If you’re looking for pure relaxation, your book to have sand permanently ingrained in it, and your pages crinkled from ocean water, look no further. Think nautical, beachy, summer, romance and a hint of mystery. That describes Elin Hilderbrand, my favorite author.
Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket Island, just off the coast of Cape Cod, and all 27 of her novels take place in Nantucket. Reading her stories transports me to the charming, quaint town of Nantucket, which is how any reader would want to feel when they're reading their favorite book.
The Cut called Hilderbrand “the queen of beach reads,” which could not be more true. My favorite time to read her books is when I’m on vacation, sitting right at the shoreline where the waves crashing meet the sand, and I’m completely transfixed by whatever love triangle I’m reading about this time.
The special thing about her books, though, is that it could be a cold, dark night in the middle of winter and somehow I still imagine myself on a bench, in a rose garden in Nantucket flipping away at the pages. That’s how you know she’s a superb author.
Something I love about Elin Hilderbrand is that she frequently does book signings at Mitchell's Book Corner, the local bookstore in Nantucket. She has posted on social media to show up in your casual attire, as she comes in her workout clothes from her yoga class. There is always a line wrapped around the streets, full of people just waiting to meet the woman behind the magic.
Hildrebrand is a breast cancer survivor and a mom to three children, all of whom have taught her how precious life is. This is apparent in her novels as she’s eloquently written about multiple different characters battling cancer but still trying to find their zest for life. She also knows how to write an intertwined family dynamic like no other, which is another way she captures her readers.
Hilderbrand has even been so lucky to have one of her books, "The Perfect Couple,” adapted into a Netflix show. This was the perfect choice for a TV show because the book opens with a dead body, the maid-of-honor’s body to be exact, being found washed up on the Nantucket shore the morning of the wedding. And who found her? The bride, A.K.A. her best friend. Just from that description, you’re immediately captured, craving to know what happens next.
Sadly, this past May, Hilderbrand made an announcement she will retire from her Nantucket beach reads. In a People Magazinearticle, they wrote that The Washington Post said she told them, “There is one gift that a cancer diagnosis gives: a new understanding of how precious life is,” which ultimately made her decide to spend more time with her children before they start having families of their own.
Hilderbrand told People Magazine, “I never want anybody to pick up my book and say, ‘It just wasn't as good as the last one.’ That is not going to happen.” She also said, while she ‘retired’ from her Nantucket novels for now, there will still be more novels to come, and maybe they’ll be set in Nantucket, maybe not.
Hilderbrand has made me fall in love with Nantucket so much that I have dreamed of going there myself to soak up the sun and ride around on the cobblestone streets. I’m doing just that this summer upon my college graduation, which would’ve never happened without my love for her novels. If you’re searching for your next beach bag staple, Elin Hilderbrand is the woman for you.
Kendall Timms is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Kendall Timms about her column? Email her at kt353720@ohio.edu.
