The Westhampton Leisure Hour and Supper Club

by Samantha Bruce-Benjamin

In the tradition of The Great Gatsby and Mrs Dalloway, Samantha Bruce-Benjamin delivers a haunting and evocative insight into five minutes in the life of a celebrated Hamptons society hostess, set against the backdrop of The Great Hurricane of 1938.

What have been the five best moments of your life?

September 21st 1938, and at Serena Lyons’ exquisite Hamptons estate, the footmen are serving vintage champagne, the orchestra is playing a favorite tune, and the house is lit so brightly it could almost be mistaken for a star in the distance. The occasion is the last party of the season at The Westhampton Leisure Hour and Supper Club and anybody who is anybody has turned out in force. All except for one. As her guests arrive, Serena watches from her bedroom window, searching for a face in the crowd: The Summer Visitor she has never forgotten.

For thirty years she has waited for him at the start of every party. But on this last evening, the ritual assumes a greater significance. On a road nearby, Kit Peel is at last returning to her, bringing with him the answers to the unresolved mystery of his disappearance at the age of twenty-one, and the truth behind the secrets that will finally set her free. If only he can get to her in time; if only Serena’s estranged husband, Captain Lyons, will allow him close enough.

As The Great Hurricane of 1938 moves over Long Island, finally reaching the fabled Hamptons, the place and its people are irrevocably changed. Over the course of five minutes, as Serena relives the defining moments of her life, we learn of the tragedies that left their indelible mark, the promises that were made and broken, and the decisions that brought them all there that evening, their destinies forever intertwined and sealed.

Based on historical research about The Hamptons at the peak of its grandeur, the devastation that the 1938 hurricane wrought, and a real supper club called The Leisure Hour and Supper Club, Bruce-Benjamin spins a story that will remind readers of Rebecca or, more recently, Rules of Civility.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

Unknown Binding

First published June 15, 2015

About the author

Samantha Bruce-Benjamin is the author of The Art of Devotion, an Examiner and Bookreporter Best Book of 2010. Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, she holds a Master of Arts with Honors in English Literature from The University of Edinburgh. A former Random House and BBC literary editor, she divides her time between New York and Edinburgh, where she is currently reading for a PhD in Creative Writing at The University of Edinburgh.

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every now and then a book comes along to remind you how a novel should be written, and you remember what it's like to not have all the content flashed before your eyes, but rather how to read between the lines.

This book is incredible from start to finish. Every sentence is consequential in a devastating sequence of events that shapes the lives of the characters portrayed.

This is a book of backward glances, who knew what, who lied to impress, who is keeping the truth prisoner, and all the lives that will end in tragedy or continue in misery due to these decisions. I'd recommend to anyone.

I received a copy of this novel through goodreads firstreads contest for free.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved The Westhampton Leisure Hour and Supper Club, from the moment I picked it up to read, I simply did not want to put it down. Beautifully written from start to finish with fascinating characters, all of whom I loved in different ways. You are invited and taken on a journey with the Society Hostess, Serena Lyons before the great hurricane of 1938 hits Westhampton, as she longingly awaits the return of Kit Peel. In the final five minutes you learn the life, secrets, twists, tragedies and destinies of the Host, Hostess and Summer Visitors which leads them to the last party of the season at The Westhampton Leisure Hour and Supper Club. There are so many parts to this novel where you feel their journey has been a part of your own journey in life. I’m delighted to have been invited along to The Westhampton Leisure Hour and Supper Club, the last party of the season you definitely do not want to miss. What have been the five best moments of your life?........

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written - every sentence is a jewel. I took my time reading this lovely book and savoured every minute spent with Serena Lyons and her guests. Looking forward to Samantha Bruce-Benjamin's next book.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite of Samantha's books. I found it confusing and had to start over twice before I could read it through. having said that, I love the way the language flows in her books. Well written and excellent characters but I was confused to the very end. Sorry!

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give The WestHampton Leisure Hour and Supper Club more stars I would. I adored this book! Such a beautiful story. A must read! Thank you GoodReads for my copy. "Meet me on the road that leads to the sea. And I'll wait for you and you'll wait for me..."

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every once in a blue moon (I quite literally finished this book under a blue moon), a book comes along that instantly grabs you and doesn't let you go, even long after you've finished reading it. The West Hampton Leisure Hour and Supper Club is a testament to the well-written, brilliantly researched, flawlessly executed novel of a truly gifted author that is so rare and hard to find. The universal themes that reach past a time long forgotten, of people and places that would seem unrelatable, make this novel so compelling. How many of us have acted with good intentions and seen a situation unravel beyond our control? How many others have flippantly told a white lie or acted carelessly only to see the situation snowball into something completely unintended?

The characters in this novel were so vivid and dynamic. You got to see both the perceptions of others and the internal intentions of the characters that made them realistic and gave them such depth. The writing brought the story to life, transporting you to a party the likes of which modern times doesn't know. The tragedy and hope of the story has left me thinking, pondering the way we live our lives and the twist was completely unexpected. That's right people...there is a brilliantly plotted twist in the storyline that made me exclaim out loud due to my surprise!

This is a must buy. Read it. Love it. Share it. And pray that Samantha Bruce-Benjamin graces us with another beautiful novel soon!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of the last party of the season on Long Island. In the five minutes before the party begins Serena, her husband, her former lover, and the guests all reflect upon a series of tragedies and poor choices that have brought them to this point in time. It's a story of love, loss, hope, and how the best of intentions can go terribly wrong. During this five minutes the Hurricane of 1938 is also bearing down upon Long Island and the party goers.

This book was so beautifully written! Some sentences were so exquisite that I found myself reading them multiple times. Both poetic and profound. In many ways her writing reminded me of James Joyce. The story itself was extraordinarily well-crafted.

I actually enjoyed this book so much that I went back and read it a second time, more slowly, so that I could just appreciate the prose rather than rushing to find out what happened. This is the kind of book that should be savored like a good wine and not gulped down like an iced tea. I do recommend taking this one in at a leisurely pace. When I rushed, I missed subtleties that I really appreciated the second time through. That said, it's hard not to want to hurry to the end to find out what happened.

I received this book as a Goodreads First-reads Giveaway.

[Leslie Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serena Lyons, hostess of the Friday evening parties of the Westhampton Leisure Hour and Supper Club, awaits the return of her true love, Kit, as she does each Friday evening. The setting is her last party at her mansion during the last five minutes before the devastating Hurricane of 1938. Samantha Bruce- Benjamin introduces us to the attendees of the party by revealing their memories of key events which are linked to Serena in the past. Hopes and dreams exist for each of them yet have been often hidden within these various characters who only reveal an outward façade, their party faces. The waves of memories flow throughout the novel foreshadowing the deadly waves of the Hurricane which arrive at the party as the “Uninvited Guest”. The subplots are those of the guests as they resolve their internal and external conflicts at this party as they face their sure demise.
Samantha Bruce- Benjamin writes in a lyrical style. The sentences are wonderfully crafted, and I reread many just to savor the meaning. The concept of five defining memories to capture the essence of each soul is lovely and profound. I loved the book and look forward to rereading it.

[Bev]

This was most definitely not my kind of book. The premise sounded very exciting when I was offered the review copy, but I could not get into the author's style of story-telling. The shifting point-of-view--from first person for Serena to an odd not-quite first person for her husband (he talks about himself in the third person quite a bit) to a weird omniscient point of view for other characters--just did not work for me. There is also a great deal of present tense going on and I'm not a big fan of that either. For me--this is a story that took place in the past, I'd prefer that the story-telling reflect that throughout the book. I realize these are personal preferences--which is why I am offering no formal review.

I tried skimming so I could have a real sense of the story and characters, but that didn't help me either. So--no real review and no star count.

*****

This is a book I received free from Jocelyn Kelley of Kelley& Hall book publicity for my honest review. I was not compensated in any way for my review. I wish that I could give it my usual thorough examination.

[Gail Janke]

The Westhampton Leisure Hour and Supper Club is a look into a way of life that has passed. A world filled with wealthy people enjoying themselves and not seeing anyone that does not belong to their class. It is also a love story of a young girl who yearns for her first love and seeks to find him returning to her at every party she hosts. The writing is very lyrical and one can picture life as it was in the late 1930"s. I liked the question of what are the five most important memories of your life.

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I received free from Jocelyn Kelley of Kelley& Hall book publicity for my honest review. I was not compensated in any way for my review. From the moment I picked this book up to read, I did not want to put it down. For one thing, I wanted to find out what or who Serena Lyon's was waiting for. I was also wondering how the hurricane was going to impact this story. I felt like I was at the party waiting along with Serena. Does Kit Peel make it to Serena? Do all the secrets unfold? You'll have to read the book to find out.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I was given a copy by the author for an honest review.

It is a rare find when a book consumes you from the very first page and holds you in its clutches until the very last word. The Westhampton Leisure Hour and Supper Club was that book for me. I carried it with me everywhere, even while cooking, to my family's dismay. I look forward breathlessly to reading Samantha Bruce-Benjamin's next book.

[Liz Nix · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the previous book by the same author and I really enjoyed it. I very rarely am surprised by a book, but I was that book. I hoped this book would have the same mystery and surprise that the previous book did, but honestly I was so confused that I had no idea what was going on anyway. I could have been surprised by any ending because I wasn't sure where the story was going.

I love poetic or eloquent writing styles. I really do. But there comes a point that it's too much and it gets in the way of the story. This book is just such a case. Others apparently really enjoyed the writing style, but it was not for me. One of my major gripes is the constant switching from past to present tense. Or in some cases from first person to third person. I know this was an attempt to distinguish past from present, but it didn't really work for me. At all.

The only reason I did give this book more stars is because I think it had very rich characters. They were all idiotic and seemed to be constantly lying to each other. It's the kind of book where you just want to sit them all down and say, "Okay, let's just all talk about our feelings. It's time to just be honest about things."

Overall, it's not a book I would recommend to anyone, but I enjoyed it enough.

[R.K. Cowles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the fact that the high society life usually is boring to read, which these character's lives no exception. Yet the way the author writes there actual thoughts with the words to understand what the characters mean and the events made it a good read. It was more about the main characters' lives that was throughout the book than the actual party, which I had thought what I was getting when I enter the contest. Not the top of my list of books won on goodreads, not my taste but a book some other people I know would like as much as I did.

[Jim Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was real well done, but just not my cup of tea.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads, I won this book. Good novel filled with drama and tragedy, wonderful characters and well written!