Entering the afterlife due to a hit and run accident, a successful author learns she can observe the earthly lives of her nearly grown children and is also permitted three 'nudges' to alter the outcome of events.
I have no patience for dead people who hang around in fiction, but I made an exception for Vivian Howe, who gets killed in the opening pages of Hilderbrand’s latest, most philosophical and (I’m declaring it) best novel ... The story is a family saga, a mystery and a moving retrospective that manages to be clever without being coy.
... urprising, delightful and—dare I say?—quirky ... filled with Hilderbrand’s trademark gorgeous scenes and delicious dialogue ... Like Vivi, Hilderbrand is commercially successful but doesn’t always get her due as an immensely talented writer. Golden Girl will help change that. It is funny and heartbreaking, and even though it’s in some ways a departure for Hilderbrand, the novel still offers plenty of that Nantucket air to keep you turning pages.
... captures the charm of Nantucket. The island with the local spots and areas are described so one feels part of the locale; though, this could be considered overkill with the flow of the narrative by slowing down the progression of the story. It depends on the reader's likes and dislikes. Some love to have every nook and cranny depicted, and others look for a quick read ... Though labeled a 'beach book' Golden Girl is much more. It is not fast paced, but is intense, with both depiction of the location and the awareness of each of the various and divergent characters who give their insight of their experiences in their own chapters. It also offers food for thought about what could happen once one dies. Can we get a second chance to work out difficulties and/or help others? Complex and moving, this read will get one thinking.
