Three women arrive in Nantucket to spend their summer vacation recouping from the misery of their lives. Vickie Lyndon has cancer, and she leaves her husband at home while taking their two small boys to a cottage that she inherited with her sister to undergo chemotherapy. Brenda Lyndon lost her job over a scandalous affair with her student and is now spending her free time caring for her sister while trying to write a screenplay to cover her legal expenses. After several failed In Vitro attempts, Vicki’s friend, Melanie Patchen, escapes to the sands of Nantucket when she discovers her husband’s affair, and to her dismay, learns that she is pregnant.
Then, there was Josh Flynn; a literature student and an island native who was drawn to these women as they stumbled off the plane. He soon finds himself entangled in their lives as a babysitter to Vickie’s boys and falls in love.
If you are looking for a great summer read to dig yourself out of winter’s trenches, Barefoot will make you feel warm and tranquil with the familiar grit of sand between your toes. Elin Hilderbrand’s writing style and well-researched novel tugs at the reader’s heartstrings. She will take you through the emotional turmoil one feels when battling with cancer or the devastating heartbreak of an affair, and leads you to the beauty of a summer romance and rekindled love. It was a fun and light read; great for pulling you out those dreary winter days or lounging on the beach at a tropical oasis!
Stacy N. Elliott 