The Summer Guest

By: Justin Cronin

Narrated by: Various

With a rare combination of emotional insight, narrative power, and lyrical grace, Justin Cronin transforms the simple story of a dying man’s last wish into a rich tapestry of family love.

“A work of art . . . a great American novel.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer

On an evening in late summer, the great financier Harry Wainwright, nearing the end of his life, arrives at a rustic fishing camp in a remote area of Maine. He comes bearing two things: his wish for a day of fishing in a place that has brought him solace for thirty years, and an astonishing bequest that will forever change the lives of those around him.

From the battlefields of Italy to the turbulence of the Vietnam era, to the private battles of love and family, The Summer Guest reveals the full history of this final pilgrimage and its meaning for four people: Jordan Patterson, the haunted young man who will guide Harry on his last voyage out; the camp’s owner Joe Crosby, a Vietnam draft evader who has spent a lifetime “trying to learn what it means to be brave”; Joe’s wife, Lucy, the woman Harry has loved for three decades; and Joe and Lucy’s daughter Kate—the spirited young woman who holds the key to the last unopened door to the past.

As their stories unfold, secrets are revealed, courage is tested, and the bonds of love are strengthened. And always center stage is the place itself—a magical, forgotten corner of New England where the longings of the human heart are mirrored in the wild beauty of the landscape.

Intimate, powerful, and profound, The Summer Guest reveals Justin Cronin as a storyteller of unique and marvelous talent. It is a book to treasure.

Critic reviews

“Justin Cronin succeeds, touchingly and tenderly, in portraying life itself as a triumph of hope over experience.”—The Boston Globe

“The Summer Guest is a jewel, the best book I’ve read in a long, long time. . . . By all means take it to the beach, but be warned that it’s more than entertainment—it’s a work of art. Justin Cronin has written a great American novel. . . . Reading this novel, I couldn’t help but think of Hemingway, Andre Dubus and Wallace Stegner.”—Susan Balee, The Philadelphia Inquirer

“Here is a gifted and assured writer whose work reveals a fine sense of place and thoughtful characters who have something worth saying. . . . The Summer Guest is a haunting story about the way time changes us and about what endures.”—Houston Chronicle

“The bedrock realities of family and place remain constant in spite of the vicissitudes of emotions and events, and the voices of these Mainers have a lovely calm that evokes the timeless summer place. . . . The novel’s recognition of human frailty and nobility rings true, as does its faithful recreation of a place outside the storms of history.”—Publishers Weekly

“Luminous.”—Booklist

such a moving story

complicated and beautiful family story.
definitely time well spent whether you read or listen.

I really enjoyed this book

I enjoyed this story. It is a well written love story that is real. It tell how life sometimes turns out different for all of us.

Weird voices/good plot

The story is compelling and meanders through a couple of generations of families connected by an idyllic fishing camp/resort.
There are multiple narrators—male and female. I thought the male narrators would read the male characters’ lines and female narrators the female actors’ lines, but not so. They mix it all up, and are inconsistent in using the same accent for each character throughout. Very confusing.

Justin Cronin never disappoints!

Very well performed; an engrossing, lovely story. Can't wait to see what Justin Cronin comes up with next!

Big fan

I am such a fan of the Passage trilogy, I was a little concerned that this would not live up to my standards. But it does, even though there is no supernatural element at all. Captured my emotions. Highly recommend it.