Haven Point: A Novel

Multi-Generational Chick Lit — Audiobook Review — I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook that looks at the lives of a grandmother, mother, and grandchild. We see it through the eyes of the grandmother—starting from her time as a nurse at Walter Reed during World War II where she met her husband—and the granddaughter. We only get a sense of the mother from these two other women's perspectives. Not only does this book revolve around these three women—including a lot of secrets and tragedy—but also the island of Haven Point off the coast of Maine. The book follows the women from the 1940s until the early 2000s. The author did an excellent job making Haven Point real, including its social difficulties between old-school WASPs and “other." People forget how in the past WASPish people had a real prejudice against the Irish and New Money. Some plot-point circumstances seemed a bit too stereotypical, like the husband with a wandering eye and the flower child mother. But I thought the author did an excellent job showing the relationships between the women on the island as well as the pivotal one between grandmother and grandchild… and how the mother affected them both even if she had little “screen time.” The book had revelations for the granddaughter at the end that helped her make sense of her life and were a bit surprising; I thought it was well done. The narrator did a good job bringing the different characters to life. I found this to be an engrossing, well-done listen. If you like multi-generational “chick lit” as I do, you may enjoy this audiobook as much as I did. — I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.