Review of The Island Club by Nicola Harrison

In this perfect summer read, Harrison explores 1950s life for three women facing complicated personal challenges. Tennis brings them together, and they use their inner strength and smarts to fight through troubles as they rely on each other.

I recently gave a talk about newish books I recommend for spring and summer reading (stay tuned for the full post), and I also mentioned that I was in the middle of reading this one. Luckily, The Island Club stood up to its entertaining, immersive start and turned out to be a great summer read.

Nicola Harrison's The Island Club is set in the 1950s on Balboa Island off the coast of California.

Tennis ultimately brings together three women, formerly strangers to each other. Their lives intersect in their small community, and they reluctantly become vulnerable with each other, sharing secrets, challenges, and devastating problems they wouldn't tell anyone else.

A secret past is revealed, marital troubles are laid bare, and financial devastation becomes clear. The women feel deeply and lean on each other. They're each reeling, but ultimately they realize their resilience; they're clever, determined, and creative with problem-solving.

Harrison raises some weighty issues, and there are some dark periods within the story, but the tone of The Island Club is that of a summer book. The Island Club delivers full-on 1950s immersion while exploring LGBTQ issues, privilege, sacrifice, second chances, and redemption. As I was reading, I had faith that all would work out, but that the resolutions would be just tricky enough to make it feel satisfying.

The author spoke here last week, and she talked about her inspirations, her writing process, and her life. I loved being there.

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Nicola Harrison is also the author of Montauk, The Show Girl, and Hotel Laguna.

For more Bossy reviews of novels set in the 1950s, please check out this link.