One rainy day after delivering their children to their
ritzsy, Brooklyn pre-school, Happy Circle, Lottie and Rose
read this ad on the school bulletin board:
HOPEWELL COTTAGE
LITTLE LOST ISLAND, MAINE
Old, pretty cottage to rent on a small island.
Springwater, blueberries, sea glass.
AUGUST.
Both dissatisfied with their lives, they decide to rent it
but need two other housemates to afford the extravagant
price. Actress Caroline Dester, hiding out from a recent
Hollywood disgrace (she stood up at the Academy Awards when
she thought her name was called...it was not her name!)
answers the ad. As did elderly, crabby, gay, Beverly
Fisher, who is suffering the loss of the love of his life,
Sam Gorsch, and Possum, his beloved cat. Sam, a very rich,
successful song writer, left his enormous fortune to
Beverly when he died. He simply asked that Beverly become
his music director and take care of his music and his vast
wealth. All four are a little lost, yearning for a rebirth.
Will they find new happiness on this enchanted island that
does not even have Wi-Fi?
ENCHANTED AUGUST is a sparkling, delicious read from the
first page to the last. I could almost taste the sweet
blueberries, smell the flowers in the gardens at Hopewell
Cottage, and shiver from diving into the cold, icy waters
of beautiful, calming Maine. Their stories are warm and
wonderful with some amusing twists and turns as the month
passes too quickly. Time to return to reality!
I found the characters charming, funny and missed them all
at the end of this soothing and uplifting book. Brenda
Bowen writes delightfully of love, new beginnings and
friendships, with a magical Maine setting that makes you
want to head there as soon as possible. The beach clam bake
was such an enjoyable event. I almost tasted those steamed
lobsters dripping with butter. What a joyful read. I am a
new and loyal fan that eagerly waits for Ms. Bowens' next
offering.
A sparkling summer debut of love and reawakening that
transports the classic The Enchanted April
to a picture-perfect island in Maine
It's a
rainy summer in Park Slope, Brooklyn, when two
unhappily married women, Lottie Wilkinson and Rose
Arbuthnot, spot a tattered ad on their children's
preschool bulletin board:
Hopewell Cottage
Little Lost Island, Maine.
Old pretty cottage to rent
Spring water, blueberries, sea glass.
August.
Neither can afford it, but they
are
smitten. To share expenses, they find two companions:
Caroline Dester, the exquisite darling of the
independent movie scene, and elderly Beverly Fisher, who is
recovering from heartbreaking loss.
Transformed by the refreshing summer breezes, steamed
lobsters, and cocktail hours on the wrap-around
porch, the unlikely quartet gradually begin to open up to
one another, and ultimately rediscover their
capacity to love and be loved.
With a cast of quirky
and endearing characters set against the
beauty of an idyllic New England summer, ENCHANTED
AUGUST brilliantly updates a beloved classic and
offers readers a universal fantasy: one glorious summer
month away from it all.