Sailing Lessons by Hannah McKinnon -- Review

Title: Sailing Lessons 
Author: Hannah McKinnon 
Pages: 384
Publishing: June 5th 2018 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Synopsis:

On the shores of Cape Cod, the Bailey sisters reunite with their long-lost father for a summer of hope and forgiveness in this heartfelt novel from the author of the “sharp and evocative” (Kirkus Reviews) Mystic Summer, The Lake Season, and The Summer House, sure to appeal to “fans of Elin Hilderbrand” (Booklist).

Wrenn Bailey has lived all her life on Cape Cod with her mother Lindy, older sister Shannon, and younger sister Piper. Growing up, life was dictated by the seasons with sleepy gray winters where only the locals stayed on, followed by the sharp influx and colorful bustle of summer tourists who swept up the elbow of the Cape and infiltrated their small paradise.

But it wasn’t just the tourists who interrupted Wrenn’s formative years; her father—brilliant but troubled photographer Caleb—has long made a habit of drifting in and out of his girls’ lives. Until the one summer he left the Cape and did not return again.

Now, almost twenty years later, Caleb has come back one last time, suffering from pancreatic cancer and seeking absolution. Wrenn and her sisters each respond differently to their father’s return, determined to find closure. But that means returning to the past and revisiting old wounds—wounds that cause the tightknit Bailey women to confront their own wishes and wants, and admit to their own wrong-doings over the years. In a place that brings both great comfort and great pain, the Bailey sisters experience a summer on the Cape that promises not only hard endings, but perhaps, hopeful new beginnings.

Review: 

I'm always looking for a good beachy read, and Sailing Lessons was perfect for that craving. Full of family drama, romance, and roads to recovery, this read was enough to make me sit still on the beach and read until the book was finished. I loved McKinnon's writing in this novel and how she made the characters truly come to life. I felt like I was experiencing highs and lows with each of the characters throughout the novel and I loved it. 

McKinnon has a way of taking relate-able characters and putting them into situations that you're constantly asking yourself, "what would I do?". I love that about her writing and I love how it constantly has my mind moving and contemplating. I would highly recommend this novel if you need a good beach read or if you are a fan of Kristin Hannah. Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for sending this novel in exchange for an honest review. 

Rating 3/5