The Summer Guest

By: Justin Cronin

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall, Abby Craden, Alex McKenna, Arthur Morey, Joe Ochman, Todd Haberkor

Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's Summary

With a rare combination of emotional insight, narrative power, and lyrical grace, Justin Cronin transforms the simple story of a dying man’s last wish into a rich tapestry of family love. 

On an evening in late summer, the great financier Harry Wainwright, nearing the end of his life, arrives at a rustic fishing camp in a remote area of Maine. He comes bearing two things: his wish for a day of fishing in a place that has brought him solace for 30 years, and an astonishing bequest that will forever change the lives of those around him. 

From the battlefields of Italy to the turbulence of the Vietnam era, to the private battles of love and family, The Summer Guest reveals the full history of this final pilgrimage and its meaning for four people: Jordan Patterson, the haunted young man who will guide Harry on his last voyage out; the camp’s owner, Joe Crosby, a Vietnam draft evader who has spent a lifetime "trying to learn what it means to be brave"; Joe’s wife, Lucy, the woman Harry has loved for three decades; and Joe and Lucy’s daughter, Kate - the spirited young woman who holds the key to the last unopened door to the past. 

As their stories unfold, secrets are revealed, courage is tested, and the bonds of love are strengthened. And always center stage is the place itself - a magical, forgotten corner of New England where the longings of the human heart are mirrored in the wild beauty of the landscape. 

Intimate, powerful, and profound, The Summer Guest reveals Justin Cronin as a storyteller of unique and marvelous talent. It is a book to treasure.

©2004 Justin Cronin (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

"Justin Cronin succeeds, touchingly and tenderly, in portraying life itself as a triumph of hope over experience." ( The Boston Globe)

"The bedrock realities of family and place remain constant in spite of the vicissitudes of emotions and events, and the voices of these Mainers have a lovely calm that evokes the timeless summer place. ...the novel’s recognition of human frailty and nobility rings true, as does its faithful recreation of a place outside the storms of history." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Luminous." ( Booklist)

Big fan

I am such a fan of the Passage trilogy, I was a little concerned that this would not live up to my standards. But it does, even though there is no supernatural element at all. Captured my emotions. Highly recommend it.

The return of the dreaded New England accent

This is a good story marred by yet another doomed attempt at New England accents. There should be a rule that it can only ever be performed by actual native speakers—otherwise it inevitably comes out just plain awful. It’s particularly bad when you get two different narrators voicing the same character back to back — the different accents and intonations are totally disorienting. Spare yourself the annoyance and read, don’t listen, to this book.

Padded plot

This was meant to be a study of different personalities and relationships. Some of the characters were interesting but others too exaggerated to identify with. The use of language is above average. I think that the author could have expressed his ideas in half the length. I personally would not recommend this book, but others have rated it higher.

Another masterpiece

A beautiful piece of literary mastery. Justin Cronin has a way of telling a seemingly ordinary story about humanity in a way that is poetic and inspirational. The performance by the many voice actors brings this story to life that goes above and beyond any other audiobook.

lovely,descriptive, prose

I loved this book from beginning to end. it is warm and thought provoking and complicated.

Weird voices/good plot

The story is compelling and meanders through a couple of generations of families connected by an idyllic fishing camp/resort.
There are multiple narrators—male and female. I thought the male narrators would read the male characters’ lines and female narrators the female actors’ lines, but not so. They mix it all up, and are inconsistent in using the same accent for each character throughout. Very confusing.

Please read!

A stunningly beautiful story with fully realized characters! I loved The Passage so I decided to read this as well realizing that it was a different sort of book but Justin has a way of making you care about every character no matter how small.

A disappointed Cronin fan.

Excellent prose, but having read all of his other books, the story was too long and shallow. Hardly worthy of an award.

Justin Cronin never disappoints!

Very well performed; an engrossing, lovely story. Can't wait to see what Justin Cronin comes up with next!

Why Is Cursing Necessary?

The plethora of foul language compels my low opinion of this book. It would have been quite enjoyable without that aspect. I most likely will not choose this author again.