My first book of summer and I loved it. Mary Kay Andrews stepped out of her normal writing style and did an amazing job. The mystery, the family, the friendships, and the Southern Charm are all amazing. The dual timelines of 1941 and the present time come together perfectly. The two different eras tell the story of amazing characters learning about their history and of their future while making friendships that will last forever.
The story is narrated by many different characters, which could cause some confusion, but Mary Kay Andrews did an amazing job in keeping the reader in line and aware of who was telling the story. I enjoyed knowing the different perspectives of the characters. This allowed me to get the true feelings and emotions of those who are telling the story, those who are living the events, and those who are hearing the story for the first time.
While Josephine is the character that starts this story it is truly The High Tide Club members that bring the story to life. As with most groups, there is one person who seems more in charge, in the know than the rest of the group. Josephine is that person. With her all-knowing personality came so many secrets of her own and others that she kept for her entire life that as her life was coming to an end (she is 99) she knew she needed to share the secrets with those who deserve to know them. I felt like the fact that she kept the secrets for so long proved what a good friend she was.
This is an amazing book. Everything about it was written in a way to pull the reader in and never let them go. From the first page to the last I could not stop reading. If you are new to Mary Kay Andrews or a long time fan this is a book of hers that you cannot pass up.
