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Summer of '69
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Four siblings experience the drama, intrigue, and upheaval of a summer when everything changed in New York Times best-selling author Elin Hilderbrand's first historical novel.
Welcome to the most tumultuous summer of the 20th century. It's 1969, and for the Levin family, the times they are a-changing. Every year, the children have looked forward to spending the summer at their grandmother's historic home in downtown Nantucket. But like so much else in America, nothing is the same: Blair, the oldest sister, is marooned in Boston, pregnant with twins and unable to travel. Middle sister Kirby, caught up in the thrilling vortex of civil rights protests and determined to be independent, takes a summer job on Martha's Vineyard. Only-son Tiger is an infantry soldier, recently deployed to Vietnam. Thirteen-year-old Jessie suddenly feels like an only child, marooned in the house with her out-of-touch grandmother and her worried mother, each of them hiding a troubling secret. As the summer heats up, Ted Kennedy sinks a car in Chappaquiddick, man flies to the moon, and Jessie and her family experience their own dramatic upheavals along with the rest of the country.
In her first historical novel, rich with the details of an era that shaped both a nation and an island 30 miles out to sea, Elin Hilderbrand once again earns her title as queen of the summer novel.
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Endless Summer
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Elin Hilderbrand presents nine captivating stories of summer on Nantucket—and days that last forever—to carry us through when those warm sandy days feel far off. With a foreword by Elin Hilderbrand about the writer's reluctance to leave treasured characters behind and a prefatory, "behind-the-scenes" note included with each story, this book answers the prayers of both new and seasoned listeners everywhere who, like the Kirkus reviewer, "would rather be living in an Elin Hilderbrand novel."
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An absolute GIFT for the Elin fan
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What the critics say
"Hilderbrand hits all the right notes about life in a tightly knit family, and this crowd-pleaser is sure to satisfy both her fans and newcomers alike." (Kirkus, starred review)
"The grande dame of beach reads...Hilderbrand shifts among characters with her usual ease, weaving a saga that will make you forget the dynamics of your own dysfunctional people as you crowd into a too-small vacation rental." (Liz Egan, New York Times Book Review)
"Overall this novel is an entertaining bagatelle.... There won't be a single transistor radio this summer on Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea, nor on Madaket Beach in Nantucket. But there almost certainly will be multiple copies of Summer of '69. It's this year's beach-reading cure for...the summertime blues." (The Boston Globe)
What listeners say about Summer of '69
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Kim
- 2023-07-05
Very enjoyable
The descriptive writing took you right to the island, I enjoyed the writing and the story.
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Overall
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- Lacey Densley
- 2019-09-24
Enthralling
I loved the telling of the year's events, fictional and non fictional, from different prospectives. Definitely worth a listen!
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Overall
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Performance
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- The Linds
- 2019-07-05
Not my favourite book
I have read almost every book by the author, this being one of my least favourites. The storyline didn’t interest me that much and the characters didn’t either. I will still continue to read her books- looking forward to the sequel to Winter in Paradise.
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1 person found this helpful