I saw the author, Elin Hilderbrand, on CBS This Morning. Gail King mentioned how calm Hilderbrand had been when she last appeared on the show as she was scheduled for a double mastectomy the following day. The author told King that she had no idea what she was in for and how difficult the year would prove to be. Although, while recuperating she managed to write two books.
I thought that was simply amazing, so I picked her latest book “The Rumor,” for our September book club. Breast cancer has touched our group and I wanted to both acknowledge and support the author and our members.
“The Rumor” is a perfect beach read – easy and fun.
Hilderbrand goes to the ugly truth. We all talk about each other. In an article in Psychology Today titled “The Real Slant on Gossip,” Jack Levin, Ph.D., professor of sociology and criminology at Boston’s Northeastern University and coauthor of “Gossip: The Inside Scoop said, “For a real understanding of our social environment, gossip is essential. Its primary function is to help us make social comparisons. For example, if we read bad news about celebrities in the tabloids, or get into the gruesome details of our neighbor’s misery over a cup of coffee, our own problems begin to pale in comparison.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199607/the-real-slant-gossip. Sounds rather naughty to me, but if it’s okay….
The book is set in Nantucket off the coast of Massachusetts. A perfectly confined space to let gossip fester and swirl around the limited number of year-long residents. When the summer crowd enters the swirl the lips get looser and the buzz even more pronounced.
Locals, Madeline King and Grace Pancik are best friends and have husbands, children and passions. Those passions fuel behavior that start pinging the morality meter.
Grace’s twin girls are even in the swirl, especially Allegra. She is popular and beautiful and happens to be dating Madeline’s son. You know what happens when mothers get involved in the children’s affairs – the kids work it out eventually, but the mothers…..
All in all a fun read. There is plenty of fodder to discuss that revolves around gossip. When it is too much, too mean, what’s the right balance? Plus, discussions about marriage, cheating, and children.
If you looking for an easy, entertaining read – this is it.
Rating: 7.0