Summer Light on Nantucket: A Novel

by Nancy Thayer

A touching novel about parenthood, first love, family bonds, and rekindled relationships from the New York Times bestselling author and beloved Nantucket storyteller Nancy Thayer.

Blythe Benedict is content. Her life didn’t end when her marriage did. In fact, she’s more than happy living in her comfortable house in Boston, working as a middle school teacher, and raising four wonderful children. With three of her kids in the throes of teenagerhood and one not too far behind them, Blythe has plenty of drama to keep her busy every single day.

But no amount of that drama could change the family’s beloved annual summer trip to Nantucket. Blythe has always treasured the months spent at her island home-away-from-home, and has fond memories of her children growing up there. But this summer’s getaway proves to be much more than she bargained for.

Yes, there are sunny days enjoyed at the beach. But Blythe must contend with teenage angst, her ex-mother-in-law’s declining health, and a troubling secret involving her ex-husband. Meanwhile, Blythe reconnects with her first love, her former high school sweetheart Aaden. But their second-time-around romance becomes complicated when another intriguing man enters the picture.

It’s all a bit out of Blythe’s comfort zone. This particular island summer may not be as relaxing as Blythe had hoped, but she’s never felt that life has given her more than she can handle—especially when she has the love and support of her family around her.

Genres: Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

Published April 21, 2026

About the author

Nancy Thayer has published 35 novels, including Family Reunion and Secrets in Summer. She has lived on Nantucket Island year-round for 38 years with her husband Charley Walters. They have two children and five grandchildren.

Reviews

[Barbara Stroud]

Summer is a busy time for many of you. Sometimes it feels as if you're going in ten places at once. Even though it's summer, not all of us are sitting on the beach with time to read. This book is perfect if you're fortunate enough to be sitting on a beach overlooking the ocean with the sound of waves crashing in the distance - this is a great book for you. If you're watching kids run back and forth while cooking and taking care of things - this is also the perfect book for you. Grab it, take a ten minute break, read, relax and get back to business. If you're looking for light reading that can hold up to distractions (boats, people, etc.) – this book fits the bill perfectly. Nancy Thayer is a wonderful author and I’ve read all of her books over the years.

Thank you to Random House Group for the giveaway - it was a delight (and it was appreciated, as always)!

[NK]

An annual summer vacation with her family at Blythe's home on Nantucket becomes a journey in lessons learned for her and her four children, ex-husband, and in-laws. Blythe is a middle-aged, divorced, woman happily living her life as a substitute teacher in Boston when she and her four children go to Nantucket for their annual summer vacation. The summer unfolds with new love for Blythe and lots of teenage drama for her and her children.
This is a good summer read----nothing too heavy or too deep.

[Tara]

An easy summer read where beautiful Nantucket feels like a main character. Blythe is facing many familiar issues: job changes, parenting, romance in mid-life. This is a book where money isn’t part of reality and there are a lot of brand names listed, which might feel like an escape for some readers but right now could feel a bit frustrating. Keep this one in a beach bag: it can be read in bits and pieces without the need to really connect.

[Heidi]

Unfortunately, I found it incredibly boring, with characters that never really came to life and a storyline that felt like it went nowhere. There’s very little sense of momentum or development, and I struggled to stay engaged as the book progressed.
Overall, it felt flat and uneventful, and I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re looking for a story with depth, energy, or a satisfying plot.

[Cindi]

Although a short read, it wasn't a page turner. Some of the detail was repeated too often.... for example, how often the Mom cut up vegetables for the children or their repeated summer schedules on the kitchen whiteboard/chalkboard. The story lacked substance. It was about a family spending the summer in Nantucket. I expected something more interesting....

[Michelle Bickes]

Great summer book!! It brought back great memories of taking my children to the beach and our beach vacations. Lovely read. It was great to read about other large families and how chaotic things can be but it all works out just fine.

[Ktmoeller]

Story about a divorced mom of 4 spending the summer on Nantucket with her teenage kids. I enjoyed the book but thought the ending was really disappointing. It would’ve been 4 stars if not for the abrupt ending.

[Kayla Blair]

This book seemed to move very slowly and it doesn’t feel like there was really a lot that happened plot wise. It was a struggle to continue reading it

[Nancy Heynen]

An easy beach read when it's gloomy outside at home. I enjoyed it.