The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D.

How well does one really know others? And if the person in question kept a journal would the self portrait shock those closest to her or him?  These are the thoughts that ricocheted in my head while reading The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D. by Nichole Bernier.    

The novel, set in the recent past (2002), opens with the heroine, Kate Spenser, inheriting the journals of her recently deceased best friend Elizabeth Martin.  Elizabeth died in a plane crash a month before September 11, 2001, leaving behind a grieving husband and three young children.  In an unusual choice Elizabeth willed her journals not to her husband, but to Kate to handle as she deemed fit.  Elizabeth was a lifelong writer who left behind a trunk full of notebooks containing her innermost thoughts.  As the story progresses the Elizabeth revealed in the journals was not the one that Kate knew.  Kate is haunted by what she missed and how to handle the journals.  By the novel’s conclusion, however, Kate not only has a better grasp on who Elizabeth was, but also into her own life.

The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D. is a beautifully written and absorbing novel that explores the choices and sacrifices that women make between being true to themselves and raising a family.  As Bernier writes:  “You could not take a single day or night for granted.  Within every hour, every plane ride, or routine doctor’s appointment was the spark of possibility, the thing that would become your undoing.  And how you left things just before the final moment – that was how they would remain.”  Part of the story details the crucial life moments of Elizabeth and how she became the woman she was before her death.  The other half explores Kate’s need to make an important life choice.  The novel does not end in a tidy conclusion, but rather is opened ended just like real life.

The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D. is a remarkable debut by first time novelist Nichole Bernier!



Review based on courtesy copy sent by the publisher. 

The Castaways

Publisher's Summary. Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy's closest friends for what will be revealed.

Once again, Hilderbrand masterfully weaves an intense tale of love and loyalty set against the backdrop of endless summer island life.

Review. The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand reads like a modern day Big Chill set on Nantucket. The novel follows the unraveling lives of six friends after one couple in the group, Greg and Tess, drown. The friends: Andrea, the Chef, Phoebe, Addison, Delilah, and Jeffrey individually cope with the couple’s deaths as each has a secret from the rest of the group.The chapters are narrated by alternating members of the ensemble cast. This narrative style is fairly confusing in the beginning of the novel, but is ultimately richly rewarding as the reader gains fresh insights into each character.

The individual story lines ranged from the believable to the incredulous (at least in this reader’s opinion). Without giving away spoilers there were passages in the novel that were suitable fodder for tabloids. Other parts of the book were highly engrossing and richly crafted. For example, the passage dealing with Reed’s (the twin brother of Phoebe) actions on 9/11 read like an eyewitness account of that tragic day.

Overall, The Castaways is an enjoyable, but atypical summer novel.


Hachette Audio; Unabridged edition (July 7, 2009)
Review Copy Received Through Giveaway Sponsored by the Publisher.