The Summer Guests - Paperback

by Mary Alice Monroe (Author), Katherine Kaneb Bellissimo (Foreword by)

This "authentic, generous, and heartfelt" (Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author) novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Beach House series is about the bonds and new beginnings that are born from disasters and how, even during the worst of circumstances--or perhaps because of them--we discover what is most important in life.

Late August is a beautiful time on the Southern coast--the peach trees are ripe, the ocean is warm, and the sweet tea is icy. It's the perfect time to enjoy the rocking chairs on the porch. But beneath the calm surface bubbles a threat: it's also peak hurricane season.

When a hurricane threatens the coasts of Florida and South Carolina, an eclectic group of evacuees flees for the farm of their friends Grace and Charles Phillips in North Carolina: the Phillips's daughter Moira and her rescue dogs, famed equestrian Javier Angel de la Cruz, makeup artist Hannah McLain, horse breeder Gerda Klug and her daughter Elise, and island resident Cara Rutledge. Strangers to all but the Phillips, they must ride out the storm together.

During the course of one of the most challenging weeks of their lives, relationships are put to the test as the evacuees are forced to confront the unresolved issues they have with themselves and with each other. But as the storm passes, they realize that what really matters isn't what they brought with them to the mountains. Rather, it's what they'll take with them once they leave.

"Fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Wendy Wax will enjoy the picturesque setting and heartwarmingly intertwined character arcs" (Booklist) and "Monroe writes gorgeously, with authority and tenderness, about the natural world and its power to inspire, transport, and to heal" (Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author).

Author Biography

Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-seven books, including the bestselling The Beach House series. Monroe also writes children's picture books, and a middle grade fiction series called The Islanders. She is a member of the South Carolina Academy of Authors' Hall of Fame, and her books have received numerous awards, including the South Carolina Center for the Book Award for Writing; the South Carolina Award for Literary Excellence; the SW Florida Author of Distinction Award; the RT Lifetime Achievement Award; the International Book Award for Green Fiction; the Henry Bergh Children's Book Award; and her novel, A Lowcountry Christmas, won the prestigious Southern Prize for Fiction. The Beach House is a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, starring Andie MacDowell. Several of her novels have been optioned for film. She is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. Monroe is also an active conservationist and serves on several boards. She lives on the South Carolina coast, which is a source of inspiration for many of her books.