FICTION

The Summer of Lost and Found

by Mary Alice Monroe
Gallery. (Beach House, Bk. 7). May 2021. 368p. ISBN 9781982148348. $28. F
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In March 2020, as the coronavirus is spreading, Linnea Rutledge is furloughed from her dream job at the South Carolina Aquarium. Her aunt Cara, who is her landlady, waives the rent; Linnea shares the kindness by inviting her friend Annabelle, also furloughed, to stay with her. Then Linnea’s brother Cooper arrives, wanting a room while he’s home from college; finally, Hope, Cara’s six-year-old daughter, moves in while her father is sick. As if that wasn’t enough, Linnea learns that John Peterson, the guy responsible for crushing her heart, is staying at his mother’s house next door. When the group works together—cleaning out a space to hold small gatherings; caring for an aging friend—amazing things begin to happen.
VERDICT The latest in Monroe’s long-running “Beach House” series (after On Ocean Boulevard) gives dedicated fans a chance to catch up with old friends, and provides enough background on the characters for new readers to enjoy. The intimate island atmosphere keeps the focus on family and romantic relationships, as the characters deal with a global pandemic. Monroe’s book acknowledges some of the hardships that real people endured over the past year, addresses loss and change, and finds hope where it’s possible, which gives depth to this timely story.
Reviewed by Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH , Apr 23, 2021
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