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The Captain's Daughter
For fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Emma Straub comes an emotionally gripping novel about a woman who returns to her hometown in coastal Maine and finds herself pondering the age-old question of what could have been.
Growing up in Little Harbor, Maine, the daughter of a widowed lobsterman, Eliza Barnes could haul a trap and row a skiff with the best of them. But she always knew she'd leave that life behind. Now that she's married, with two kids and a cushy front-row seat to suburban country club gossip in an affluent Massachusetts town, she feels adrift.
When her father injures himself in a boating accident, Eliza pushes the pause button on her own life to come to his aid. But when she arrives in Maine, she discovers her father's situation is more dire than he let on. Eliza's homecoming is further complicated by the reemergence of her first love--and memories of their shared secret. Then Eliza meets Mary Brown, a seventeen-year-old local who is at her own crossroad, and Eliza can't help but wonder what her life would have been like if she'd stayed.
Filled with humor, insight, summer cocktails, and gorgeous sunsets, The Captain's Daughter is a compassionate novel about the life-changing choices we make and the consequences we face in their aftermath.
Growing up in Little Harbor, Maine, the daughter of a widowed lobsterman, Eliza Barnes could haul a trap and row a skiff with the best of them. But she always knew she'd leave that life behind. Now that she's married, with two kids and a cushy front-row seat to suburban country club gossip in an affluent Massachusetts town, she feels adrift.
When her father injures himself in a boating accident, Eliza pushes the pause button on her own life to come to his aid. But when she arrives in Maine, she discovers her father's situation is more dire than he let on. Eliza's homecoming is further complicated by the reemergence of her first love--and memories of their shared secret. Then Eliza meets Mary Brown, a seventeen-year-old local who is at her own crossroad, and Eliza can't help but wonder what her life would have been like if she'd stayed.
Filled with humor, insight, summer cocktails, and gorgeous sunsets, The Captain's Daughter is a compassionate novel about the life-changing choices we make and the consequences we face in their aftermath.
308 pages, Hardcover
First published July 18, 2017
430 people are currently reading
4495 people want to read
About the author
Meg Mitchell Moore
12 books1,909 followersMeg Mitchell Moore is the author of eight novels. Her ninth, MANSION BEACH, will be published in May 2025. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and whichever of her three high school- and college-aged daughters is home, as well two golden retrievers who shed a lot and don't read at all.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 265 reviews
August 21, 2019
This is the 2nd book I’ve read by Meg Mitchell Moore...MMM....
I still remember details upon details that I enjoyed from the Audiobook of MMM’s novel, “The Admissions”...
I enjoy the contemporary issues that Moore raises in her books....the complexities...the depths of family life - truths - choices - love in the many ways it’s manifested.
In both books I’ve read ... the characters are very relatable. The issues worth thinking about.
This was another page turning ( ebook reading this time around)...book by M
M Moore.
....I liked the setting: The coastal seaside small town in Maine during the summer. Tug- tug- tug- a boat... and lobster to boot!
....I liked the effortless reading... filled with warmth, humor, love, heartbreaking and heartwarming characters- father/daughter/ family saga - realistic dialogue- challenges & choices - relationships - wisdom!
Meg Mitchell Moore is becoming an overall - countable go-to author for me ( enjoyable women’s fiction) - in the same way author Taylor Reid Jenkins, is.
This universal thought-provoking novel filled with emotional turmoil...was reflective...
reminding me that life choices are not black or white.
It invited questions such as:
....is it necessary to justify the road we crossed vs. the road we didn’t?
....what happens to people who have experience equally wealth & poverty?
....how about our children’s choices? Do we trust our children enough to make their own choices -perhaps mistakes - and trust them enough to work out their own challenges themselves.
“The Captain’s Daughter”, is a great summer pick - light but with compelling depth...
and who knew harvesting lobsters could be so interesting?/!!!! 🦐
I still remember details upon details that I enjoyed from the Audiobook of MMM’s novel, “The Admissions”...
I enjoy the contemporary issues that Moore raises in her books....the complexities...the depths of family life - truths - choices - love in the many ways it’s manifested.
In both books I’ve read ... the characters are very relatable. The issues worth thinking about.
This was another page turning ( ebook reading this time around)...book by M
M Moore.
....I liked the setting: The coastal seaside small town in Maine during the summer. Tug- tug- tug- a boat... and lobster to boot!
....I liked the effortless reading... filled with warmth, humor, love, heartbreaking and heartwarming characters- father/daughter/ family saga - realistic dialogue- challenges & choices - relationships - wisdom!
Meg Mitchell Moore is becoming an overall - countable go-to author for me ( enjoyable women’s fiction) - in the same way author Taylor Reid Jenkins, is.
This universal thought-provoking novel filled with emotional turmoil...was reflective...
reminding me that life choices are not black or white.
It invited questions such as:
....is it necessary to justify the road we crossed vs. the road we didn’t?
....what happens to people who have experience equally wealth & poverty?
....how about our children’s choices? Do we trust our children enough to make their own choices -perhaps mistakes - and trust them enough to work out their own challenges themselves.
“The Captain’s Daughter”, is a great summer pick - light but with compelling depth...
and who knew harvesting lobsters could be so interesting?/!!!! 🦐
July 17, 2017
This is women's fiction how I like it: no instant love between characters who just met, simply an emotional and lovely read. I really enjoyed it and while I didn't connect with all of the characters and there were moments that left me scratching my head, it's worth a read. The author goes into great detail about life both in the small hometown of the main character and considerably more affluent town she lives in now. She makes you feel like you're there with them, and maybe capable of hauling in lobster yourself. (I'm probably not.)
Eliza and her husband enjoy the kind of wealth that provides yachts and hundred thousand dollar cars. Fancy, fancy. Eliza spent two years in medical school before dropping out to be a stay at home mother, and her husband has just begun a huge project as an architect which promises to be lucrative, but most of their money comes from his mother.
Her cushy lifestyle could not be any different than her humble beginnings. She lost her mother when she was very young, leaving her with her gruff but dedicated father. He is and has always been a lobsterman, an extremely hard worker. He's always made his living with his hands, rising early in the morning and headed to bed around sunset. It takes a lot out of a person. His long history manning his boat, the Joanie B., may be at an end. Charlie had an accident onboard, leading him to ask for help for one of the first times of his life. Eliza rushes to his side, expecting him to recover quickly... but he's been keeping recent difficulties from his daughter.
Spending more time in Little Harbor is starting to get to Eliza. She loves her husband, but what if things had been different? What if she'd stayed behind with her first love? Would she have an older daughter not unlike Mary, the shy seventeen year old who works at the cafe that she feels strangely protective over? Her husband is also having a difficult time juggling the job and their children, and the girls miss their mother terribly. She can't abandon her father, though. Is this where she's meant to be all along, or does she still belong in the country club crowd?
I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Doubleday Books, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
Eliza and her husband enjoy the kind of wealth that provides yachts and hundred thousand dollar cars. Fancy, fancy. Eliza spent two years in medical school before dropping out to be a stay at home mother, and her husband has just begun a huge project as an architect which promises to be lucrative, but most of their money comes from his mother.
Her cushy lifestyle could not be any different than her humble beginnings. She lost her mother when she was very young, leaving her with her gruff but dedicated father. He is and has always been a lobsterman, an extremely hard worker. He's always made his living with his hands, rising early in the morning and headed to bed around sunset. It takes a lot out of a person. His long history manning his boat, the Joanie B., may be at an end. Charlie had an accident onboard, leading him to ask for help for one of the first times of his life. Eliza rushes to his side, expecting him to recover quickly... but he's been keeping recent difficulties from his daughter.
Spending more time in Little Harbor is starting to get to Eliza. She loves her husband, but what if things had been different? What if she'd stayed behind with her first love? Would she have an older daughter not unlike Mary, the shy seventeen year old who works at the cafe that she feels strangely protective over? Her husband is also having a difficult time juggling the job and their children, and the girls miss their mother terribly. She can't abandon her father, though. Is this where she's meant to be all along, or does she still belong in the country club crowd?
I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Doubleday Books, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
June 23, 2017
This could have been called "Despicable Me," except that title has already been claimed.
While I enjoyed Moore's last novel, "The Admissions," this book is something else all together. I found it hard to connect with most of the characters, as their actions belied common sense. Several plot points seemed contrived (a character on death's door shows up out of the blue for a Clint Eastwood "Go ahead. Make my day" moment, among one of several head-scratchers).
Not sure if I was "off" during the reading of this, or if it was the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
While I enjoyed Moore's last novel, "The Admissions," this book is something else all together. I found it hard to connect with most of the characters, as their actions belied common sense. Several plot points seemed contrived (a character on death's door shows up out of the blue for a Clint Eastwood "Go ahead. Make my day" moment, among one of several head-scratchers).
Not sure if I was "off" during the reading of this, or if it was the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2017
In The Captain's Daughter, author Meg Mitchell Moore presents a female lead: Eliza who marries into a very different lifestyle that the one she was raised. Now, years later, during a trip back home she wonders what her life would have looked like had she remained a small-town girl. There are a ton of characters in this book and in my opinion, Ms. Moore was heavy-handed in her character development (I know, I know, authors can't get a break can they? It's either too little or too much...sorry). Eliza's internal conflict was one that I could relate to though which kept me engaged just enough to not DNF. I loved the coastal setting, I loved the scenes of lobster fishing and seeing Eliza out there working, and I loved the quality of life issue that was integrated within the story, but if I had to learn one more thing about any of these characters, their families, or the people in their town, I was going to blow.
My favorite quote:
"When in doubt, choose brave."
Thank you to the following for permitting me access to an advance reader's copy (ARC) of The Captain's Daughter. This generosity did not impact my honesty when rating/reviewing.
Source: NetGalley
Author: Meg Mitchell Moore
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Genres: Women's Fiction
Pub Date: 18 Jul 2017
My favorite quote:
"When in doubt, choose brave."
Thank you to the following for permitting me access to an advance reader's copy (ARC) of The Captain's Daughter. This generosity did not impact my honesty when rating/reviewing.
Source: NetGalley
Author: Meg Mitchell Moore
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Genres: Women's Fiction
Pub Date: 18 Jul 2017
July 14, 2017
All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com
Are you guys going to kill me if I add yet another book to your summer reading list? I’m going to assume you’re all like me and add new books to your TBR daily, so naturally you’ll be happy to add another book. What’s one more anyway?!
Meg Mitchell Moore is a new to me author and I really had no idea what to expect when I picked up The Captain’s Daughter, but if pushed I would’ve said that I was expecting a fun, lighthearted beach read, something simple. While it most definitely was all of those things it was also insightful, touching and captivating too.
This is told through multiple narratives, very reminiscent of one of my favorite authors, Elin Hilderbrand. There was that same great beachy vibe and the writing style was also similar. The conversational dialogue felt so genuine, it was as if I was listening to real people talk to each other. The whole book felt really authentic, from the location, to the characters to the situations they were in and the problems they were facing.
One of my favorite things about this book was the stunning coastal setting the author portrayed. I’ve never been to an East Coast beach before and Mitchell Moore made me feel like I was actually in the town of Little Harbor, Maine. The characterization was also excellent, the residents were all very salt of the earth types who lead relatively simple lives, they were all very endearing. I especially connected with Mary, a local teen who crosses paths with Eliza. There was something so raw and vulnerable about her that really spoke to me.
While this didn’t have any super heavy themes, it did have some good, strong ones, such as the power of feeling connected to your true home and the importance of familial relationships and being true to oneself. I’m a new fan of Meg Mitchell Moore now and am excited that I discovered a new author!
Are you guys going to kill me if I add yet another book to your summer reading list? I’m going to assume you’re all like me and add new books to your TBR daily, so naturally you’ll be happy to add another book. What’s one more anyway?!
Meg Mitchell Moore is a new to me author and I really had no idea what to expect when I picked up The Captain’s Daughter, but if pushed I would’ve said that I was expecting a fun, lighthearted beach read, something simple. While it most definitely was all of those things it was also insightful, touching and captivating too.
This is told through multiple narratives, very reminiscent of one of my favorite authors, Elin Hilderbrand. There was that same great beachy vibe and the writing style was also similar. The conversational dialogue felt so genuine, it was as if I was listening to real people talk to each other. The whole book felt really authentic, from the location, to the characters to the situations they were in and the problems they were facing.
One of my favorite things about this book was the stunning coastal setting the author portrayed. I’ve never been to an East Coast beach before and Mitchell Moore made me feel like I was actually in the town of Little Harbor, Maine. The characterization was also excellent, the residents were all very salt of the earth types who lead relatively simple lives, they were all very endearing. I especially connected with Mary, a local teen who crosses paths with Eliza. There was something so raw and vulnerable about her that really spoke to me.
While this didn’t have any super heavy themes, it did have some good, strong ones, such as the power of feeling connected to your true home and the importance of familial relationships and being true to oneself. I’m a new fan of Meg Mitchell Moore now and am excited that I discovered a new author!
July 14, 2017
Thank you to Doubleday Books for providing me with a finished copy of this book for review - all opinions are my own.
THE CAPTAIN'S DAUGHTER is an exquisite story about motherhood, marriage, grief and being true to your roots, with much of the book being set in a gorgeous Maine fishing town. If you don't at least THINK about crying while reading this book, I'm fairly certain we can't be friends. It has ALL the feelings.
Moore has touched on the very deepest thoughts in a mother's and daughter's heart and combined them to expose just how complex modern womanhood can be. Eliza is just so incredibly real, with achingly beautiful moments and also moments in which she is fairly unlikable - just like the rest of us. As she struggles to mother her daughters while also coming to terms with her father's failing health and her marital issues, Eliza manages to maintain grace and kindness in her interactions with her new young friend Mary as Mary becomes in desperate need of a mother figure. I loved reading about their heartfelt feelings about parenthood and childhood and was able to relate to them so so closely. Everything involving Eliza's father Charlie made me love him so much and wish I knew him - he just jumps off the pages and is one of the most realistically written characters I have read in a long, long time.
This is a tearjerker with bright moments of humor and insight that needs to be on your bookshelf - it is a book of the ages and one that will stay with me for a long time to come.
THE CAPTAIN'S DAUGHTER is an exquisite story about motherhood, marriage, grief and being true to your roots, with much of the book being set in a gorgeous Maine fishing town. If you don't at least THINK about crying while reading this book, I'm fairly certain we can't be friends. It has ALL the feelings.
Moore has touched on the very deepest thoughts in a mother's and daughter's heart and combined them to expose just how complex modern womanhood can be. Eliza is just so incredibly real, with achingly beautiful moments and also moments in which she is fairly unlikable - just like the rest of us. As she struggles to mother her daughters while also coming to terms with her father's failing health and her marital issues, Eliza manages to maintain grace and kindness in her interactions with her new young friend Mary as Mary becomes in desperate need of a mother figure. I loved reading about their heartfelt feelings about parenthood and childhood and was able to relate to them so so closely. Everything involving Eliza's father Charlie made me love him so much and wish I knew him - he just jumps off the pages and is one of the most realistically written characters I have read in a long, long time.
This is a tearjerker with bright moments of humor and insight that needs to be on your bookshelf - it is a book of the ages and one that will stay with me for a long time to come.
August 27, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this sweet summer book. Being from New England, I loved all the local references. To me, Maine is the perfect place to be in the summer.
September 26, 2017
While this was a story of troubled people dealing with real challenges, the novel wasn’t dark. Nor was it chick lit or a frothy beach read. Set on the picturesque coast of Maine where the background was very much a part of things, The Captain’s Daughter was almost instantly engaging. I could smell the salt air and see the sunsets, but then New England has always been close to my heart! The quaintness of the old fishing town, the quirkiness of the folks, the down east mindset and strength of character – they all enriched the telling. The plot revolves around Meg, a suburban housewife who has married into a life of privilege and must return to her seriously ill father, Charlie, and the small fishing town where she grew up. Contrasts between her current patrician lifestyle and her roots are rendered convincingly in an understated way. Ghosts of the past and relationship insecurities combine to produce a most readable tale! A minor observation might be the predictability element, as the stage is definitely set. That doesn’t amount to a negative, however. Particularly moving for me was the author’s final paragraph in the acknowledgements section following the conclusion, in which she explained how she arrived at the dedication for her novel.
‘As I was finishing the final edits on this book my father-in-law, Frank Moore, lost his battle with lung cancer. I conceived this book and wrote most of it before he became ill, but now I see that some of the best qualities of Frank and some of the best qualities of the character Charlie Sargent echo each other – hardworking men who loved their families and lived lives that might have looked quiet from the outside but brimmed over from the inside. I like to think of the spirits of both living on.’
I also enjoyed The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore, and I’m glad this was another keeper! Four stars.
‘As I was finishing the final edits on this book my father-in-law, Frank Moore, lost his battle with lung cancer. I conceived this book and wrote most of it before he became ill, but now I see that some of the best qualities of Frank and some of the best qualities of the character Charlie Sargent echo each other – hardworking men who loved their families and lived lives that might have looked quiet from the outside but brimmed over from the inside. I like to think of the spirits of both living on.’
I also enjoyed The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore, and I’m glad this was another keeper! Four stars.
May 12, 2018
Heartwarming and Well-written
I really enjoyed this novel. The author deftly weaves together multiple storylines in a tapestry that’s richly realized and full of heart.
I really enjoyed this novel. The author deftly weaves together multiple storylines in a tapestry that’s richly realized and full of heart.
October 4, 2017
I read the reviews for this book before I picked it up, but I didn't pay them much attention. "Be nice!" I thought. "It can't be THAT bad!" I thought.
WRONG.
The idea behind the plot is a good one, and I was interested to see how it went. But the characters were so one-dimensional and underdeveloped that I couldn't really enjoy the story. The actions were disconnected and too jumpy; for example, one chapter ended with a fall and the world going black, then later it was all good, with no explanation as to what happened. The protagonist, Eliza, goes back home to help her ailing father and dreads meeting up with her first love, Russell. But instead of getting to witness their reunion, we see them entering a coffee shop together, laughing and chatting, through the eyes of one of the employees! It was frustrating to get through the chapters without getting to experience the drama - and pivotal moments - in between.
Sigh. Honestly, I couldn't wait to finish this one. There just wasn't enough there to make me feel invested in the characters or the story.
Next time, I'll pay more attention to the reviewers. : )
WRONG.
The idea behind the plot is a good one, and I was interested to see how it went. But the characters were so one-dimensional and underdeveloped that I couldn't really enjoy the story. The actions were disconnected and too jumpy; for example, one chapter ended with a fall and the world going black, then later it was all good, with no explanation as to what happened. The protagonist, Eliza, goes back home to help her ailing father and dreads meeting up with her first love, Russell. But instead of getting to witness their reunion, we see them entering a coffee shop together, laughing and chatting, through the eyes of one of the employees! It was frustrating to get through the chapters without getting to experience the drama - and pivotal moments - in between.
Sigh. Honestly, I couldn't wait to finish this one. There just wasn't enough there to make me feel invested in the characters or the story.
Next time, I'll pay more attention to the reviewers. : )
May 10, 2018
Read this for a buddy read. It wasn't horrible but there was nothing great about it. All the issues were touched on pretty superficially. Just nothing significant.
August 28, 2017
It’s often said that we leave the best for last. But BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2017 has had the best of the best novels all summer. As we near Labor Day and the end of our visits to the beach and pool, we still have another fabulous seashore novel to share.
A woman ponders the age old question: what could have been?
In Meg Mitchell Moore’s, new novel, THE CAPTAIN’S DAUGHTER (Doubleday), Eliza Barnes returns to the small Maine town she left years ago, because her widowed father has been hurt in a boating accident. She finds much more than she ever expected.
Growing up in Little Harbor, Maine, Eliza Barnes could haul a lobster trap and row a skiff with the best of them. But she always knew she’d leave that life behind, along with her widowed father. Now married, with two kids and permanently part of the country club set in the Massachusetts suburbs, she knows something inside her is missing.
When she learns her father has been hurt and needs her help, Eliza pushes the pause button on her own life to come to his aid. But once she makes it back to Maine she realizes her father’s situation is worse that imagined. Complicating matters further, she comes across her first love and memories of secrets they shared are stirred. Eliza also meets a seventeen-year-old local, whose at the same crossroads Eliza once was years ago. Eliza can’t help but ask herself, what would her life be if she had never left Little Harbor, Maine? It’s a daunting task to honestly explore the life you have, while wondering, no doubt with some romanticism, what could have been.
Much the same way, she drew me in as a reader, who became a fan after reading THE ARRIVALS and SO FAR AWAY, Meg Mitchell Moore has me hanging on every word she writes in THE CAPTAIN’S DAUGHTER. Life isn’t easy and certainly not to be taken lightly, at any stage. The life-changing decisions we make and live with are complicated. While reading THE CAPTAIN’S DAUGHTER, I could feel the undercurrent of emotions and characters wrestling between values and feelings. But guided by Moore’s laser focus and smart prose, I was once again thrilled to have extended my summer Holiday in Maine.
A woman ponders the age old question: what could have been?
In Meg Mitchell Moore’s, new novel, THE CAPTAIN’S DAUGHTER (Doubleday), Eliza Barnes returns to the small Maine town she left years ago, because her widowed father has been hurt in a boating accident. She finds much more than she ever expected.
Growing up in Little Harbor, Maine, Eliza Barnes could haul a lobster trap and row a skiff with the best of them. But she always knew she’d leave that life behind, along with her widowed father. Now married, with two kids and permanently part of the country club set in the Massachusetts suburbs, she knows something inside her is missing.
When she learns her father has been hurt and needs her help, Eliza pushes the pause button on her own life to come to his aid. But once she makes it back to Maine she realizes her father’s situation is worse that imagined. Complicating matters further, she comes across her first love and memories of secrets they shared are stirred. Eliza also meets a seventeen-year-old local, whose at the same crossroads Eliza once was years ago. Eliza can’t help but ask herself, what would her life be if she had never left Little Harbor, Maine? It’s a daunting task to honestly explore the life you have, while wondering, no doubt with some romanticism, what could have been.
Much the same way, she drew me in as a reader, who became a fan after reading THE ARRIVALS and SO FAR AWAY, Meg Mitchell Moore has me hanging on every word she writes in THE CAPTAIN’S DAUGHTER. Life isn’t easy and certainly not to be taken lightly, at any stage. The life-changing decisions we make and live with are complicated. While reading THE CAPTAIN’S DAUGHTER, I could feel the undercurrent of emotions and characters wrestling between values and feelings. But guided by Moore’s laser focus and smart prose, I was once again thrilled to have extended my summer Holiday in Maine.
July 22, 2017
The Captain's Daughter
By
Meg Mitchell Moore
What it's all about...
This book is about Eliza and her family. A bit of background about Eliza...her mom died way too early, she grew up in Maine with her gruff lobsterman father and she escaped what could have been a life changing early experience with her high school boyfriend. She has a husband and two daughters whom she adores. Summer has just begun...it's filled with activities...country club lunches, pools, boating...Eliza's life is full and rich and nearly perfect when she is called back to Maine. Her father has had an accident which turns out to be much more than a simple accident.
Why I wanted to read it...
I love books that take place in Maine. The small town Eliza grew up in...the rocky coast...the hardworking lobster fishermen...the summer people. Eliza has such a different life now than the life she lived in Maine. She is back to help her dad but she has unfinished business with her old boyfriend.
What made me truly enjoy this book...
There is a lot going on in this book...there's Mary...a young girl from Eliza's town who needs help...there is her dad who needs help and there is the family she barely sees all summer because Eliza is needed so desperately in Maine. This all made this book so special.
Why you should read it, too...
This author writes beautifully. I was transported to Maine as I read this book. The dramas were real and so engaging. I loved every part of this book...readers who love lovely and intense dramas will love this incredible book. I know that I did!
April 14, 2018
This book was good, but not great. About half way through I wondered where it was going. I liked the way it ended because it tied up all the loose ends. There were a couple of controversial issues in this book that were kind of glossed over and would have been interesting for the author to explore. Still, it was worth reading.
February 1, 2018
I liked this book, but there were quite a few aspects of it that bothered me too much to say that I really liked it. It was an easy read, and the characters did manage to pull me in as the story progressed. That said, the book rubbed me the wrong way in two areas.
First, this book was obnoxiously elitist. It was almost like an inside joke how many times the author could drop the Ivy League or Brown into the story. It was impossible to forget that these people went to Brown, as if they are some sort of superior life form in which we must be in awe. Eliza rose from poverty to ... GASP!! ... attend an Ivy League university. If she had attended anything less, it would clearly have not been impressive. (Insert random mention of Thayer Street in here to remind you these characters went to BROWN!) Ok, so my husband went to Brown. Do you know how often he mentions it? When he writes a resume, I guess. Maybe if someone asks. I think my mention here is more than he has done so in the past year. None of his friends have ever brought up Brown when we were talking. The reality is that no one cares nearly as much as the author about where these people went to school. Just chill with it already.
Second, my inner feminist is sad. There was truly no strong female role model in this book. Eliza, the lead character, had great points of character, but she literally dropped out of medical school (even though SHE WENT TO BROWN) to have children. Manage a career and have a family? Naw, ladies, marry yourself a rich dude. But he's rich because his mom pays their bills. And to add insult to injury, Eliza felt the need to remind us she went to medical school repeatedly. Any mention of health was greeted with her inner med school dialogue. (And why so many references to cadaver dissection day? Is that an official school holiday?) So maybe Judith the maybe-evil, maybe-awesome mother-in-law had potential to be strong female, but she is too riddled with alcohol to be a role model. Then there are a few random women introduced in Little Harbor. One has pined for her best friend's husband for thirty years, one had a baby as a teen, one is the teen baby all grown up to become a teen mom herself.. and the others are lesbians. Because apparently the only way to come up with ladies not defined by their (usually awful) relationships with men was to make them gay. Sigh. All in all, this book made me feel really uncomfortable for the gender roles and stereotypes.
All in all, there was a lot to dislike, yet the story was warm and fuzzy and I found myself giving in despite it all.
First, this book was obnoxiously elitist. It was almost like an inside joke how many times the author could drop the Ivy League or Brown into the story. It was impossible to forget that these people went to Brown, as if they are some sort of superior life form in which we must be in awe. Eliza rose from poverty to ... GASP!! ... attend an Ivy League university. If she had attended anything less, it would clearly have not been impressive. (Insert random mention of Thayer Street in here to remind you these characters went to BROWN!) Ok, so my husband went to Brown. Do you know how often he mentions it? When he writes a resume, I guess. Maybe if someone asks. I think my mention here is more than he has done so in the past year. None of his friends have ever brought up Brown when we were talking. The reality is that no one cares nearly as much as the author about where these people went to school. Just chill with it already.
Second, my inner feminist is sad. There was truly no strong female role model in this book. Eliza, the lead character, had great points of character, but she literally dropped out of medical school (even though SHE WENT TO BROWN) to have children. Manage a career and have a family? Naw, ladies, marry yourself a rich dude. But he's rich because his mom pays their bills. And to add insult to injury, Eliza felt the need to remind us she went to medical school repeatedly. Any mention of health was greeted with her inner med school dialogue. (And why so many references to cadaver dissection day? Is that an official school holiday?) So maybe Judith the maybe-evil, maybe-awesome mother-in-law had potential to be strong female, but she is too riddled with alcohol to be a role model. Then there are a few random women introduced in Little Harbor. One has pined for her best friend's husband for thirty years, one had a baby as a teen, one is the teen baby all grown up to become a teen mom herself.. and the others are lesbians. Because apparently the only way to come up with ladies not defined by their (usually awful) relationships with men was to make them gay. Sigh. All in all, this book made me feel really uncomfortable for the gender roles and stereotypes.
All in all, there was a lot to dislike, yet the story was warm and fuzzy and I found myself giving in despite it all.
August 9, 2017
Boring - nothing happens!
October 19, 2019
This is the story of Eliza Barnes. She came from a humble background. Her mother died when she was twelve and her father was a lobster fisherman. Eliza put herself through college and she married up, to Rob Barnes. She is living the typical country club lifestyle when she has to go back to Maine after her father injures himself in a boating accident. Her two worlds collide and she has to make some hard choices. This is a typical story of a woman in crisis but it's well written and a satisfying read.
August 18, 2017
Eliza ... The Captain's Daughter. Lost her mom at a young age. Her dad was a lobster boat "captain". She came from humble beginnings. She attended med school for a couple years, but never finished. She's married ... married well (country club well) and has two kids. Life is good and cushy and comfortable.
Then her dad falls ill. She goes home to be with him. Learns it is aggressive brain cancer, but he is refusing treatment. She is torn - needed with her hubby and kids and needed with her dad.
She decides to stay and spend all the time she can with her dad. This makes her question EVERYTHING. Did she make the right choices? So many what ifs! I won't tell more to spoil the story, but I found it an enjoying read for sure.
Thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for an ARC for a fair and honest review.
Then her dad falls ill. She goes home to be with him. Learns it is aggressive brain cancer, but he is refusing treatment. She is torn - needed with her hubby and kids and needed with her dad.
She decides to stay and spend all the time she can with her dad. This makes her question EVERYTHING. Did she make the right choices? So many what ifs! I won't tell more to spoil the story, but I found it an enjoying read for sure.
Thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for an ARC for a fair and honest review.
August 19, 2021
Meg Mitchell Moore is a master at books that transport you to a new place with characters that just live in your soul for the duration of the book. This had such a touching storyline and is a perfect summer read. It covers all the emotions. Wish I was in Maine eating a lobster roll as I read it.
July 28, 2020
I found this to be a bit mediocre...I really only connected with one part of the story. The first book I read by this author I quite enjoyed but since then I’ve found the others to be just so/so.
June 6, 2021
Many thanks to my friend Ashley for (re)introducing me to Meg Mitchell Moore. I plan to fill in titles that I haven't read.
Second book I've read this year about lobstermen in Maine. Also the second book I've read this year that talks about Finsta accounts. I work mostly in elementary ed and don't have kids. Forgive me for not knowing!
Second book I've read this year about lobstermen in Maine. Also the second book I've read this year that talks about Finsta accounts. I work mostly in elementary ed and don't have kids. Forgive me for not knowing!
August 10, 2024
I really enjoyed this, more and more as it progressed and I got to know the characters. Eliza’s chapters are great, but I really enjoyed Mary’s journey, and even Rob’s story back home (interspersed with the occasional Deirdre). The multiple POVs made for a rich and enjoyable summer story.
February 26, 2025
I don’t normally like books from different people’s perspectives, but this was good! There were a few storylines I would’ve liked to see added to. Overall, a good book!
May 13, 2018
3.5.
July 16, 2019
An enjoyable read about a family with Eliza at its center. She returns to her hometown in Maine to take care of her father. She struggles with reconciling the two parts of herself - the one who grew up with a single parent who was a lobsterman, and the one who married into money.
May 12, 2024
I enjoyed this story! It took place in Maine, a place I love! And I really enjoyed the story as it unfolded. I had a lot of predictions of twists that could happen and none of them did…in that way it was a little anti-climactic and ended a little abruptly. Good! And will be reading more by this author!
May 29, 2025
After Eliza's aging lobsterman father, Charlie, has a boating accident, she returns to her hometown to help him. What happens when she runs into first love, Russell? Does he still have feelings for her? And what secret do they share but never mention?
OK, so that overview made the plot sound a bit cliché and predictable, but it was not. I felt immersed in the story very quickly and the coastal Maine setting was extremely atmospheric and made me want to visit not to catch lobster, but rather to eat it haha. Although there was some humor sprinkled throughout this book, there was a serious side too with themes such as declining health, financial troubles, and alcoholism.
This is the third book I've read by this author and my current favorite. If you're looking for a light and gossipy beach read, then I'd recommend my former favorite, Two Truths and a Lie (4 stars).
Trigger Warning:
Location: Barton, Massachusetts and Little Harbor, Maine
OK, so that overview made the plot sound a bit cliché and predictable, but it was not. I felt immersed in the story very quickly and the coastal Maine setting was extremely atmospheric and made me want to visit not to catch lobster, but rather to eat it haha. Although there was some humor sprinkled throughout this book, there was a serious side too with themes such as declining health, financial troubles, and alcoholism.
This is the third book I've read by this author and my current favorite. If you're looking for a light and gossipy beach read, then I'd recommend my former favorite, Two Truths and a Lie (4 stars).
Trigger Warning:
Location: Barton, Massachusetts and Little Harbor, Maine
August 21, 2017
I flew through the pages of this book. This was an outstanding story.
A lobsterman's daughter has to go back to her roots when her father gets injured on the job, and ends up having to stay to help for reasons she only realizes when she gets there.
If you like the writings of Jane Green, Billie Letts, or Karma Brown, I think you would enjoy this book.
A lobsterman's daughter has to go back to her roots when her father gets injured on the job, and ends up having to stay to help for reasons she only realizes when she gets there.
If you like the writings of Jane Green, Billie Letts, or Karma Brown, I think you would enjoy this book.
August 14, 2017
I really can't even express my love for this book. I had been sitting on it for a while and then saw Elin Hildebrand recommend it on FB so I decided to pick it up. I'm so glad I did. There was not one character that I couldn't relate to in some way. Eliza dealing with family struggles, Mary with a precarious situation and bad relationship, Rob with social and financial pressures. I can't say enough good things about this one. This is my first of Meg Mitchell Moore's and certainly won't be my last.
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
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