Not quite a century old, Isobel Howard lies dying in a hospital room. Unable to mentally remain or perhaps refusing to stay in the present, Isobel reflects back to the pivotal point in her life, the summer of 1936. She relates the drama of that year to her only surviving son, Thomas, who patiently awaits his mother's death.

That summer in Cypress, Minnesota, with her two sons away with their father, Victor, on his island folly, Isobel and her daughter meet Chicago heiress Cathryn Malley. Cathryn's husband, Liam, is also away on engineering business. Cathryn provides meaning and identity to Isobel's life beyond that of mother, wife and milliner, by introducing her to the fine arts. Cathryn begins an affair with Jack Reese in which Isobel plays a reluctant, guilt-ridden middleman. Isobel hides what she knows from Cathryn's spouse who suspects his wife is cheating. Then one day, the lovers vanish as Jack's cabin burns to the ground haunting Isobel till her dying day. The summer's events change Isobel's failing marriage with Victor back to it's strong beginnings.

THE GRANITE ISLANDS is a fabulous romantic relationship drama that seems like a well-written throw back to a time when romanticism meant something different. The story line starts a bit choppy, but once the flashbacks to 1936 get into gear, the plot is smooth sailing and very worth the time.

This is a wonderful story about love, marriage, friendships, and new beginnings, told with poetic and beautiful writing. I'm looking forward to reading more of this author.

Packer was widely praised for her debut, the best-selling "Dive from Clausen's Pier." Her sophomore effort is slow-moving and relates the lifelong friendship of Liz and Sarabeth. When her mom committed suicide 30 years ago, Sarabeth moved in with Liz, finding a safe haven with Liz's warm and nurturing family. But now it's Liz who is in need of comfort, following the suicide attempt of her depressed 15-year-old daughter, Lauren. For Sarabeth, however, the traumatic incident triggers old memories and "distant music, familiar and sad. A song without words." She doesn't call or visit for days afterward, and Liz feels shut out and let down. All of their dissimilarities emerge: Liz is the staid stay-at-home suburban mom, while Sarabeth is the artsy, single urbanite. Meanwhile, Liz's husband, Brody, and son, Joe, deal with Lauren's illness in totally different ways, leading to a rift in the marriage and the family. Packer is most interested in the emotional arc of a troubled friendship and the debilitating nature of depression. As a result, her plot lacks momentum, with many paragraphs devoted to the more mundane aspects of life, right down to the number of abdominal reps Liz does in her Pilates class.

Just an ok read.

Although we know at the beginning how this book is going to end, Ann Patchett has drawn us so deeply into the story of her friendship with poet & writer Lucy Grealy that I could not help crying. Lucy had struggled so hard since the age of 10 to overcome her cancer that it was refreshing to read about all the happy times she & Ann spent together & also all the positive things that had gone on in her life. Yet she was never able to completely overcome her disfigurement, like grief it had become a part of who she was & eventually she becaame too worn down to continue the struggle. Ann Patchett treads very lightly in this portrayal of their friendship but her sense of loss is still evident.

Heart-wrenchingly painful to read - but also brilliant.