GREAT READS

Maine: A Novel

by J. Courtney Sullivan.

You can tell if you really like a CD book. You sit in the driveway and instead of going into the house, you listen to one more chapter. I did that a lot when I listened to Maine, a captivating story about several generations of women.

Like all families, the Kelleher women have issues, both with themselves and with each other. Each July, they meet at the beach cottage in Maine; one mother, one daughter, one daughter-in-law, and one granddaughter. They bring with them their stories, their compassion, their stubbornness, and their need to be understood and accepted. The book chronicles one July in particular - the women spend a month "bonding" together and yet each struggles with secrets, past and present. And although the story ends just like summer, without resolution and leaving you longing for more, I was still glad I read this book. You'll fall in love with the characters, their complex problems and realness that may remind you a little too much of your own family.

Recommended by Monica Vorac