Book Review - Montauk by Nicola Harrison

This is the story of Montauk, known to Long Islanders, as the end of the world. Land developer Carl fisher - known for his development of Miami, began developing the land in the 1920s, but the stock market crash halted his vision for the area. In the 1930s other investors began sinking money into developing the area known previously as the site for Long Island Cattle drives. The families of these rich men began summering in the area, and their families joined them. These summer visitors created jobs in the sleepy fishing village, but there was also a definite line between the summer folk and the local residents. The book Montauk tells of Bea and her rich investor husband Harry and their summer spent on Montauk.

Bea was not born wealthy and has a hard time fitting in with the other summer wives. She wants a child, but her husband's attention is divided with his work back in the city and in "keeping company" with other women. Bea befriends Elizabeth, who is a villager with four children, and a job doing the laundry for the wealthy summer guests. As their friendship blooms, so does her interest in the local lighthouse keeper. She beings to realize, as time passes, that the life she wants is not with her husband, but a quieter life at Montauk full time. A violent end-of-summer storm tears down the barricades between the wealthy and the locals, and one final senseless act of violence makes Bea's decision for her.

I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for a review. I enjoyed reading it, and the story was interesting, although I did not always enjoy the choices Bea made or her reasoning for making them. Many of the wealthy characters were easy to dislike; their shallowness and disregard of the working class made it even easier. I wanted to like Harry, but as the novel progressed I found him more and more unstable and privileged, which I think was the point. The ending surprised me, but it also left me feeling satisfied. I think any other choice would have been too pat of an ending.