Montauk is a beach on Long Island, a resort for the very wealthy to play and for the working class to work hard to please them. It is into this world that Beatrice Bordeaux is thrust when her husband Harry decides that they will summer in Montauk. Even before arriving there, Bea is dissatisfied with her marriage, yearning for a child who has never come and a husband with whom to share her frustrations and dreams. Harry is present in body only because it seems that he is always chasing a bigger profit somewhere. Beatrice is left alone a great deal of the time and expected to stay with the wealthy set, her “class.” But she finds that she is not comfortable with those who are arrogant and gossipy, those who demonstrate their non-acceptance of others who are not rich. Uncomfortable with the high society, Bea drifts away from them and toward the domestic help in the luxury hotel and the fishermen who provide the daily catch for the restaurants there. This historical women’s fiction depicts class inequalities as well as anti-semitism. Set in the late 1930’s, with war on the horizon, the descriptions are magnetic and beautiful. The characters are complex and mostly unlikable. I really did like Beatrice, but even she did not seem to make right choices often enough, although I continually rooted for her to do so. This novel is perfect for fans of domestic drama, mixed with history and a little bit of suspense. The author did a good job of involving me in the story so that I enjoyed it enough to recommend it to others.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This book can be classified as women’s fiction, historical fiction, domestic drama and a tad of suspense. It is available TODAY at your favorite bookseller.