THE SEASIDE SISTERS

Pamela Kelley

St. Martin's Press

6/4/23

Fiction

Paperback, 320 pages

Brooklyn-based Hannah is a bestselling author struggling to write her second book after personal losses. Her older sister, Sara, still lives in Chatham, Cape Cod, where they grew up, and is married with four children. Once a dedicated librarian, Sara dreams of reviving her love affair with literature, but instead, she is stuck with too many family responsibilities and a fizzling marriage.

When Hannah gets the chance to retreat to her aunt's oceanfront house in Chatham for the summer, it seems like just the thing to get her creative juices flowing. And she’ll be able to spend more time with Sara, who is eager to find her way back into the workforce, to do something rewarding and book-related. The pair will spend the summer making friends, rekindling romance— especially Spencer, an old acquaintance from high school-turned very hot grump— and opening themselves up to the magic of books and the beach.

Dear Reader:

I grew up on Cape Cod and while The Seaside Sisters isn’t a sequel to my novel The Bookshop by the Bay, it is also set in Chatham, and there is a loose connection—the bookshop is back, and several characters make a brief return appearance.

The Seaside Sisters is the story of two sisters, Hannah and Sara, who are at very different places in their lives. Hannah is single and her career is taking off, while Sara is a stay-at-home mother of four boys who put her career as a librarian on hold. She wants to return to the workforce but is finding it’s not as easy as she’d hoped. When Hannah decides to spend the summer in Chatham at her aunt’s home, they all grow closer and support each other. It’s a summer of big changes and new beginnings for all of them.

Pamela Kelley

This story is set during the summer when there is an abundance of fresh local seafood available on Cape Cod. Crisp, creamy white wines, buttery seafood, and delicious desserts. A book club menu might include some of my favorites from the book :

Beverages: La Crema Chardonnay, Josh Cabernet

Appetizers: Buffalo Chicken Dip, Shrimp Cocktail

Salad: Caesar salad with a homemade, creamy garlicky dressing

Entree: Grilled steak tips, and marinated and grilled scallops or swordfish with grilled vegetables

Dessert: Raspberry-topped cheesecake, Chocolate tiramisu

Pamela Kelley

FOR YOUR BOOK CLUB