The Big House

A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home

By: George Howe Colt

Narrated by: Rick Adamson

National Book Award Finalist and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year

Faced with the sale of the century-old family summer house on Cape Cod where he had spent 42 summers, George Howe Colt returned for one last stay with his wife and children. This poignant tribute to the 11-bedroom jumble of gables, bays, and dormers that watched over weddings, divorces, deaths, anniversaries, birthdays, breakdowns, and love affairs for five generations interweaves Colt's final visit with memories of a lifetime of summers.

Run-down yet romantic, The Big House stands not only as a cherished reminder of summer's ephemeral pleasures but also as a powerful symbol of a vanishing way of life.

©2003 George Howe Colt (P)2019 Audible, Inc.

Terrific book

I have an old family home and every bit of this story resonated. But it is so well written, any person from any background might live this story.

Good historical account

It is a good historical account of this magical Cape Cod home. But, unfortunately, it lacked a narrative core. Still, it was a good read.

Decent

I enjoyed the story although it gets a bit slow in the middle when discussing the history of the house,Boston, and construction theory. The story of the family is interesting and one can identify easily with the family dynamics.

At times the voice is very mechanical and robot sounding. The reader does use appropriate inflection when changing characters and one can get used to the voice overall.

Fine Book Well Read

Wonderful book that spoke to me directly and strongly. Furthermore, it
is extremely well-read. Don't miss it.

For Fans of Boston Brahmins

Wonderful story depicting long ago Boston WASP life. Might have benefited from 10% to 15% more editing.