of an older doctor, Oliver Demarest, who romances her into love and marriage.

Visiting his family at the family vacation home on Haven Point, Maren discovers just how big the chasm is between them. The local women bristle that an outsider caught Oliver. Oliver’s father is distant and judgmental, and while Maren likes his mother Pauline, she discovers that her mother-in-law is unreliable and needs managing.

Maren is expected to adopt the tradition of women and children summering on the Point while husbands stay in the city to work. Maren must learn to navigate in Point society, and to care for (and cover for) her mother-in-law. Her strong-willed daughter Annie is a challenge, especially when endeavors to break into the local teenage clique. The summers apart create a distance that evolves to a crisis in Maren’s marriage.

Years in the future, Annie’s daughter Skye stays with her Gran on the Point when her mother ends up in rehab, becoming another generation faced with the closed ranks of Point society.

Family secrets are finally revealed, the tragedy that altered the Demarest family forever. Learning the truth also brings understanding, and perhaps forgiveness.

Virginia Hume has created a wonderful summer read. There is the gorgeous setting, and the well descripted society, interesting characters, and well set up conflicts. There is pain and heartbreak and loss. And discovery of strength, understanding, and best of all, personal and communal growth. Also blended into the story is a mystery, romance, and infidelity.

Haven Point may have its petty characters and self-seeking users, but it also has the strengths we all hope to find in our community: the ability to step up when it matters, to care for each other, and to forgive.

I received a free book through Book Club Cook Book and St Martin’s Press. My review is fair and unbiased. ( )

Family sagas have always been a favorite genre and Haven Point by Virginia Hume has ticked all the boxes. Haven Point is a summer enclave in Maine, where families have spent their vacations, generation after generation. The usual politics apply between old families and people from away are not always well tolerated. Maren came to this community as the young wife of the son of an old well-established family. The time was the forties. Over time their young family grew, with two sons and a daughter, Annie. She is the second generation of this saga and the time period is the seventies. Annie’s daughter, Skye, was born in the new century and she too came to Haven Point . Through seven decades, three generations of these flawed and fascinating women have lived their lives in and out of the summer community. This is relationship fiction at its best. The novel is beautifully written by Virginia Hume and I hope there will be more to come. She has given life to three women that will stay in your head for quite a while, remembering their joys and pains. Highly recommended. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. ( )