The High Season

The High Season

by Judy Blundell
The High Season

The High Season

by Judy Blundell

Hardcover

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Overview

“A shimmering story of art, money, and celebrity, The High Season is wicked summer fun.”—Helen Simonson, New York Times bestselling author of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand

The Hamptons hath no fury like a woman scorned.

No matter what the world throws her way, at least Ruthie Beamish has the house. Lovingly renovated, located by the sea in a quiet Long Island village, the house is her nest egg—the retirement account shared with her ex-husband, Mike, and the college fund for their teenage daughter, Jem. The catch? To afford the house, Ruthie must let it go during the best part of the year.

It’s Memorial Day weekend and Ruthie has packed up their belongings for what Jem calls “the summer bummer”: the family’s annual exodus to make way for renters. This year, the Hamptons set has arrived. The widow of a blue-chip artist, Adeline Clay is elegant, connected, and accompanied by a “gorgeous satellite” stepson. But soon Adeline demonstrates an uncanny ability to help herself to Ruthie’s life—her house, her friends, even her husband (okay, ex-husband, but still). And after her job as the director of a local museum is threatened, Ruthie finally decides to fight back.

Meanwhile, away from the watchful eyes of her parents, Jem is tasting independence at her first summer job, but soon finds herself growing up too fast. One of Ruthie’s employees, a master of self-invention named Doe, infiltrates the inner circle of an eccentric billionaire and his wayward daughter. With a coterie of social climbers and Ruthie’s old flame thrown into the mix, the entire town finds itself on the verge of tumultuous change. By the end of one unhinged, unforgettable summer, nothing will be the same.

In a novel packed with indelible characters, crackling wit, and upstairs/downstairs drama, Judy Blundell emerges as a voice for all seasons—a wry and original storyteller who knows how the most disruptive events in our lives can twist endings into new beginnings.

Advance praise for The High Season

“The sophisticated and delicious portrayal of subtle class warfare at the shore would make a perfect beach book, but it’s a pleasure to read any time.”Library Journal (starred review)

“You will revel in the human drama and comedy of this skillfully told tale. Wise, funny, and insightful.”—Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of Kiss Carlo

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780525508717
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Publication date: 05/22/2018
Pages: 416
Product dimensions: 6.10(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Judy Blundell is a New York Times bestselling author. Her novel What I Saw and How I Lied won the 2008 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. The High Season is her first novel for adults. She lives on Long Island with her husband and daughter.

Read an Excerpt

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(Continues…)



Excerpted from "The High Season"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Judy Blundell.
Excerpted by permission of Random House Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Reading Group Guide

Ruthie has the perfect life. She just has to give it up every summer.

In a beach town overrun with vacationers, Ruthie—a year-rounder who moves aside for “the summer people”—feels like a bit of an outsider. When her life is upended one fateful summer, she must fight to save everything she holds dear—her family, her house, and her career.

1. At the beginning of The High Season, Carole tells Ruthie to “Just try to be . . . a little less you.” Being herself is a theme that Ruthie constantly struggles with—what moments do you think sparked the biggest changes in Ruthie’s character throughout the novel?

2. In The High Season, we meet two types of people: the “summer people” and the “year-round people.” Think about how each of these groups live their lives and connect with one another. While the differences may be obvious, how are they similar to one another? Do you think the characters can see these similarities for themselves? Why or why not?

3. The antique watch never stayed on one person’s wrist for long over the course of this novel—first landing in Ruthie’s possession, then Lucas’s, Doe’s, and briefly Lark’s. What were the intentions of each character when they took it? What did the watch mean for each of them?

4. It dawns on Ruthie that she has not been acting like herself when she realizes how much she’s been ignoring Jem. On the flip side, Jem has also been hiding her feelings from her parents. Do you think the outcome at the end of the novel would have been different for Jem if Ruthie, or Mike and Adeline, were paying more attention?

5. Throughout The High Season almost all the characters are caught lying at some point. How does each character justify their lies? How did this affect your reading of each character?

6. Lark tells Doe that “You have to look for goodness just like everybody else.” Is this sentiment true for all of the “summer people” in the novel? What about the other characters?

7. What does Doe learn about herself through her relationship with Lark? And vice versa? How do they grow together as a couple?

8. Why would Mike say his marriage to Ruthie failed? What would Ruthie give as the reasons? Do you think Adeline and Joe end up being better partners for both characters, and if so, why?

9. Do you feel the family handled the discipline of Lucas? What lessons were learned?

10. If you were in Ruthie’s shoes, how would you have responded to Jem’s confessions at the novel’s end?

11. Which characters in The High Season get the ending they deserve? Do you think Ruthie gets a happy ending?

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