A Hundred Summers

By: Beatriz Williams

Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney

Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

As the 1938 hurricane approaches Rhode Island, another storm brews in this New York Times best-selling beach listen from the author of Her Last Flight and The Golden Hour. Lily Dane has returned to Seaview, Rhode Island, where her family has summered for generations. It’s an escape not only from New York’s social scene but from a heartbreak that still haunts her. Here, among the seaside community that has embraced her since childhood, she finds comfort in the familiar rituals of summer.

But this summer is different. Budgie and Nick Greenwald - Lily’s former best friend and former fiancé - have arrived, too, and Seaview’s elite are abuzz. Under Budgie’s glamorous influence, Lily is seduced into a complicated web of renewed friendship and dangerous longing.

As a cataclysmic hurricane churns north through the Atlantic, and uneasy secrets slowly reveal themselves, Lily and Nick must confront an emotional storm that will change their worlds forever...

Listeners guide included.

©2013 Beatriz Williams (P)2013 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"[A] fast-paced love story...the scorching sun illuminates a friend’s betrayal and reignites a romance." (O, The Oprah Magazine)

"Perfect for fans of the Gossip Girl series." (People)

"Summer of 1938: A scandalous love triangle and a famous hurricane converge in a New England beach community. Add in a betrayal between friends, a marriage for money, and a Yankee pitcher, and it’s a perfect storm."(Good Housekeeping)

Longing for summer

What did you love best about A Hundred Summers?

The messiness of the characters lives was convincing. The author didn't pull any punches in order to advance the plot. The love of Nick and Lily was heartachingly portrayed.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Contrived but sweet

Typical love story.. very contrived but sweet. Made my commute pass by easily. Ready for a thriller next though.

Couldn't stop listening

Great story, and always intruguing, making me want to listen to more and find out what happens next. Lily's character gets annoying on occasion for her super naive thinking but otherwise very pleasant to listen to.

A Delicious Listen!

This book was really hard to stop listening to...I recommend having a couple of hours uninterrupted to listen to the final third of the book. The story had everything I love in a light read, romance, mystery, and likeable characters and I loved learning more about pre-war America...not a time period I have read much about. I highly recommend this one...it had me thinking about it while I was away from my ipod!

Perfect Book!

Back in time one car learn and admire the passages of important events. This is a true vivid story of what I heard from my grandparents. I was so involved on the story, the narrative is amazing!

Just OK.

Any additional comments?

Story drags on too long for my taste. Could have probably done without 1/3 of the book. Not terrible, just ok.

LOVE!

This is one of my favorite books! Love every book by this author so far!!

I really enjoyed this book but..

I loved this book, and I'm so happy that it came highly recommended to me from NPR. However, I almost didn't make it through because the first hour or two was incredibly droll. I knew it would be worth it so I kept pushing through.
Then, I couldn't put it down. Audiobooks are usually a only-when-driving listen for me, but I found myself listening while cooking, working, and before falling asleep. It was a beautiful escape and took me back to a time of obsessive love, girlfriend cattiness, pure intentions, and blissful passion.

I would rank the narrator as my current favorite on Audible. Her range with the voices is very good, and I appreciate the pep and cadence.

I only gave a lower overall rating because of how tough the beginning was to get through.

Good, not great

Good, not great. Good summer read. I wasn’t expecting the twist. Seemed a little unbelievable at times, but I still enjoyed it.

Histrionic story by an author who can do better

What did you like best about A Hundred Summers? What did you like least?

Beatriz Williams is a competent writer; she could use a really good editor or a good writer's group to cut out the unnecessary melodrama. This book has a decent plot (with some too stupid to live moments, unfortunately) but it is self-indulgent and has a lot of scenes and descriptions which are excessive to the story. I did like some of the characters, although there were an enormous number of secrets kept unnecessarily.

Would you be willing to try another book from Beatriz Williams? Why or why not?

Yes, she can write well.

What didn’t you like about Kathleen McInerney’s performance?

Incredibly over-acted, histrionic performance. She has a good voice and reads well and rarely mispronounces words. It isn't clear whether the way she read this book was her choice or due to a director/producer. The book is already melodramatic; it doesn't have to be read so very over the top dramatically, from the very first sentence. In a movie, this level of over-emoting would be obviously ridiculous; I find it amazing that narrators read books in this manner.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No, it's pretty shallow, I don't think it would be worth the time.

Any additional comments?

I listened to this book sped up, I couldn't have finished it otherwise. I enjoyed the first third of the book, but by the end I felt that I had wasted my time.