#BookReview: The Second Home by Christina Clancy

Synopsis: A debut novel set on Cape Cod that centers on a beloved family home and the summer that changed the lives of three siblings forever, perfect for readers of J. Courtney Sullivan and Elin Hilderbrand.

After a disastrous summer spent at her family's summer home on Cape Cod, seventeen year old Ann Gordon is left harboring a secret that changes her life forever, and creates a rift between her sister, Poppy, and their adopted brother, Michael.

Now, fifteen years later, her parents have died, and Ann and her sister Poppy are left to decide the fate of the old Wellfleet home that's been in the Gordon family for generations. While they both love the house, they decide to sell it and move forward. But then Michael re-enters their lives with a legitimate claim to a third of the estate. He wants the house. But more than that, he wants to set the record straight about that long ago summer. 

Reunited after years apart, these very different siblings are forced to decide if they can continue to be a family--and in the process, they'll discover that the house might be the glue that holds them together.


Goodreads | Amazon

Rating: ★★★★
My Review: If you enjoy twisted family plots then this one will be up your alley.  I have to say that it amazes me what people put their families through.  This was a wild ride of a story.  And one break out debut. 

Praise for The Second Home:

"Christina Clancy writes with warmth, wit, and wisdom about fantastically human characters. A novel of family and place and belonging for fans of Ann Packer and J. Courtney Sullivan." ―Rebecca Makkai, Pulitzer Prize finalist for The Great Believers

"I gobbled The Second Home in a matter of days, fully invested in the history, hurt, and hopes of this very human family. Christina Clancy writes with empathy and rich detail: to read about the Gordons is to smell the pine and oak of Wellfleet, to tread the well-worn rooms of their eccentric summer home, and to learn all sides of the explosive rift that sent them hurtling in different directions. Tender and suspenseful, Clancy's debut explores the nature of home as well as the nature of family itself―given and chosen." ―Chloe Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Immortalists

"A sure-footed ode to the strength of family, the depth of loss, and the power of forgiveness." ―J. Ryan Stradal, New York Times best-selling author, Kitchens of the Great Midwest

“The Second Home shows us how families are knit together and how they unravel; how a place―a geography, a house―can act as the repository for our best and most important memories. And that even the most damaged past can be reclaimed, a hard-won wisdom that shines through on every page.” ―Jean Thompson, New York Times bestselling author of The Year We Left Home

"Clancy imagines her complicated characters with such empathy and precision that every questionable choice, every mistake, feels like the only option. The Second Home is a big, sprawling, smart, beautiful story about love and betrayal, home and family, and the foundations of forgiveness." ―Lauren Fox, author of Days of Awe, Friends Like Us, and Still Life With Husband

"Christina Clancy writes with an arresting vividness and a nuanced understanding of her characters, who are buffeted by a storm of conflicting desires. A poignant but also very entertaining novel―full of startling detail, humor, and above all, an abiding sympathy for its beautifully drawn characters." ―Christine Sneed, author of Little Known Facts

"This deeply moving and heartfelt book explores what makes a home - and how homes make us. It's deftly plotted, sensuously told, and incredibly smart about the secrets that pull families apart and the love that knits them back together." ―Liam Callanan, author of Paris by the Book.

“Every Wellfleet sand dune, every breeze and beach and pond, came alive for me in this beautiful, heartbreaking debut about a Milwaukee family’s complicated history with their summer home. Christina Clancy’s characters are so real and flawed, so caught between the darkness and the light, that they step right off the page, and you won’t rest until you know what becomes of them.” ―Meg Mitchell Moore, author of The Admissions and The Islanders

“From the first pages of The Second Home, it’s abundantly clear that Christina Clancy has an abiding love for outer Cape Cod, which she conjures in all its bluster and beauty. But as this compelling novel progresses, it also becomes obvious that Clancy has a keen awareness of how secrets can tear apart even the closest of families. Drawn in by the exquisitely-rendered setting, I was riveted by this stirring, family drama."―Karen Dukess, author of The Last Book Party

"Warm, absorbing and thought-provoking..." ― Shelf Awareness 

"A riveting family saga that fans of J. Courtney Sullivan, Cristina Alger, and Maria De Los Santos will devour, Clancy's debut novel is a delight. With nostalgia as thick as the scent of coconut-scented sunscreen, The Second Home explores the consequences of emotional decisions and the strength needed to set things right."―Booklist (starred review)

"Transporting...Clancy's beach-ready debut is sure to be a favorite with book clubs." ― Publisher's Weekly

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Posted in: 4 Stars, Adult, Review, St. Martin's Press