Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine

By Ann Hood

Book Overview

"Hood is clearly a force to be reckoned with in the world of contemporary fiction."-- "Daily News," Los Angeles.

1969: As Peter, Paul and Mary croon on the radio and poster paint splashes the latest anti-war slogans, Suzanne lives in a Maine beach house with a poet, pregnant with their love child, Sparrow. Claudia, during college, marries a farmer and raises three strong sons. And Elizabeth and Howard, very much in love, organize protest marches, marry, and try to bring up two children with earthly, hippie values. 1985: The songs, the colors, the times have changed. Suzanne has an M.B.A. and a briefcase; she insists on calling Sparrow "Susan" and pretends that 1969 never existed. Claudia inches toward madness following personal tragedy, sliding ever backward to her magical sixties world. And Elizabeth, fatally ill, watches despairingly as her children yearn for a split-level house and a gleaning station wagon. In her beloved and critically acclaimed first novel, Ann Hood's clear, penetrating voice captures the spirit of three friends struggling to resolve their lives in a complicated time warp called lost youth.

"Memorably stirring and authentic."-- "Los Angeles Times Book Review."

"Accomplished and emotionally affecting."-- "Chicago Tribune"

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393332357
• ISBN13: 9780393332353
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Boring

I was extremely disappointed in this book. I usually love this author's books, but this was a miss for me. I'm sorry I wasted my time.

An Amazing and Simple Story

An amazing and simple story of what shapes the people we become. The characters were like people you know.

A Man's Take

I read this book a LONG time ago, and I have been searching for and reading Ann Hood ever since! Maybe it was my age and maturity - whatever - when I read it, but I LOVED it! I'd highly recommend this or any Ann Hood to everyone. For me, it was an eye-opening look into the woman's side of things. It made me think, and changed my point of view in a big way.

This book clearly represents a work of fine literature.

This was a really great book and whoever gave it a poor review obviously does not appreciate modern writing. I loved it! Yeah for Ann Hood. Thank you for reading this review.

Wise and Keen Prose Lend to this poignant novel

Spare style and quick, witty dialog all make Somewhere Off The Coast Of Maine a refreshing read. Three womens' lives have become intertwined through family and fate. Long gone are the sixties of their rebellious youth, but they still keep their memories close to their hearts as a loved one keeps a snippet of hair in a locket. We learn the values of these memorable characters through their children; family plays an important role in this novel. Sad at times, funny at other times, the novel is one to breeze through quickly and effortlessly, yet the reader is still left with a sense that they have read a classic novel of the human condition. I highly recommend this novel as a change of pace for anyone bogged down by heavy books, or not able to get "INTO" a new book. An excellent choice of reading material.