This is Elin Hilderbrand´s first historical fiction novel, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. It tells the story of the Levin family and the personal dramas that are happening in the summer of 1969. The majority of the book is set on the islands of Nantucket and Martha´s Vineyard, but we also see glimpses of the Kennedy´s and the Vietnam War. Overall, this is a summer read with weight and one that I would definitely recommend to any Hilderbrand fans and historical fiction lovers.

The year ‘Nineteen hundred sixty-nine,’ 1969, was a busy year for the United States of America; and as such, was no different for the combined families of Nichols, Foley, Levin and Whalen, all under the matriarchal umbrella of Exalta Nichols. Since Exalta was such a stickler for tradition the family prepares to pack up and move out to Nantucket for the summer, regardless that the 3rd Monday of June is Jessie’s 13th birthday, or that Kate is sick with worry about Tiger, her 19 year old son who was drafted to fight in Vietnam just this past April, and Blair her 24 year old daughter is pregnant in Boston and virtually alone since her astrophysicist husband practically works 24/7 on the upcoming Apollo 11 moon mission. Then, don't even get Kate started on her 20-year-old daughter, Kirby who's decided to assert her independence and work at a hotel on Martha’s Vineyard this summer as a chambermaid! Sure, Martha’s Vineyard is technically 11 miles from Nantucket, as the crow flies, but for a human to get there it would take more than 24 hours. Lastly her husband David can only come out on weekends because he has a law office to run.
When they finally arrive at Exalta's house on Fair St. named All's Fair (yes, houses in town are named) with the smaller annex called Little Fair, everything is bright and fresh thanks to Long time caretaker Bill Crimmins. He takes Exalta's hand as she exits the car and welcomes her home to Nantucket. Observant Jessie doesn't miss anything. As others unload the car, she runs through the house and out the side kitchen door, across the courtyard and up the stairs in Little Fair to where she'll be staying this year for the first time. This used to be the purvey of her three older siblings, but now it's her turn. As Jessie climbs the stairs, she hears whistling in the little kitchen. As she walks in, she sees a young teenage boy with blonde hair, tan, cute, and making a sandwich. “Whoa, who are you?” she says. “Oh hi, you must be Jessie, he says with calm assurance. My name is Pick and my grandfather Bill and I are staying here this summer; wanna sandwich?”
This is Jessie's introduction to Bill Crimmins grandson and his daughter Lorraine's (now lavender) 16-year-old son. Lots more about her later. Jessie does know that Lorraine used to help her mother Kate baby sit her older siblings when they were very young before their biological father, Wilder Foley died. She also knows that Lorraine ran away to California when she was about 19 years old and never came back. Interesting. She'd be more upset about Pick and Mr. Crimmins living in Little Fair if Pick wasn't so cute. Jessie really wishes her older siblings we're here now.
The summer takes on much drama as Jessie placates her grandmother Exalta by taking tennis lessons at her staunch conservative Country Club the Field and Oar. The Nichols family have been members since the 1920s, so tennis whites and tradition are de rigueur.
Kate has grown up with her mother Exalta's strict social rules and although she may not agree with all of them, she knows how to work around Exalta so as not to upset nor embarrass her. She succeeds on small battles like convincing her mother they need a TV in All's Fair so Kate can watch Walter Cronkite's evening report and keep up on the Vietnam news. This both comforts and distresses Kate simultaneously which leads to her drinking more then she should. The last time she and David went to dinner she drank way too much and could barely walk out of the restaurant. So, when she took David to the ferry on Sunday, he was calm and polite but told her firmly she needs to cut back. She went home and cried about that and her son Tiger still in Vietnam. She's a mother, damn it!
Meanwhile back in Boston, Blair continues to miss her husband who's constantly working. While she's barely able to move around the apartment since her belly and breast have grown so large. Angus is supposed to go with her to her next appointment with the obstetrician since it’s possible she's having twins.
Kirby has gone off to Martha's Vineyard not telling her parents that she doesn't have the job at the Shiretown Inn in Edgartown. She just read the ad for the job and is going to apply when she gets there. Luckily, she does have a place to stay, thank goodness. When she does finally get to the Inn, she finds out all the chambermaid jobs are taken mostly by the Irish girls that came to Martha's Vineyard in May. Kirby tells the woman interviewing her that she wanted to come early but she was finishing her exams at Simmons College to complete her sophomore year. Fortunately, the word college and Kirby's demeanor impress Mrs. Bennie enough to offer her the front desk job, but the hours are 11:00 PM to 7 AM. Kirby doesn't hesitate, “I'll take it.”
So, all parts of the combined family are off on one of the most historic years America has known, 1969. Just in that summer alone, man walks on the moon, the largest, outdoor, rock ‘n roll concert takes place: Woodstock; and a Senator from Massachusetts walks away from an accident on a small island called Chappaquiddick near Martha's Vineyard. The Vietnam War continues.
For those of us who lived through these events, young or old, they'll never be forgotten.
Events will change in the characters’ lives in small and large ways mostly for good for they are the fortunate ones. Tiger is still in Vietnam as the book closes.

Thank you NetGalley, Little, Brown and Co., and Elin Hilderbrand

Note: Please be sure to read the Author’s Notes and Acknowledgements. Elin mentions Ken Burns’ documentary on the Vietnam War; if you don’t have much knowledge about this war, as many Americans might not, I encourage you to watch it. It won’t be easy, but it’s our history. Thank you.

I enjoyed stepping into the world of Jessie Levin who is spending the summer of her 13th birthday Nantucket. This is a perfect summer book. It is filled with family secrets and drama, summer crushes, and history that was woven throughout the story. Thank you for another great book Ms. Hilderbrand!

Summer of ‘69 could have been overwhelming as Elin Hilderbrand tackles the topics of the time including drugs, racism, anti-semitism, demonstrations, The Vietnam War, suicide and Woodstock. Throw in a coming of age story, first bra, first love, marriages in distress, and a bucket load more. This being said, the author handles all this deftly. It is an engaging Women’s Fiction read.

5+

We spend the summer of '69 with 5 women of the Levin family - matriarch Exalta, her daughter Kate, and Kate's daughter Blair, Kirby and Jessie. There is an occasional male presence, most notably Kate's son Tiger, who opens the story by being drafted into the Vietnam war and writes home to shar some of his war experiences. Exalta wants nothing more than for everyone to act like nothing in the world is changing. Kate is beside herself with worry over Tiger's survival. Blair is pregnant and trying to come to terms with being a wife in 1969. Kirby is seeking independence from her family. Jessie is left to navigate through the land mine of being a teenage - freedom, first loves and what it means to love her family.

Like Jessie, I was a newly minted teenage in the summer of '69. I remember many of the events mentioned in this novel. For me, most noteably the moon landing because I was a space geek. Other events like protest over the Vietnam war, civil rights unrest and the Ted Kennedy/Chappaquidick incident did not become as important to me until I got older.

From the first word until the last, I was engrossed in this story. So many people have shared with me the importance of their summer of '69. I think the author made a very wise choice with picking this topic for her first foray into a historical novel. This is definatley my most favorite Elin Hilderbrand to date and most favorite read in 2019. Pure entertainment!

My thanks to Little, Brown & Co. and Netgalley.

Every summer I look forward to reading Elin Hilderbrand's latest beach read, and I was even more excited to read Summer of '69 because it's historical fiction--I absolutely loved reading about this pivotal summer in history, told through the eyes of a blended family on Nantucket. All of the wonderful food, family drama, and beach scenes are present in this marvelous book, with the added bonus of the moon landing, civil rights protests, and the war in Vietnam. This is perfect escapist reading that made me laugh and love right along with the characters during the summer of love. Highly recommended! Thanks to Little, Brown and NetGalley for the preview copy!

I love Elin Hilderbrand and her books are always a summer staple for me. I love that Elin followed her rules and this book takes place in her Nantucket/Martha's Vineyard, which happens to be one of my favorite places. I love how this book took place in the summer of 69. It was fun reading about that time. This book truly transferred me to a different time and place. I loved it!

Elin Hilderbrand's books are always a great summertime read. This latest offering by Hilderbrand is no exception. Set in her trademark settings of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, this book is Hilderbrand's first foray into historical fiction. It is the summer of '69, and readers are introduced to all of the conflicts that are associated with that time period: sexual revolution, the Vietnam War, women's rights, and racism/civil rights. The characters and relationships of this novel are what makes this book so addictive. I especially loved Kirby's and Blair's storylines.

Overall, a great beach read!

Summer of '69 is another great beach read by Elin Hilderbrand. I'm a huge Hilderbrand fan and I know it's because she knows how to blend chick lit with deeper and more thought-provoking topics than you might usually find in such offerings. Summer of '69 is a great example of this skill. The Levin family is a blend of two families, three sisters and one brother. The brother, Tiger, is in Vietnam while his sisters, mother, and grandmother are on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. The summer is full of tension, drama, and sand. I feel deeply for Tiger's mom as she navigates being a mother to her children that are with her as well as being a mother to a soldier in a foreign and dangerous land. This book does not disappoint. Read and enjoy!

I reviewed this book on my blog and will send the link directly to the publisher in the next round of this process.

The thing about Elin Hilderbrand is that I know I’ll always have a good, solid read. While I don’t consider her books deeply literary, she’s one we go to when we need a break from the heavy. Hilderbrand is really the epitome of summer reading. This one I particularly enjoyed because of the historical storyline. We’ll be sure to see this on the summer bestseller lists.

Can you ever go wrong with Elin Hilderbrand?
This novel portrays a family in the year of 1969, dealing with feminism, the war, and racial tensions. You are sucked in by chapter 1, and will have to stay up late to finish the entire novel. Excellent characters and storyline. This is a must read on your summer lists!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel.

This was a joy of a read! I was sixteen in August of 1969. I know the music and the time. If Ms. Hilderbrand took liberties with the history (as she says in her author's note), it's not so you'd notice. I remember watching Walter Cronkite every evening, watching the recap of the protests, seeing the names of our dead soldiers roll across the screen, and always, always, the music. It was a scary time for America. Although this story is fiction, it was true on many levels.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this work.

I loved this book set on Nantucket in the Summer of 1969, the summer in which Elin Hilderbrand was born! It certainly was an eventful summer and Elin weaved actual events with the Levin Family's summer. I couldn't put it down and I already want to read it again. I know I've said this before but Elin Hilderbrand means summer to me and this book takes you right to Nantucket. I loved the story and the characters and know I will re-read this often.

Summer of '69 comes out next month on June 18, 2019, and you can purchase HERE. There's a reason why I look forward to Elin Hilderbrand's books every summer - and this one is certainly not exception! I hope she considers more historical books in the future!

When the Selective Service notice comes for Tiger, Kate's first instinct is to throw it away. Surely this is every American mother's first instinct? Pretend it got lost in the mail, buy Tiger a few more weeks of freedom before the U.S. Army sends another letter--by which time, this god-awful war in Vietnam might be over.

Just say Elin Hiderbrand and those in the know will want to read her latest book. Set in the summer of 1969 with song titles for chapter headings,, I remembered them all. In the past summers were spent in Nantucket with their grandmother, but not so this year. One daughter is heavily pregnant with twins, another is very involved in protests and moves to Martha's Vineyard to work and the youngest daughter has to spend her time on Nantucket with no siblings to entertain her and a grandmother who is just lightly out of touch with the real world Her brother has been drafted and sent to Viet Nam. Keeping up with the family during this summer was wonderful.. How will Tiger come home? This is a book you won't be able to put down.
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Set during the turbulent summer of 1969 America, Elin Hilderbrand’s newest novel takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster ride that mimics the tumultuous time it’s set in.

Siblings Blair, Kirby and Jessie each miss their brother, Tiger, who’s been called off to Viet Nam to fight a war no one wants. The sisters each have personal problems to deal with and could use the support of one another. But, that isn’t happening. 13 year old Jessie is spending the summer at her grandmother’s house – a place she hates – separated from her friends. Pregnant with twins Blair has left her husband after she confronts him about infedility. And Kirby is caught up in a friend’s abusive relationship and her own doomed love affair with a black man.

Told with Hildebrand’s signature style of long descriptive passages, this book is an homage to a terrible year in our nation’s history and how one family’s struggles and hopes mimic the rest of the country’s.

Thanks to Netgalley for a sneak peak. Another Hilderbrand classic.

As far as I know, this is Elin Hilderbrand's first book of historical fiction -- she takes us back to the summer of 1969,
different from her usual time period, but still set on Nantucket, which is a place she portrays with such love and attention to detail. A great family story, with a satisfying resolution. A perfect summer read.

I don't think I could love this book any more than I do. What a great read! I'm a huge fan of Elin Hilderbrand and this book just proved why. I was so impressed by all the subjects and goings-on that were relevant in 1969 while still staying true to her story telling. I really enjoyed it and could have easily read around 300 pages. I would happily read a sequel! Fantastic book and definitely recommended!

If it is possible to be nostalgic for a time and place you’ve never been, this is exactly how this book made me feel.

There are four siblings in the Levin family, and we get all of their stories, as well as their mother, Kate’s. Tiger is off at war, in Vietnam. Blair is pregnant - extremely pregnant, and isn’t sure what is going on with her husband. Kirby is trying to distance herself from her family. Youngest sibling Jessie is trying to figure out how she fits in.

This is a really fantastic historical summer story.

Thanks to a Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC of this book.

Despite this being a novel of historical fiction, Elin Hildebrand delivers another book that is easy to love; proving that she can do quite anything. Throughout this story, there were cute complications of a blended family, the incorporation of a war, interracial dating, and taboo behaviors during that part of history were woven into a breezy story that left the reader wanting more.