The Surfing Lesson by Elin Hilderbrand
Reagan Arthur Books
May 2013
Format: e-book, 44 pages
Source: Personal copy
A digital
edition short story about a wife coming to terms with her fading
marriage, based on a subplot from Elin Hilderbrand’s forthcoming novel
BEAUTIFUL DAYMargot’s reservoir of romantic feelings for her
husband Drum is running dry. But while the family is on vacation in
Nantucket, Margot finds an opportunity to potentially regain her
romantic love for her husband – in the form of Hadley Axelram, his
ex-girlfriend. She is counting on jealousy as a relationship
defibrillator.But after forcing her surfing-god husband to make
plans for a surfing lesson with Hadley and her son, Margot is left to
reminisce about the summer she fell in love with Drum, and the
unexpected blossoming of their relationship. When she sees Drum and
Hadley spending time together, will the spark reignite – and will her
marriage be saved? Or will she find that love is truly gone from this
relationship?This touching short story about a poignant stage in
a marriage explores the backstory of Margot Carmichael, one of the
stars in Elin Hilderbrand’s new novel BEAUTIFUL DAY.
My thoughts: There are a few authors that come to mind when summer comes around, and one is Elin Hilderbrand and her novels set on Nantucket. I have read all her books and feel that I always get to live vicariously through her characters and enjoy all that Nantucket has to offer – it is a place I’ve never been but hope to get to one day.
The Surfing Lesson is, according to the author herself, actually a stand-alone short story that will get you ready for her new book, Beautiful Day. I don’t tend to pre-order too many books, but I did for this one and loved it. It is indeed a short story, but introduces us to Margot, Drum and Hadley. Margot and Drum have seemed to lost the spark in their marriage and Margot is trying to figure out what to do. Taking us back to the days when Margot and Drum first fell in love, we find out a bit about these characters.
I’m looking forward to reading Beautiful Day and seeing what becomes of Margot and Drum’s marriage. I know they are not the focus of the story in the upcoming book, but for some reason Elin Hilderbrand felt their story needed to be told and I’m glad. Hopefully I get the book soon – I reserved it at the library and am just waiting for a copy to come in.
Do you read all the prequels and short stories that authors put out for upcoming books or do you just stick with the main book?
Going to order it now!
I stick with the main book!
This sounds like a good short novel! I've never read anything by Hilderbrand, but I just rented her book on tape from the library – Summerland. I'm going to be driving about 12 hours this weekend so I figured it was a perfect time to try a book on tape for the first time and also to read Hilderbrand, as I've heard such good things about her work! Great review (:
I haven't read anything by this author, but I am definitely going to read one of hers and try it out. She sounds promising.
I just read your question! I don't usually read prequels, but if it was an author that I really love and it was important to the series I would.
I've mostly stuck with main books because I prefer to get my books from the library and it's harder to do that with short stories.