Historical

Haven Point

Haven Point

  • Downloads：9606
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-06-10 00:31:38
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Virginia Hume
  • ISBN：1250266521
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Kimhume ，

I was able to read this book last summer。 Bias alert！ the author is my step-daughter and I love her dearly。 I am a journalist though， and I’m trained （old school） to be objective。 As an avid reader I read all kinds of books。 This book is a good story， entertaining， hard to put down， and satisfying， I both laughed and cried， and the dialog is fabulous。 All these are the hallmarks of a nice summer book。 However， it is much more than that。 The themes of the book are universal human themes， themes o I was able to read this book last summer。 Bias alert！ the author is my step-daughter and I love her dearly。 I am a journalist though， and I’m trained （old school） to be objective。 As an avid reader I read all kinds of books。 This book is a good story， entertaining， hard to put down， and satisfying， I both laughed and cried， and the dialog is fabulous。 All these are the hallmarks of a nice summer book。 However， it is much more than that。 The themes of the book are universal human themes， themes of belonging and not belonging， marriage， grief， joy and redemption。 It is a book that will touch anybody who reads it because it is not just about this particular family。 It is about all families， and all communities and the good and bad inherent in all。 In the end it is an amazingly optimistic story about light drowning out darkness， the good reigning victorious over bad。 If you’re down on life， or worried about the future， read this book and be assured that redemption triumphs。 。。。more

Gail O'Connor ，

Intriguing story of three women in three different decades and how their stories are all intertwined。The story shows the insight of women， love， family and the conflicts about classes in an upper class town。Very riveting story。。

Mary G。 ，

Haven Point is a wealthy and insular community on the rocky shores of Maine。 When Midwesterner Maren meets Boston physician Oliver Demarest while working at Walter Reed during WWII， they fall in love， and Maren enters the strange world of Haven Point。 She's not fully welcome among the elitist residents， and a family tragedy in the 70s mars the family's happy memories of Haven Point。 Decades later， Maren's granddaughter Skye comes to Haven Point to remember her mother - and perhaps learn the trut Haven Point is a wealthy and insular community on the rocky shores of Maine。 When Midwesterner Maren meets Boston physician Oliver Demarest while working at Walter Reed during WWII， they fall in love， and Maren enters the strange world of Haven Point。 She's not fully welcome among the elitist residents， and a family tragedy in the 70s mars the family's happy memories of Haven Point。 Decades later， Maren's granddaughter Skye comes to Haven Point to remember her mother - and perhaps learn the truth of what happened that summer。Haven Point is a beautiful setting， and I definitely related to the insular nature of the community。 Maren and Skye were both interesting women that I enjoyed getting to know。 The writing was beautiful and flowed well - I felt transported to Haven Point。Where this book fell short for me is the plot - not much happened until about 80% of the way through the book。 I wish the tragedy had been placed a bit earlier so that there could have been more exploration of its aftermath。 If you enjoy small town beach reads， this may be right up your alley for a summer read。 As this is a debut， I'm interested in seeing what Virginia Hume writes next。Thank you to St。 Martin's Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Maddie Gleeson ，

This book was very good。 I enjoyed the different eras that were used to tell this story and I liked how the timeline was not consecutive and building but rather jumped around。 Other than that， this was your typical generational family drama story。 There was a bit of a twist at the end that I didn't see coming that I enjoyed， but the story was nice and moved at a good pace and there were some historical fiction things in there and some stereotyping as well that moved the story along。 This book was very good。 I enjoyed the different eras that were used to tell this story and I liked how the timeline was not consecutive and building but rather jumped around。 Other than that， this was your typical generational family drama story。 There was a bit of a twist at the end that I didn't see coming that I enjoyed， but the story was nice and moved at a good pace and there were some historical fiction things in there and some stereotyping as well that moved the story along。 。。。more

twintastic ，

This debut novel follows three generations of women - Maren， Annie， and Skye Demarest - and the family’s complex connection to Haven Point， an idyllic but insular community on the rocky coast of Maine。 Spanning from World War II to the mid-2000s， Haven Point explores love， loss， betrayal， and of course， family secrets。This book is THE perfect summer read。 I found myself really rooting for the Demarest women to succeed and overcome their unique challenges and struggles。 I also liked that the nove This debut novel follows three generations of women - Maren， Annie， and Skye Demarest - and the family’s complex connection to Haven Point， an idyllic but insular community on the rocky coast of Maine。 Spanning from World War II to the mid-2000s， Haven Point explores love， loss， betrayal， and of course， family secrets。This book is THE perfect summer read。 I found myself really rooting for the Demarest women to succeed and overcome their unique challenges and struggles。 I also liked that the novel kept me guessing as to what the ‘dark family secrets’ were （you’ll have to wait until the end to find out！）。 If you enjoy family sagas and seaside settings， this one is for you！ Thank you St。 Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Julie Barrett ，

Haven Point by Virginia HumeThis story follows a family of many generations through the years。 The chapters alternate from the present to the past。A lot of events occur and the outcome tragic at times。Lot of relationships and the times of the 60's play out on the beach at the hotel in Maine。One teen finds her mother and is forced to go live with her grandmother as she has nobody else。Her life finishes the teen years there。 Love the sailing and walks on the beach the best as I come from an island Haven Point by Virginia HumeThis story follows a family of many generations through the years。 The chapters alternate from the present to the past。A lot of events occur and the outcome tragic at times。Lot of relationships and the times of the 60's play out on the beach at the hotel in Maine。One teen finds her mother and is forced to go live with her grandmother as she has nobody else。Her life finishes the teen years there。 Love the sailing and walks on the beach the best as I come from an island with accessible beaches。Great summer read。 Wish it had a list of characters at the start。 I was a bit confused at times。Received this review copy from St。 Martin's Press via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion。#HavenPoint #NetGalley 。。。more

Gail Herrmann ，

Beautifully written family saga （I love family sagas） 3 generations of women and their home on the rocky coast of Maine。 Each with a beautiful tory to tell and their own reasons for liking or disliking their family home， Haven Point。 A family saga to get lost in1 loved it。

Judith von Kirchbach ，

Out today - Haven Point by Virginia Hume I listened to the audiobook read by Cassandra Campbell and enjoyed it a lot ！A family saga about three generations of Demerest women set mostly at their summer home in the seaside community of Haven Point， Maine。It is also a story of the elitist society of Haven Point where a line of rocks provides a visible and invisible line of a social class。Spanning World War II， through the upheaval of the Vietnam War till 2008， we learn of matriarch Maren’s learned Out today - Haven Point by Virginia Hume I listened to the audiobook read by Cassandra Campbell and enjoyed it a lot ！A family saga about three generations of Demerest women set mostly at their summer home in the seaside community of Haven Point， Maine。It is also a story of the elitist society of Haven Point where a line of rocks provides a visible and invisible line of a social class。Spanning World War II， through the upheaval of the Vietnam War till 2008， we learn of matriarch Maren’s learned love for the tight knit community she married into， her daughter Anne who found it suffocating and snobbish and of her granddaughter Skye’s struggle to understand it all。 The story unfolds in differing timelines。 It is a wonderful novel of joy and tragedy， heartache， betrayal and addiction。 But most of all it is a story of family love， lasting friendships and a struggle to belong - great for lovers of historical fiction and family sagas or anyone who enjoys a good redemption story。I received the ALC to this audio book from Netgalley and Macmillan Audio/St。 Martin’s Press。 The review is my honest opinion。 。。。more

Vickie ，

This is the debut novel of the author and is set in several places， but mostly in coastal Maine， a little town named Haven Point。 The time frame starts in WWII and goes to 2008， encompassing the Vietnam War and other main historical events。 Maren Larsen is a cadet nurse at Walter Reed Medical Center and meets Dr。 Oliver Demarest， a wealthy young man whose family has a summer home in Haven Point。 Maren settles there with the three children after their marriage and Oliver travels back and forth fr This is the debut novel of the author and is set in several places， but mostly in coastal Maine， a little town named Haven Point。 The time frame starts in WWII and goes to 2008， encompassing the Vietnam War and other main historical events。 Maren Larsen is a cadet nurse at Walter Reed Medical Center and meets Dr。 Oliver Demarest， a wealthy young man whose family has a summer home in Haven Point。 Maren settles there with the three children after their marriage and Oliver travels back and forth from work。 Oliver and Maren have the typical disagreements of couples long wed and they have a rebellious teen daughter named Annie。 This part of the book was set during the Vietnam era and Annie’s character was well portrayed。 A tragedy occurred during that summer that is some kind of family secret that isn’t revealed until almost the end of the book。 Because of the tragedy， Annie leaves Haven Point and promises never to return。 In 2008， Annie’s daughter Skye returns to scatter Annie’s ashes and to visit her grandmother Maren。 The story is unraveled slowly and reads like an epic saga instead of a summer beach read。 With multiple generations and timelines， this novel was heavy reading for me at times。 That is not to say that it was not enjoyable because it was， but it was not a light read by any means。 There was a large cast of characters and only the main ones were completely fleshed out。 I found myself getting lost at times with all of the names of family and friends and even acquaintances of the family。 Once I decided to just focus on the story of Maren and Annie， the book was easier for me to follow。 The setting was realistic and well described， with the rocky coastline of Maine brought to life in my mind as I read。 The theme was one of finding peace through reconciliation， although it was hard fought for and hard won。 Fans of domestic drama with some historical fiction mixed in will enjoy this book。DisclaimerDisclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from St。 Martin’s Press via Netgalley。 I was not required to write a positive book。 The opinions expressed are my own。 I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR， Part 255， “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising。” 。。。more

Sherri ，

***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest reviewThis story starts out in 1944， when Maren Larsen， a nurse from a small town in Minnesota， falls in love and marries Dr。 Oliver Demarest， a Boston doctor who's family summers in an exclusive coastal community in Maine called Haven Point。 From there the story goes back and forth between their marriage， having and raising their children， and all that goes along with that， and 2008 where Oliver and Maren's grandaughter Skye is grap ***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest reviewThis story starts out in 1944， when Maren Larsen， a nurse from a small town in Minnesota， falls in love and marries Dr。 Oliver Demarest， a Boston doctor who's family summers in an exclusive coastal community in Maine called Haven Point。 From there the story goes back and forth between their marriage， having and raising their children， and all that goes along with that， and 2008 where Oliver and Maren's grandaughter Skye is grappling with the death of her mother。。 This is a multi-generational tale about 3 women （4 if you want to count Maren's mother-in-law， who looms large into Maren's life for a large portion of the story）。 I thought the book was well-written， and would make a good beach read。 It reminds me a lot of books by Mary Alice Monroe and Barbara Delinsky， so if you are fans of their books， then you would enjoy this。 。。。more

Briana ，

⏱ Sixty second， no spoiler summaryMaren’s daughter recently died and her granddaughter Skye brings her ashes back to their summer home at Haven Point， Maine。 Told over three timelines， we learn Maren’s history and how she met and married Oliver， and ended up on Haven Point。 Simultaneously， we learn about her daughter Annie’s troubles as a teenager and how that affected Skye’s childhood and upbringing。 There is a reveal at the end of the book that explains how and why Annie’s opinion of Haven Poi ⏱ Sixty second， no spoiler summaryMaren’s daughter recently died and her granddaughter Skye brings her ashes back to their summer home at Haven Point， Maine。 Told over three timelines， we learn Maren’s history and how she met and married Oliver， and ended up on Haven Point。 Simultaneously， we learn about her daughter Annie’s troubles as a teenager and how that affected Skye’s childhood and upbringing。 There is a reveal at the end of the book that explains how and why Annie’s opinion of Haven Point changed。 Happy ending。👍🏻Turn OnsI enjoyed Maren’s story the most with how she met Oliver。 I just finished another WW2 era book and it was fun to stay in that timeframe。 The writing was easy to read but not cheesy and I feel like the story is believable。 👎🏻 Turn OffsThere is a lot of characters in this book that don’t necessarily play a role in the main story。 Some of the names were similar （Maren and Maude） and I had to stop and remember who everyone was。 I also had to flip back to check which decade I was currently reading about to remember how old the characters mentioned currently were。 👵🏻 Safe to talk about with Grandma？My grandma would have LOVED this book。 No cursing， no graphic sex or violence。 There is a TW of child death that was a little hard to read。 But otherwise， it’s a clean book with a great plotline and reveal。⭐Rating ⭐I give this book 5 stars for keeping me captivated。 I’m definitely going to look for more books by this author。 Title & Author: Haven Point by Virginia HumeFormat: Paperback （ARC won in a Goodreads’ giveaway）Read: 6/4/21-6/7/21Rating: Five Stars 。。。more

Reeca Elliott ，

Maren and Oliver meet during the war。 Oliver is high society and Maren is a good ole country girl。 But， these two fall in love and have a family。 But， there are secrets and deceptions。Maren struggles to be who her husband needs。 Annie， their daughter， struggles to be what her father expects her to be。 And Skye struggles to find out what went wrong with her mother’s past。 Talk about a family saga with different timelines…however， the author did a great job with the different eras and characters。T Maren and Oliver meet during the war。 Oliver is high society and Maren is a good ole country girl。 But， these two fall in love and have a family。 But， there are secrets and deceptions。Maren struggles to be who her husband needs。 Annie， their daughter， struggles to be what her father expects her to be。 And Skye struggles to find out what went wrong with her mother’s past。 Talk about a family saga with different timelines…however， the author did a great job with the different eras and characters。There are a few places the story slowed down and just did not move very fast。 But， there was something about the characters that kept me listening。 Plus the secrets…when they start to unfold…well， you will just have to read it to find out！The narrator， Cassandra Campbell， is wonderful。 She handles all the voices and drama very well！ I feel like if I had read this book， I would not have liked it as well。 But， because I listened to it and the narrator did such a great job， it made the book more interesting。Need a good family saga with a great setting…THIS IS IT！ Grab your copy today！I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review。 。。。more

Jennifer Smith ，

Haven Pointby: Virginia HumeMacmillan Audio from St。 Martin's PressNarrator: Cassandra CampbellPub date: June 8， 2021 Be transported visually and emotionally to the rocky， rugged Maine coastline in the cliffside community of Haven Point in Virginia Hume's extraordinary debut novel。 Covering a period of 1944 to 2008， Hume penned a captivating multi-generational story of wartime love， heartache， family bonds， tragedy， grief， and redemption。 Told through the perspectives of grandmother Maren and h Haven Pointby: Virginia HumeMacmillan Audio from St。 Martin's PressNarrator: Cassandra CampbellPub date: June 8， 2021 Be transported visually and emotionally to the rocky， rugged Maine coastline in the cliffside community of Haven Point in Virginia Hume's extraordinary debut novel。 Covering a period of 1944 to 2008， Hume penned a captivating multi-generational story of wartime love， heartache， family bonds， tragedy， grief， and redemption。 Told through the perspectives of grandmother Maren and her granddaughter Skye， the story weaves alternating timelines of family history。 Maren， an Army cadet nurse from Minnesota， fell in love with Oliver， an orthopedic doctor， at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington， DC during World War II。 Maren then sees the Atlantic Ocean for the first time as they go to Oliver's family home of Four Winds in the exclusive community of Haven Point。 The story and settings flowed well to capture the intricacies and complexity of the couple's relationship， marriage， and future family generations over the years。 Cassandra Campbell brought Hume's saga to life from page one throughout the years with her immense talent in audiobook narration。 Her voice marvelously portrayed Hume's well developed central characters， along with the people in their lives and communities。 As I was introduced to the plot and people of Haven Point， I didn't want to leave the Maine coast， even after the story was told。 Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St。 Martin's Press for the Advance Reader's Copy of this audiobook。 It was a pleasure to review this stunning debut novel。 #HavenPoint #NetGalley 。。。more

Lisa ，

I won this book through a Good Reads give away （thank-you） so I thought it would be fitting to review it。 I enjoyed this book looking at a family from different generations。 I really liked the characters and how the story was told from the grandmother & granddaughter's perspectives。 The story also looks at how communities can be difficult and how you don't know everyone's story， and it takes time to learn and accept。 Overall it was an enjoyable， light read。 I won this book through a Good Reads give away （thank-you） so I thought it would be fitting to review it。 I enjoyed this book looking at a family from different generations。 I really liked the characters and how the story was told from the grandmother & granddaughter's perspectives。 The story also looks at how communities can be difficult and how you don't know everyone's story， and it takes time to learn and accept。 Overall it was an enjoyable， light read。 。。。more

Gail ，

I always enjoy a good family saga and this one met my expectations。 It is written with a few different timelines but they were very distinct and easy to follow。 If I found anything lacking it was that we didn't learn enough about Annie。 I felt I knew and understood Maren and Skye but really didn't learn much about Annie until the end of the book。 I enjoyed how it took on the concept of perspective and showed how the way we see things is not always exactly how they are。 Haven Point itself was a c I always enjoy a good family saga and this one met my expectations。 It is written with a few different timelines but they were very distinct and easy to follow。 If I found anything lacking it was that we didn't learn enough about Annie。 I felt I knew and understood Maren and Skye but really didn't learn much about Annie until the end of the book。 I enjoyed how it took on the concept of perspective and showed how the way we see things is not always exactly how they are。 Haven Point itself was a character and you could visualize it and almost taste the salt spray in the air。 I must admit I was brought to tears a few times-especially when the neighbors silently gathered to walk with the family to Charlie's funeral。 I found the silent show of support very moving， especially since Maren always thought she was considered an "outsider" I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 It would be a good summer vacation read。 I received it in a Goodreads give away。 。。。more

Laura ，

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC to review！Let's start with the good - I love a nice generational novel - one that moves at a nice pace， without feeling rushed， but knowing which parts to skip in order to tell the story。 Hume does that nicely here。 I think she also manages to catch the essence of a Maine shore summer town。 I know I have spent time along Maine in June - and as a resident about an hour and a half out of D。C。， I could relate to Maren's wanting that cool summer breeze。 I wish t Thank you to the publisher for an ARC to review！Let's start with the good - I love a nice generational novel - one that moves at a nice pace， without feeling rushed， but knowing which parts to skip in order to tell the story。 Hume does that nicely here。 I think she also manages to catch the essence of a Maine shore summer town。 I know I have spent time along Maine in June - and as a resident about an hour and a half out of D。C。， I could relate to Maren's wanting that cool summer breeze。 I wish the summary on the back hadn't focused so much on 1970 and Annie - yes， that was so pivotal to the ending， but I felt like the core of the story is really Skye and Maren。 Annie's story is told through them， never herself， so it seems odd to dedicate a synopsis space to it。 Especially when it's only told in the last 75 pages or so。 Even so， this dual-perspective book is done very well， especially concerning characters who are not the main ones。I wish that there had been more。。。oomph to this one。 I knew going in that there was going to be a death （or possible sexual assault） because what else could have happened to change Annie's opinion on Haven Point so much？ And since so little of the plot is centered around this （some minor foreshadow in the first chapter）， this plot point isn't even really explored again until the very end。 I also thought that the theme of this book （even RICH people have problems！） hit in a very shallow kind of way。A great summer read for sure， no matter your opinion of some literary elements of the story。 。。。more

Kathleen ，

Haven Point will take your breath away。 It has everything: three women， seven decades， war heroes， war protestors， love， cheating， alcoholism， birth， death and everything in between。 And it takes place on a beautiful， remote， multi-family compound in Maine。 The saga begins during World War II。 While caring for wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital， Nurse Maren Larsen falls for Dr。 Oliver Demarest， a handsome， wealthy orthopedic surgeon。 They marry and， although his practice is in Washington， Haven Point will take your breath away。 It has everything: three women， seven decades， war heroes， war protestors， love， cheating， alcoholism， birth， death and everything in between。 And it takes place on a beautiful， remote， multi-family compound in Maine。 The saga begins during World War II。 While caring for wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital， Nurse Maren Larsen falls for Dr。 Oliver Demarest， a handsome， wealthy orthopedic surgeon。 They marry and， although his practice is in Washington， DC， the couple spends summers at the family compound in Haven Point， where Maren learns that Oliver has not shared everything about his family。 Fast forward to 1970 when new lifestyles threaten the conservative values that the Demarest family have always cherished。 Conflicts flare and the tragedy that results nearly tears the family apart。 And now it’s 2008 and Maren’s granddaughter Skye has returned to Haven Point after her mother’s death。 Maren must help her granddaughter understand the past so she can enjoy her future。I would love to write so much more about this compulsively readable family saga but I don’t want to give anything away。 Trust me: buy Haven Point！ Read it， give it as gifts， schedule it for your book club。 You will love it as much as I did！ 5 stars。Thank you to NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press and Virginia Hume for this ARC。 。。。more

Marti ，

I love books about Maine， mostly because I have so many great memories of Maine throughout my life。 So when I saw the new book Haven Point by Virginia Hume and knew it was about Maine， I was excited。 The book followed three generations of a family at Haven Point。 Going back and forth through time to highlight various events。 The plotline allowed the location to be a key element in the story as well as the people and events。Marin married Oliver Demarest during WWII。 While the marriage was sudden， I love books about Maine， mostly because I have so many great memories of Maine throughout my life。 So when I saw the new book Haven Point by Virginia Hume and knew it was about Maine， I was excited。 The book followed three generations of a family at Haven Point。 Going back and forth through time to highlight various events。 The plotline allowed the location to be a key element in the story as well as the people and events。Marin married Oliver Demarest during WWII。 While the marriage was sudden， Marin felt she was being judged as ‘not good enough’ to the island community where Oliver’s family had a home。 Marin continues to spend summers in Maine with Oliver’s mother and joins the community with her children。 This entrance to the story is told smoothly and quietly， but as the years move forward， it is clear that Skye， Maren’s granddaughter， has clear and negative opinions about the enclave。 The story follows those lines and allows the secrets to slide out between the layers of the story。 It is then you realize how a strong community protects and cares for its residents。 The book is interesting with all its oozing of the secrets of life。 The characters are flawed， allowing them to grow with the age and circumstances of their life。 Virginia Hume only has this book listed on Goodreads， so I am presuming this is her debut novel。 Her characters allowed me to hope for their future while the story kept me interested。 Haven Point by Virginia Hume was a good read。 。。。more

Linda Leone ，

The story is told through 7 decades。 First up is in the 40's when Maren （ a nurse） meets Oliver （a surgeon）。 Maren spends most of the summers alone with her children at Haven Point while Oliver works。 The story is further told by Maren's daughter Annie and granddaughter Skye。 Annie once loved Haven Point but has vowed to never return。 This has also skewed Skye's view of Haven Point。A few twists along the way and a fairly big reveal。 I felt it dragged at times and would liked to have know more ab The story is told through 7 decades。 First up is in the 40's when Maren （ a nurse） meets Oliver （a surgeon）。 Maren spends most of the summers alone with her children at Haven Point while Oliver works。 The story is further told by Maren's daughter Annie and granddaughter Skye。 Annie once loved Haven Point but has vowed to never return。 This has also skewed Skye's view of Haven Point。A few twists along the way and a fairly big reveal。 I felt it dragged at times and would liked to have know more about Maren and Oliver's relationship through the years。 I listened to the audio version and enjoyed the narrator。 Overall， a good story that kept me entertained while I completed other tasks。Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc。 。。。more

Kathleen Gray ，

This novel， which moves back and forth between three time frames， is the tale of three women- Maren， Annie， and Skye- and a home in Maine。 Maren meets Oliver during WWII; his family owns at Haven Point， an enclave of privilege。 Their daughter Annie becomes an artist with serious addiction issues。 She's mom to Skye， who is rescued by Maren when Annie needs rehab。 Maren's story， her relationship with Haven Point and Oliver， is the best fleshed out of the three。 Annie is a cipher as she's seen via This novel， which moves back and forth between three time frames， is the tale of three women- Maren， Annie， and Skye- and a home in Maine。 Maren meets Oliver during WWII; his family owns at Haven Point， an enclave of privilege。 Their daughter Annie becomes an artist with serious addiction issues。 She's mom to Skye， who is rescued by Maren when Annie needs rehab。 Maren's story， her relationship with Haven Point and Oliver， is the best fleshed out of the three。 Annie is a cipher as she's seen via Maren and Skye but it is only near the end that you learn about one reason for her despair， but not her alcoholism。 It's not that this was a secret kept from Skye， just something no one thought to tell her。 It's worth noting that more timed sympathy is devoted to he grandmother Pauline's alcoholism and how the community rallied around her than there is to Annie's。 Hume does an especially nice job with the social issues at Haven Point and clearly knows her way around Washington politics。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC。 It's a well told tale that kept me turning the pages。 。。。more

Liz Wine ，

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC。 I enjoyed this summer read and became engrossed in the characters， the setting and plot of Multigenerational family saga。

Jennifer Ritter ，

Haven Point， by Virginia Hume， is a superior debut novel spanning multi-generations of Demarest women。 With touch points of 1944， 1970， and 2008， this story illuminates the lives of Marin Larsen Demarest， her daughter， Annie Demarest， and her granddaughter Skye Demarest， and also includes Marin’s mother-in-law Pauline。 Marin， a young Minnesota girl who had joined the nurse corps during World War II， was working at Walter Reed hospital in the amputee ward when she met orthopedic surgeon Oliver De Haven Point， by Virginia Hume， is a superior debut novel spanning multi-generations of Demarest women。 With touch points of 1944， 1970， and 2008， this story illuminates the lives of Marin Larsen Demarest， her daughter， Annie Demarest， and her granddaughter Skye Demarest， and also includes Marin’s mother-in-law Pauline。 Marin， a young Minnesota girl who had joined the nurse corps during World War II， was working at Walter Reed hospital in the amputee ward when she met orthopedic surgeon Oliver Demarest through her fellow nurse， then lifelong friend， Dorothy， who was already a friend of Oliver’s family。 Little did Marin understand the dynamics she would marry into and the community politics she would need to negotiate joining this old New England family。 But once she was introduced to the closed community of Haven Point， Maine， it would not take long to realize she was an outsider。 If not for the strength and friendship of her closest neighbor on the point， Georgie， Marin may not have had the strength necessary to prevail。Marin and Oliver mainly lived in Washington， D。C。， where he had established an orthopedic practice， but each summer Marin would return to Maine with their three children and to spend time with her fading mother-in-law， Pauline。 During these times when she was in Maine there were things happening over which she had no control， ultimately resulting in great loss。This is such a well plotted， well scripted story that it is almost impossible to believe this is a debut novel。 Endearing characters， fabulous settings， and a story that will capture the reader in the first chapter until the very end makes for a wonderful read。 I very much enjoyed this book and I wholeheartedly recommend it！ 。。。more

Linda ，

This is a debut book and a very good one。Maren is a cadet nurse at Walter Reed Hospital。 A girl from a farm in Minnesota。 Just your average farm girl who wanted to make a difference。 Maren is a very likable character。 You will see her grow and become a strong force。 Also a very caring and loving nurse。 When she meets Dr Oliver Demarest her life is never the same。 They are from different worlds but seem to compliment each other。 While he is quite a few years older， ten， they seem to fit。 Timeline This is a debut book and a very good one。Maren is a cadet nurse at Walter Reed Hospital。 A girl from a farm in Minnesota。 Just your average farm girl who wanted to make a difference。 Maren is a very likable character。 You will see her grow and become a strong force。 Also a very caring and loving nurse。 When she meets Dr Oliver Demarest her life is never the same。 They are from different worlds but seem to compliment each other。 While he is quite a few years older， ten， they seem to fit。 Timelines for this story are 1944， 1970 and 2008。 It lets you meet many characters but centers around Maren and her granddaughter Skye。 Maren is always there for Skye and her mother Anne。 Though Anne vows to never return to Haven Point Skye is there quite a bit。 You will love Skye。 She's one of my favorite characters。 I also loved Maren's strength when she was at Haven Point after her marriage。 She's such a compassionate person and deals with her mother in law with lots of strength but also lots of love。 I have to admit that I was not too crazy about Oliver's dad。 He was a bit cold and seemed happy only if being complimented and on top of everything。 He hated losing。 There are some ups and downs in this book that will have you tearing up。 It has some very sweet parts that will make you smile。 It's an all around good historical fiction book。 One that will stay with you。 Touch your heart。 It's just a good book。 Overall this is an excellent book。 It's hard to believe this is a debut novel。 Virginia Hume did a fantastic job with this one。 The characters are well developed and the scenery pulls you in。 The hospital scenes are heartbreaking。 This is a book that you will truly enjoy reading。 It has parts that will make you cry and laugh。 You will have all the feels。 Thank you to #NetGalley， #VirginiaHume， #stmartinspress for this ARC。 This is my own true feelings about this book。5/5 stars and I do recommend it。 。。。more

Susan ，

At the outset， I have to admit that there are few things I love more than the Maine coast and multigenerational family sagas， so HAVEN POINT would have to be pretty bad for me not to love it， But it's perfect， incandescent， with Maren the strong matriarch who infiltrates the snobbishness of Haven Point despite the tragedies she experiences。Beginning during World War II in Washington， DC where nurse and Minnesotan Maren Larsen meets the WASPy orthopedic surgeon Olive Demarest and continuing to 20 At the outset， I have to admit that there are few things I love more than the Maine coast and multigenerational family sagas， so HAVEN POINT would have to be pretty bad for me not to love it， But it's perfect， incandescent， with Maren the strong matriarch who infiltrates the snobbishness of Haven Point despite the tragedies she experiences。Beginning during World War II in Washington， DC where nurse and Minnesotan Maren Larsen meets the WASPy orthopedic surgeon Olive Demarest and continuing to 2008 when Maren's granddaughter， Skye， falls in love with Ben， the grandson of Maren's archrival， HAVEN POINT is an unforgettable story of family， love， and midcentury history。 While the lack of diversity is problematic， it's an issue that Skye and her friends notice， too。 Even Skye， despite having grown up spending summers at Haven Point， feels perpetually out of the loop。 But this is a story more about a family dealing with trauma than a tale of snobbery。 It's impossible to put down。 I wish Maren were my grandmother。 #HavenPoint #NetGalley 。。。more

Kristina ，

Haven Point by Virginia Hume is a story that involves three different timelines featuring Maren Demarest and her granddaughter， Skye。 We get to follow Maren from when she met her future husband， Dr。 Oliver Demarest in 1944 through 2008。 Haven Point is not what I expected from the blurb。 Haven Point does contain good writing and I liked Maren。 Her story is the one I preferred。 Personally， I felt the story could have done without the three timelines。 It could have had a prologue with Maren in 2008 Haven Point by Virginia Hume is a story that involves three different timelines featuring Maren Demarest and her granddaughter， Skye。 We get to follow Maren from when she met her future husband， Dr。 Oliver Demarest in 1944 through 2008。 Haven Point is not what I expected from the blurb。 Haven Point does contain good writing and I liked Maren。 Her story is the one I preferred。 Personally， I felt the story could have done without the three timelines。 It could have had a prologue with Maren in 2008 and then go back to 1944 to tell Maren’s tale。 While I could keep the three timelines straight， I did feel there were too many extraneous characters。 The story felt long which in part is courtesy of the slow pacing。 I felt like I was reading forever and that the book would never end。 The story picks up around the 80% mark。 I felt the author took too long to get tragedy。 There is little time left to explore what occurs afterword。 I enjoyed learning about the Cadet Corp that paid for high school graduates to get a nursing education。 The main characters are developed and realistic。 I enjoyed the author’s word imagery of Haven Point， Maine and Fourwinds， The Demarest summer home。 I did feel the other characters were flat and I was not a fan of the rich， snobby people who populated Haven Point。 The relationship between Maren and Oliver lacked spark。 Some changes would have made Haven Point a more compelling novel。 There is a recurrent theme throughout the book that I did not expect （not mentioned in the blurb）。 It makes for a disheartening tale。 Haven Point is Virginia Hume’s debut novel and I do see promise。 I will be interested to see what she does next。 Haven Point is a generational story with love， loss， secrets， betrayal， reconciliation， acceptance， forgiveness， friendship， second chances， and survival。 。。。more

Meghan ，

Haven Point is an exclusive island in Maine， and the book tells the multi generational story of the Demarest family and its relationship to their home there and the surrounding community。 It contains dual storylines。 The past one is of Marin and her husband Oliver from their meeting in the 1940's to the stories of their children in the 1970's。 The contemporary one tells of granddaughter Skye， who is returning to the island to scatter her mother's ashes。 Both storylines were intriguing， and the c Haven Point is an exclusive island in Maine， and the book tells the multi generational story of the Demarest family and its relationship to their home there and the surrounding community。 It contains dual storylines。 The past one is of Marin and her husband Oliver from their meeting in the 1940's to the stories of their children in the 1970's。 The contemporary one tells of granddaughter Skye， who is returning to the island to scatter her mother's ashes。 Both storylines were intriguing， and the characters were relatable。 I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the location and following the trajectory of the family's history。 Great summer choice for readers who enjoy Beatriz Williams。 Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my review。 。。。more

Jeff ，

Excellent Debut。 First off， I have to thank a very particular PR person at St Martin's - they know who they are， I'm not going to publicly name them in this review。 I had requested this book on NetGalley around the time I first saw it there， and after several weeks languishing in my "Pending Requests" queue there， I finally contacted a contact at SMP I've worked with on various other ARCs and Blog Tours in the past， and that person was able to approve my request for this book， and viola。 I'm rea Excellent Debut。 First off， I have to thank a very particular PR person at St Martin's - they know who they are， I'm not going to publicly name them in this review。 I had requested this book on NetGalley around the time I first saw it there， and after several weeks languishing in my "Pending Requests" queue there， I finally contacted a contact at SMP I've worked with on various other ARCs and Blog Tours in the past， and that person was able to approve my request for this book， and viola。 I'm reading it。 :D So while I normally don't even mention this level of activity in reviews， this effort was unusual and therefore it deserves this unusual step of thanking the person involved directly in the review。Having told （vaguely） the story of how I obtained this ARC， let me now note what I actually thought about the book， shall I？ :DAs I said in the title， this really was an excellent debut。 There are a lot of various plot threads weaving themselves in and out of focus over the course of 60 or so years， and anyone of a few particular generations， particularly those from small towns， will be able to identify readily with many of these threads。 In 2008， we get a grandmother waiting to reveal some secrets to her twentysomething/ thirtysomething grand daughter - this actually opens the book。 Then we get both the grandmother's life story - up to a particular pivotal summer - interspersed with the granddaughter's life story - mostly focused on two summers in particular， but with some updates in between。 The jumps in time are sequential， but not always evenly spaced， so for example we start the grandmother's tale during WWII when she is serving as a nurse and is courted - in the rushed manner of the era - by a charming doctor。 When we come back to her tale after spending some time in the granddaughter's life， we may be days later or we may be years later， depending on how deep in the story we are at this point。 Similarly， when we leave the granddaughter in 1994， we may come back to later that summer or we may come back to 1999。 （Or even， more commonly for the granddaughter's tale， back to 2008。） 2008 serves as "now"， and the histories of the two women remain sequential throughout the tale。 The editing， at the beginning of the chapter， always makes clear where we are in the timeline， and yet this style of storytelling *can* be jarring for some。 So just be aware of this going in。But as a tale of generational ideas， aspirations， and difficulties。。。 this tale completely works on so very many levels。 Perhaps because I find myself of a similar age as the granddaughter， and thus much of what she lives， I've also lived - particularly as it relates to a small town home town and its divisions。 And， for me， Hume actually has a line near the end of the tale （beyond the 90% mark） that truly struck a chord: "Haven Point has its flaws， of course it does。 But while it might not be the magic that some pretend， there was never really the rot she claimed either。" Perhaps the same could be said of my own "small town" （it now has a population north of 100K） home town。 Ultimately， this was a phenomenal work that many will identify with but some may struggle with。 I will dare compare it to The Great Gatsby in that regard and in this one: keep with the struggle。 It is worth it。 Very much recommended。 。。。more

Kelli Roberts ，

I really enjoyed this debut novel by Virginia Hume。 It's a perfect summer read， with a beautiful Maine coastal setting plus lots of family drama and secrets。 The beginning in stateside WWII was so interesting， and I loved learning more about these characters as we continued through the lives of 3 generations of women in the family。 The theme of how easy it is to make assumptions and judgements when we don't know the whole story is powerful and poignant， and is the perfect undercurrent for the ev I really enjoyed this debut novel by Virginia Hume。 It's a perfect summer read， with a beautiful Maine coastal setting plus lots of family drama and secrets。 The beginning in stateside WWII was so interesting， and I loved learning more about these characters as we continued through the lives of 3 generations of women in the family。 The theme of how easy it is to make assumptions and judgements when we don't know the whole story is powerful and poignant， and is the perfect undercurrent for the events of the novel。 Thanks to Netgalley and St。 Martin's Press for the advance digital copy！ 。。。more

Crystal Tadlock ，

This debut was nicely written， however， it was boring and flat。 After Maren and Oliver got together all I heard were words and it did not keep my attention。 The relationship was boring between the main characters， the relationships between each character I found boring。 Unfortunately， for me， the author did well with the writing itself but the content was lacking。