First published 2003
George Howe Colt weaves together two parallel narratives spanning a hundred years. The first traces his family's construction of their Cape Cod summer house a century ago, following five generations as they gather, celebrate, mourn, and create memories within its walls. The second focuses on the family's final month in the beloved house, as they prepare to say goodbye to the place that has anchored their summers for decades. Colt examines how the house shaped his family's identity and how his family, in turn, left their mark on every room and corner. The author captures the weight of family tradition and the pain of letting go, exploring what happens when a place holds more history than its owners can carry forward. This is a story about inheritance that goes beyond money or property, about the spaces that hold our stories and the difficult choices families face when preserving the past becomes impossible.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-saga, nostalgia
Setting: Cape Cod
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
336 pages · Hardcover · Scribner