The summer we read Gatsby: a novel

The beach can cure anything, or so Peck (short for Pecksland) tells half-sister Stella. They have never been close, but for the summer they'll share the Hamptons beach home their beloved Aunt Lydia left to them in her will. Fool's House, a gathering spot for artists during Lydia's tenure, comes with an annual resident fool artist as a free lodger above the garage. Peck, a Manhattanite actress, and Stella, a journalist living in Switzerland, can't afford the house, but love it too much to sell it. In between the chic parties and events of the summer season, they search for the item of great value that Lydia says she has left them. Is it the unsigned painting above the fireplace? The possibly first edition of Gatsby? And, most important, is the treasure valuable enough to let them keep the house? Friendships and romances rekindle, sisters grow close, objects disappear, mysteries are solved, and what is truly of value eventually becomes apparent in this charming, entertaining, and brightly written summer read.--Hoover, Danise Copyright 2010 Booklist

Two half-sisters search for the "thing of utmost value" in an inherited ramshackle Southampton cottage in Ganek's witty new novel (after Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him). The story is narrated by introverted, newly divorced, would-be writer Cassie, but the flamboyant center of the story is her older half-sister, Peck, a theatrical socialite determined to "bring out" her sister while thwarting Cassie's sensible plan to sell Fool's House, the cottage they've jointly inherited from their eccentric aunt Lydia. As they wonder whether the house's treasure is a Jackson Pollock painting, a first edition of The Great Gatsby, or a family secret, the sisters' contrasting personalities clash in hilarious ways. During a summer marked by parties that recall both the artsy milieu of Pollock and the posh extravagance of Gatsby, the two sisters run into long-lost loves, strange neighbors, aggressive real estate agents, and charming artist hangers-on as they ponder the legacy of their beloved Aunt Lydia and their relationship to each other. Even though many of the novel's revelations can be seen a mile away, getting there is a fun, witty, and surprisingly moving trip. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Cassie and Peck are half sisters reunited when their aunt wills them her summer cottage in the Hamptons. Cassie is meek and grounded; Peck is an impetuous wannabe actress. When the sisters take over the home, long used as an artist's refuge, they learn about each other's quirks as well as discovering some of their own. VERDICT A beach read for the literary set from the author of Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

"The beach can cure anything," or so Peck (short for Pecksland) tells half-sister Stella. They have never been close, but for the summer they'll share the Hamptons beach home their beloved Aunt Lydia left to them in her will. Fool's House, a gathering spot for artists during Lydia's tenure, comes with an annual "resident fool" artist as a free lodger above the garage. Peck, a Manhattanite actress, and Stella, a journalist living in Switzerland, can't afford the house, but love it too much to sell it. In between the chic parties and events of the summer season, they search for the item of great value that Lydia says she has left them. Is it the unsigned painting above the fireplace? The possibly first edition of Gatsby? And, most important, is the treasure valuable enough to let them keep the house? Friendships and romances rekindle, sisters grow close, objects disappear, mysteries are solved, and what is truly of value eventually becomes apparent in this charming, entertaining, and brightly written summer read. Copyright 2009 Booklist Reviews.

Cassie and Peck are half sisters reunited when their aunt wills them her summer cottage in the Hamptons. Cassie is meek and grounded; Peck is an impetuous wannabe actress. When the sisters take over the home, long used as an artist's refuge, they learn about each other's quirks as well as discovering some of their own. VERDICT A beach read for the literary set from the author of Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him.

Two half-sisters search for the "thing of utmost value" in an inherited ramshackle Southampton cottage in Ganek's witty new novel (after Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him). The story is narrated by introverted, newly divorced, would-be writer Cassie, but the flamboyant center of the story is her older half-sister, Peck, a theatrical socialite determined to "bring out" her sister while thwarting Cassie's sensible plan to sell Fool's House, the cottage they've jointly inherited from their eccentric aunt Lydia. As they wonder whether the house's treasure is a Jackson Pollock painting, a first edition of The Great Gatsby, or a family secret, the sisters' contrasting personalities clash in hilarious ways. During a summer marked by parties that recall both the artsy milieu of Pollock and the posh extravagance of Gatsby, the two sisters run into long-lost loves, strange neighbors, aggressive real estate agents, and charming artist hangers-on as they ponder the legacy of their beloved Aunt Lydia and their relationship to each other. Even though many of the novel's revelations can be seen a mile away, getting there is a fun, witty, and surprisingly moving trip. (June)