From the back of the audio case: A Nantucket getaway may be just what Meredith Martin Delinn needs. Her perfect life has taken a sharp downturn since it’s been revealed that her husband, Freddy, cheated rich investors out of billions of dollars. Hounded by the press, shunned by society, and separated from her sons, Meredith has no one to turn to – except her onetime best friend, Constance Flute.
Although the two women have recently been estranged, Connie agrees to bring Meredith along to her waterfront house on Nantucket, where they take refuge from the outside world and rekindle a friendship forged decades earlier. Their girlhood dreams never included the messy, complicated realities of their lives today, when both women find themselves alone, for very different reasons.
But what begins as a retreat becomes a summer of second chances. Connie and Meredith, both determined never to let themselves be hurt again, find that resolve tested by a handsome young widower and the arrival of a blast from Meredith’s past. And gradually they realize that their hearts may be broken, but they’re still beating.
Set against the backdrop of a stunning Nantucket summer, Elin Hilderbrand’s suspenseful story explores the power of friendship, the pull of love, and the beauty of forgiveness.
Read by: Janet Metzger and Marianne Fraulo
My thoughts: I won this audio during audio book week and decided to save it for my trip back to NY from North Carolina – it was the perfect book to listen to during the 10 hour drive.
Silver Girl is the story of Meredith Martin Delinn, a woman dealing with the aftermath of her husband’s extensive Bernie Madoff-style crimes. With her assets seized, all communication with her sons at an SEC-mandated standstill, and her husband Freddy on his way to prison for 150 years, Meredith finds she has nobody else to turn to for help but her estranged childhood friend Connie. Willing to help, albeit reluctantly, Connie offers to take Meredith with her to Nantucket for the summer, thus giving both women the chance to mend their friendship.
I really enjoyed how the story flows back and forth between the past and the present, describing the story behind each character and how they became the person they were today. Many themes presented themselves within the book: love, health issues, social issues, family and friendship connections, and of course, most importantly, greed, betrayal and deceit. It is these last three that were ruining many lives including Meredith’s. I think Elin Hilderbrand really captured what it would be like to be the wife of a Ponzi Scheme conspirator and mastermind. Meredith is under investigation, broke and the victim of extreme hatred by those that lost millions in her husband’s scheme. She is both loyal and loving to her husband, but extremely devastated by what he’s done and all the lives he’s ruined…including hers. She is the perfect mixture of good and bad traits and I found myself laughing and crying with Meredith.
I love good summer reads and this one definitely fit the bill. After finishing Elin Hilderbrand’s books, I always find myself wanting to go visit Nantucket. Hopefully one day I will get there, but for now, I will continue to enjoy my escapes there through books.
(I won this audio from Jen at Devourer of Books.)
This is the tale of two women, friends since childhood, Connie and Meredith. As it often happens they grew farther apart as they grew older. Connie married Wulf and gave birth to a daughter Ashlyn. She was devastated when Wulf died of cancer and her daughter blamed her for his death. Like her mother, Connie turned to alcohol to numb her pain.