Politics, secret families, East Coast enclaves - great mix of material on which to set the story of Virgie (not a huge fan of that name) and her three daughters as they process Charlie's death. The story moved nicely and the chapters were short which I very much enjoy; there were a few times when I had to flip back to remember if I was in 1965 or 1978.
When James' mother collapsed, I actually stopped to ponder if there was actually 911 service on Martha's Vineyard in 1965. Subsequent google searches haven't been fruitful but I am not convinced that is historically accurate. I would hope it is and such an egregious factual error hasn't slipped by editors to this point.
I found the fleeting treatment of abortion to be honest yet maybe just a bit too casually integrated - Louisa having had one at 15 and our main character Betsy contemplating one but ultimately deciding against it. Perhaps within this more liberated family abortion wasn't something as taboo as it was in the wider population in the 60s and 70s. Nonetheless, it had a place in the story and has made me think.
I thought Virgie's reaction to Betsy's pregnancy was a little out of character, "Oh, ok, sure, you go to school and I will be grandma and it'll all be great." - that seemed too easy and too quick. Similar to the financial solution of the secret family's home on Nantucket - there just didn't seem to be enough legal discussion (other than the serendipitous letter to Betsy) on ownership.
Overall, I will continue to read Foster's work when I see it on the shelves; thanks for the advanced read.

A pleasant summer read in a charming setting.
Tho a fan of the author, her latest was unfortunately mostly a miss for me.
I didn't feel invested in any of the characters [tho admittedly think I enjoyed the earlier of the two timelines more when the siblings' mother was more centrally featured]. And much of the dialogue felt stilted and didn't flow well.

With thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for this e-ARC.

This is another winner from talented author Brooke Lea Foster. You can tell that Foster devotes careful attention to her stories, and her characters really shine. The dual timelines in 1965 and 1978 are handled deftly. The stories are both compelling; I especially admired how the story conveys the differences in two generations of women trying to find the courage to stand up for their beliefs. These are women whom you want to spend time with. They seem so realistic, which is an impressive feat. The story moves along at a nice pace. Overall, this is simply a wonderful read, and I very much enjoyed being in the story world. I am already looking forward to the next novel from this brilliant author.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read Our Last Vineyard Summer by Brooke Lea Foster.

"Following a dual timeline between 1965 and 1978, and filled with the vibrant, sunlit nostalgia of the cherished New England vacation setting, Our Last Vineyard Summer poignantly captures two generations of women navigating love, loss, and womanhood while trying to find the courage to stand up for what they believe in—and the strength to decide if the home they once loved is worth saving."

I enjoyed spending time with these women in both timelines. Well written and thoughtful.