by Liza Klaussmann (Get the Book)Nick and Helena are cousins who are close as sisters, having grown up summering together on Martha's Vineyard. They are also opposites: one dark, one fair; one rich, one poor; one beguiling, one naOve. As the book opens at the end of World War II, the young women share an apartment in Cambridge, MA. Nick awaits the return of her husband, Hughes, while Helena, a war widow, is planning to marry again and move to California. The story takes place over 24 years, much of it at Tiger House, the stately family summer home Nick inherited. Divided into five sections, each narrated from the point of view of Nick, Helena, Hughes, Nick's daughter Daisy, and Helena's son Ed, the action pivots on a murder on the island, the details and aftereffects of which are not clear until each character has spoken. Verdict A meditation on love, desire, and personal choices, this rich and compelling literary debut novel by a former New York Times journalist and the great-great-great-granddaughter of Herman Melville is sure to appeal to a variety of readers. --Library Journal
