This family saga spans three generations living in Haven Point, a summer enclave near Harpswell, Maine. I loved the descriptions of the rocky Maine coastline and the peek into lives of the summer people. As a Mainer, I found the environmental and geographic descriptions authentic (except washing the dishes when the power was out - probably those summer homes would be on well water and need electricity to pump it). I found the story intriguing but slow-paced. The characters are well-developed but the revelation of details of the past was a bit slow for me.

Family sagas have always been a favorite genre and Haven Point by Virginia Hume has ticked all the boxes. Haven Point is a summer enclave in Maine, where families have spent their vacations, generation after generation. The usual politics apply between old families and people from away are not always well tolerated. Maren came to this community as the young wife of the son of an old well-established family. The time was the forties. Over time their young family grew, with two sons and a daughter, Annie. She is the second generation of this saga and the time period is the seventies. Annie’s daughter, Skye, was born in the new century and she too came to Haven Point . Through seven decades, three generations of these flawed and fascinating women have lived their lives in and out of the summer community. This is relationship fiction at its best. The novel is beautifully written by Virginia Hume and I hope there will be more to come. She has given life to three women that will stay in your head for quite a while, remembering their joys and pains. Highly recommended. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. .My review opinion is my own.

I so enjoyed this charming book of multiple generations told over different timelines.
The charcters are rich, the setting of Maine told very atmospheric and the story is lovely. I highly recommend this enjoyable book and will look forward to further works by this author.

Maren meets Oliver Demarest while she's working as a cadet nurse caring for injured soldiers during the war. Oliver grew up in one of the wealthy families spending summers on Haven Point. After their marriage, they move there to the family home FourWinds. As an outsider to this exclusive group, Maren constantly finds herself snubbed during group activities. Annie, their wild and stubborn middle child, has been left to run free along with most of the other Haven Point kids. But when Oliver finds out she's been spending a lot of time with an outsider, an antiwar activist, he forbids her to see him again, leading to a family tragedy noone could have anticipated. Annie vows never to return to Haven Point. Her daughter Skye spends a little time with her grandmother on Haven Point throughout her life, but her opinion of the island has always been influenced by her mother's negative attitude. She only learns the truth about her mother's past after her death.
I liked this family drama set on a beautiful island. I couldn't stop picturing the resort from the movie Dirty Dancing with the scheduled group activities. I loved the character Maren and the strength she showed dealing with the tragedies in her life. I strongly recommend this book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Review will be posted on 7/27/21

Maren Larsen is a nurse at the Walter Reed Hospital in 1944 and while there, she meets Dr. Oliver Demarest. Maren grew up in a small town in Minnesota whereas Oliver grew up brushing elbows with the well-to-do in Boston. They are polar opposites, but something about Maren catches Oliver's eye. After a few dates, they end up smitten and Oliver proposes. Maren has to meet Oliver's family and enter their world starting with summers at Haven Point. Maren feels like a fish out of water in this upscale coastal community that holds more secrets than seashells. Fast forward to the 1970s at Haven Point and the world is changing. Maren and Oliver's daughter, Annie, is spending the summer at Haven Point, but has her eyes on a young man that her parents don't approve of. This summer will change everything for the Demarests. Fast forward even further to 2008 and Annie's daughter, Skye, is visiting Haven Point to visit her grandmother, Maren, and also scatter her mother's ashes as requested. While there, Maren know she needs to fill in the blanks to Skye surrounding Annie and that fateful summer of 1970. Haven Point by Virginia Hume is a compelling multi-generational saga set at a gorgeous coastal community; it's perfect for fans of Beatriz Williams.

I really liked Maren from the beginning of Haven Point. She comes from such a different background than Oliver, but I appreciated that as well as her gumption. Hume develops Maren and Oliver's love story very well and provides readers with a lot of family drama as the years go by. Maren has a lot of responsibility at Haven Point not to mention keeping a look out for Oliver's mother who has an issue with alcohol. The whole Haven Point community looks out for one another and eventually Maren finds her place there.

Annie's story was also well developed in Haven Point. She is coming of age during a very difficult time and is rebelling against her parents. She wants to date a guy who they don't approve of and this ends up being a major problem as the summer progresses. Something happens that summer that changes the Demarests forever, so much so that Annie doesn't return to Haven Point ever again. As the years go by and she becomes a mother, she tells her daughter, Skye, that Haven Point is elitist, close-minded, and basically poisons the well.

Then you have Skye, Annie's daughter, who already has preconceived notions about Haven Point. However, those walls come crashing down the more time she spends with her grandmother and in the community. Plus, Maren, her grandmother, tells her the true story as to what happened that fateful summer and Skye is able to understand her mother better.

Haven Point, the beautiful coastal home, becomes a character in and of itself in Haven Point. It becomes a refuge for the Demarest family and holds many secrets as the years continue. The Demarests go there to escape life in the 1940s, all the way up to 2008. The upscale community isn't all just cocktail parties and tennis matches, they generally look out for one another. Haven Point the perfect setting for a historical beach read.

My only issue with Haven Point was the pacing. Towards the middle of the novel, I started to get restless and it felt stagnant. The last half of the novel was much more engaging as we start to piece together what tragedy befell the Demarest family that summer. Other than my issues with the pacing, I felt it was a solid historical beach read and reminded me of something Beatriz Williams would write. So, if you love a good multi-generational family saga that includes a coastal setting, add Haven Point to your beach read list for the summer.

Is this book on your TBR list? Are you a fan of historical beach reads? Let me know in the comments below.

Haven Point, Maine is where the wealthy elites of New England go to relax and enjoy their summers. It's a private beach community with unspoken rules and regulations that have stood the test of time and generational wealth. <u>Haven Point</u>tells the story of the Demarest women of Haven Point, across three generations, through the voices of two women; Maren and Skye.

While I enjoyed both Maren's and Skye's perspectives, I always found the Haven Point chapters a little daunting. I was always much more interested in the chapters that took place outside of Haven Point as they seemed to give more of a glimpse into what our characters were truly like when they weren't putting on airs or dealing with snobbery. This is one of those novels that portrays a wealthy WASP family as emotionally broken and struggling. Yes, the Demarest family past is not an easy one, and was marred by plenty of tragedy, but I just couldn't get over the nasty, elitist feel of Haven Point. The book had strong promise at the beginning, but by its conclusion I was pretty ready for it to be over.

First time author Virginia Hume has knocked it out of the park with her debut novel “Haven Point”. The story takes place in a fictional town off the coast of Maine and takes us back and for through the lives of the Demarest women from the 1940’s, the 1970’s and 2008. We are introduced Pauline, Maren, Annie and Skye Demarest, and the well developed friends and neighbors of the homogenous coastal town of Haven Point. Definitely an excellent summer read and I look forward to Ms. Humes next book.

4.25 stars! I really enjoyed my time on Haven Point! This story takes place off the coast of Portland, Maine, which I visited on one of my last pre-COVID trips. Haven Point is an island for the affluent; you’re either of Haven Point or you’re not. Maren is a young wife, newly married during WWII, and brought to her husband’s family home where she discovers that wealth does not mean problem-free. Annie is Maren’s daughter, whose problem impacts her mother, and her daughter, Skye. Skye is the third generation on Haven Point, trying to find where and how she fits in.

This is a fantastic family drama. It has heart, it has community, it has female friendship. It explores changing social norms in a very delicate manner. If you enjoy historical fiction that feels contemporary, pick up Haven Point by Virginia Hume.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced e-copy of #havenpoint

I really enjoyed this book. I don't typically reach for books that Flash back-and-forth in time periods but I actually really enjoyed this one. I liked seeing the different perspectives and how everyone in the story kind of tied together with their different histories. The characters are well written and enjoyable 🙌

Haven Point is a sweeping debut for Virginia Hume, set in the backdrops of both Washington D.C. and Haven Point, Maine-a small island community. Told from alternating narrators and timelines the reader is introduced to the Demarest family by three women from different generations: matriarch Maren, artist daughter Annie and her young daughter Skye. Maren, a nurse at Walter Reed during World War II, meets her husband, Dr. Oliver Demarest while serving the wounded soldiers. Oliver spends time every summer with his parents on Haven Point, a small island community on the Maine coastline that's not always kind to outsiders. When Skye returns to scatter her mother's ashes she also has the same outlook on Haven Point that her mother Annie did-she felt it was a snobbish place and refused to return. However, Skye never knew what happened one summer during the 1970s that changed everything and even chartered her course long before she was born. This is a family saga novel, with the beautiful coastline serving as a silent character along with some quirky neighbors and life-long friends (and frenemies)-it adds up to a delicious summer read. Pack this in your beach or pool bag!

This was such a complex character driven novel that was told through several decades and multiple generations. I loved the character development throughout this novel. It felt like you were really watching them grow up, learn and experience life, family, loss, and love.

I did have an issue with some pacing, some sections felt like they dragged on and others I was so invested in and they flew by. I ended up really enjoying this book overall and would recommend Haven Point to fans of historical fiction.

This book has so much to offer from the multigenerational story to the characters who each have secrets that slowly unfold at the family home in the wasps coastal town.
More than a beach read, this book is an emotional portrayal of three generations of women and their love for each other and those around them.
We had so much to talk about in our amazing Book talk with Virginia Hume. I still cannot believe that this was her first book. It has the depth and writing of a seasoned author.
I absolutely loved this book. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own

This is on of my favorite books I've read in a while. I loved this story and how it bounced back and forth between the grandmother and granddaughter through seven decades until we were in current times.

It is so well written and I loved the characters. I also fell in love with the house on the hill in Maine and the little town and all the quirky characters. I stayed up very late to finish this book because I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Told from a variety of voices spanning decades, Haven Point begins with Maren Larsen in the 1940's. A nurse at one of the most well known health facilities, she meets her future husband whose family spends their summers on the coast of Maine.

During the 70's, the Larsen's have a child, Annie, and one summer while vacationing on Haven Point, tragedy happens and Annie vows to never return to the coast.

Flash forward to the late 2000's - Annie's daughter Skye comes to Maine to scatter her mother's ashes, unaware of that happened back during that fateful summer.

The various voices and time periods kept my attention and it was a pretty good story. Would be a good beach read.

This was a wonderful historical family saga scanning 3 generations. It is set in Maine and has a beach read feeling. It is a story of very strong and self sufficient women. The writer makes it almost feel like you are there and you can feel the sea breeze on your face. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The perfect beach read with some intrigue and drama and a few things to let fall by the wayside as no story or telling of it is perfect. Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

No matter how perfect a family may look from the outside, we all have secrets, challenges and betrayals. Haven Point follows decades of stories impacting the lives of numerous families living in an exclusive area on the Maine coast. Some believe they belong and others are outsiders, traditions and prejudices impact everyone for generations. Very well written, wonderful characters and a great job bringing them all together.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel, all opinions in this review are my own. Thanks you St Martin's Press.

This debut novel is well written and captivating. It spans three generations of a family, highlighting the women in each generation. It has drama, humor, romance, heartbreak and goodness. Maren is a strong character that you fall in love with from the start. The author provides such beautiful description that the setting becomes a character of its own.. I look forward to many more novels from Virginia Hume. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those sagas of several generations of a family, beginning with a young Minnesota nurse tending soldiers during WW II, continuing through the next two generations. It weaves back and forth between those years, and we eventually learn of the secrets that emerge when the granddaughter returns to the family estate on the Maine coast. I particularly enjoyed the strength of the matriarch character, Maren. Having grown up less than an hour away from her hometown in Minnesota, I think the author has portrayed her background/culture very realistically. Similarly, the class distinctions are also quite evident throughout the generations. The story line keeps your interest, and, even though it jumps back & forth across generations, it's easy to follow. This would be a great summer beach read!

Take a look at Haven Point by Virginia Hume if you are in the mood for a generational saga that puts you on the beautiful Maine coast. I love books like this one!

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A sweeping debut novel about the generations of a family that spends summers in a seaside enclave on Maine’s rocky coastline, for fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Beatriz Williams, and Sarah Blake.

1944: Maren Larsen is a blonde beauty from a small Minnesota farming town, determined to do her part to help the war effort––and to see the world beyond her family’s cornfields. As a cadet nurse at Walter Reed Medical Center, she’s swept off her feet by Dr. Oliver Demarest, a handsome Boston Brahmin whose family spends summers in an insular community on the rocky coast of Maine.

1970: As the nation grapples with the ongoing conflict in Vietnam, Oliver and Maren are grappling with their fiercely independent seventeen-year-old daughter, Annie, who has fallen for a young man they don’t approve of. Before the summer is over a terrible tragedy will strike the Demarests––and in the aftermath, Annie vows never to return to Haven Point.

2008: Annie’s daughter, Skye, has arrived in Maine to help scatter her mother’s ashes. Maren knows that her granddaughter inherited Annie’s view of Haven Point: despite the wild beauty and quaint customs, the regattas and clambakes and sing-alongs, she finds the place––and the people––snobbish and petty. But Maren also knows that Annie never told Skye the whole truth about what happened during that fateful summer.

Over seven decades of a changing America, through wars and storms, betrayals and reconciliations, Virginia Hume’s Haven Point explores what it means to belong to a place, and to a family, which holds as tightly to its traditions as it does its secrets.

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