What do you think?
Rate this book
The House on Oyster Creek
Sensitive but practical, Charlotte Tradescome has come to accept the reticence of her older, work-obsessed husband Henry. Still, she hopes to create a life for their three-year-old daughter. So when Henry inherits a home on Cape Cod, she, Henry, and little Fiona move from their Manhattan apartment to this seaside community. Charlotte sells off part of Tradescome Point, inadvertently fueling the conflict between newcomers and locals. Many townspeople easily dismiss Charlotte as a "washashore." A rare exception is Darryl Stead, an oyster farmer with modest dreams and an open heart, with whom Charlotte feels the connection she's been missing. Ultimately he transforms the way she sees herself, the town, and the people she loves...
346 pages, Paperback
First published May 26, 2010
19 people are currently reading
865 people want to read
About the author
Heidi Jon Schmidt
8 books25 followersHEIDI JON SCHMIDT is a graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop and author of five books, THE HARBORMASTER'S DAUGHTER,THE HOUSE ON OYSTER CREEK, THE BRIDE OF CATASTROPHE, DARLING? and THE ROSE THIEVES
Her essays and stories have been published in The New York Times,The Atlantic, Grand Street, Yankee, The Boston Globe etc., and heard on National Public Radio. Her stories have been included in The O'Henry Awards, Best American Nonrequired Reading, Twenty under Thirty and others.
She is married to the writer RD Skillings, and has lived in Provincetown Massachusetts for 30 years.
The Washington Post Book World has said "It is impossible to disentangle the comic from the tragic in Schmidt's writing. She is incapable of cliche."
Goodreads is telling me my influence list is too long (and I was being very minimalist!) so I will put it here instead! George Eliot, John Cheever, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Philip Roth, Oscar Wilde, Veronica Geng, Alice Munro, Katharine Mansfield, John Steinbeck
Her essays and stories have been published in The New York Times,The Atlantic, Grand Street, Yankee, The Boston Globe etc., and heard on National Public Radio. Her stories have been included in The O'Henry Awards, Best American Nonrequired Reading, Twenty under Thirty and others.
She is married to the writer RD Skillings, and has lived in Provincetown Massachusetts for 30 years.
The Washington Post Book World has said "It is impossible to disentangle the comic from the tragic in Schmidt's writing. She is incapable of cliche."
Goodreads is telling me my influence list is too long (and I was being very minimalist!) so I will put it here instead! George Eliot, John Cheever, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Philip Roth, Oscar Wilde, Veronica Geng, Alice Munro, Katharine Mansfield, John Steinbeck
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
June 24, 2013
**This is an advance reading copy provided by Library Thing**
Love can cause us to do some really dumb shit. Take Charlotte for example. Emotional, naive, and needy Charlotte fell in love with an idea--the romantic notion that she could somehow emotionally connect with and save Henry Tradescombe, the distant, reclusive, excessively liberal and aggressive intellectual of some noted repute as a journalist. In return, Charlotte would be sculpted and molded by Henry, who is twenty years her senior, and gain entree into the world of the New York intellectual elite. What she gets instead is a petulant and sadistic husband who worries more about global warming, the Bush administration, and quoting obscure poets than he does about his own wife or daughter. Of course, Charlotte doesn't come to realize this until years later. She is resigned to her fate, however, because she at least has her four year old daughter, Fiona, and a life that, however emotionally starved it may be, is one of comfortable wealth and reputation that many would envy.
Charlotte's life is thrown into upheaval, however, when Henry inherits his family estate on Cape Cod and Charlotte, in a sudden act of defiance against Henry's neglect, takes the reins and moves the family to the house of Henry's childhood. While adapting to life on the New England coast, Charlotte meets Darryl Stead, an oyster farmer and jack of all trades who--you guessed it--"completes her." Now Charlotte is torn between her obligation to her marriage and her longing for Darryl. To complicate matters, by selling off a piece of the property to a wealthy prick, she may have single-handedly destroyed the entire economic system upon which Darryl and the other oyster farmers depend. Ain't love grand?
Some things I liked:
1) Schmidt perfectly captures the distrust of newcomers (especially of a higher socio-economic class) inherent in rural small-town America. The town of Wellfleet closes ranks against Charlotte when it becomes evident that she wants to be part of the community, believing that her romantic notion of pastoral life is just a whim that she can indulge in because her wealth allows her to try on lifestyles as easily as trying on designer clothing.
2) The characters are, for the most part, realistic. There were some stereotyped town eccentrics, but Schmidt does an excellent job of portraying the inner-life of a woman who worries that she may have made the wrong choices in life and it may be too late to do anything about that without destroying the web of relationships that are delicately attached to her. Her struggle between what's right for her family and what's right for her is real and authentic. I can even see how she would fall for Henry, ass though he is. Who hasn't had the "crush on teacher" syndrome, however fleeting? It's just that most of us have these crushes while we're still in high school and are thus jailbait to the object of our affection (which tends to effectively thwart any romantic entanglements).
3) This is a nice "slice of life" book that avoids depicting life on Cape Cod as quaint and idyllic. Schmidt shows the back-breaking labor, the desperation, and the poverty of families just trying to make ends meet. These are the people who are left behind everytime the tourist season ends to face the bleak realities of winter and survival. It was also interesting to read about life in a New England fishing community, a place to which I have never been, and Schmidt provides just the right amount of detail in this respect.
4) The novel avoids the cliched ending that I thought it was careening toward and had a more mature, realistic resolution than I expected. That's all I'll say other than I thought the ending was perfect and satisfying.
Some things I didn't like:
1) Despite all her protestations to the contrary, I saw Charlotte's attraction to Darryl as a repeat of what had happened years earlier with Henry. Again, Charlotte is in love with the idea more than the man; this time she's in love with the hard-working, salt-of-the-earth, brawny shouldered working class man who will take her away from her stilted marriage and awaken passion in her that she's never known (okay, it doesn't say that, but I was getting strong whiffs of this stank with or without it being directly stated). Darryl is damaged goods and Charlotte has set herself up to once again save the man who can't be saved--which she spends the better half of the novel doing. To which I could only shake my head and think, "Stupid girl."
2) Some disjointed leaps in time and sudden, unexpected switches in the point of view made it somewhat confusing. Not overly so, but just enough to irritate the piss out of me as I tried to pick up the thread of the narrative once again.
3) Every time Charlotte and Darryl had one of their heart-to-heart talks, the dialogue read like a trite script submitted to Lifetime. For your groaning pleasure:
"I just want to come over there and drag you up the stairs and . . . make love to you. . . . " He spoke so roughly she likely should have been frightened, but naturally she was thrilled.
"I want you just as badly! I think about you all the time. I think, if we'd met each other when we were younger . . . but . . . "
"If you knew me back then you'd have spit in my face."
"I'd have made love to you like it was my religion."
Puke, buzzard, puke. Nothing triggers my gag reflex like this kind of romantic nonsense. (Granted, my idea of romance is a little along the lines of Ash in Army of Darkness saying "Gimme some sugar, baby" while revving up the chainsaw that has replaced his arm. But I digress.)
Overall, this is a quick, enjoyable read when Charlotte and Darryl aren't trading sweet nothings. Because Schmidt has done so many other things so well in the novel, I'm willing to forgive that.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
Love can cause us to do some really dumb shit. Take Charlotte for example. Emotional, naive, and needy Charlotte fell in love with an idea--the romantic notion that she could somehow emotionally connect with and save Henry Tradescombe, the distant, reclusive, excessively liberal and aggressive intellectual of some noted repute as a journalist. In return, Charlotte would be sculpted and molded by Henry, who is twenty years her senior, and gain entree into the world of the New York intellectual elite. What she gets instead is a petulant and sadistic husband who worries more about global warming, the Bush administration, and quoting obscure poets than he does about his own wife or daughter. Of course, Charlotte doesn't come to realize this until years later. She is resigned to her fate, however, because she at least has her four year old daughter, Fiona, and a life that, however emotionally starved it may be, is one of comfortable wealth and reputation that many would envy.
Charlotte's life is thrown into upheaval, however, when Henry inherits his family estate on Cape Cod and Charlotte, in a sudden act of defiance against Henry's neglect, takes the reins and moves the family to the house of Henry's childhood. While adapting to life on the New England coast, Charlotte meets Darryl Stead, an oyster farmer and jack of all trades who--you guessed it--"completes her." Now Charlotte is torn between her obligation to her marriage and her longing for Darryl. To complicate matters, by selling off a piece of the property to a wealthy prick, she may have single-handedly destroyed the entire economic system upon which Darryl and the other oyster farmers depend. Ain't love grand?
Some things I liked:
1) Schmidt perfectly captures the distrust of newcomers (especially of a higher socio-economic class) inherent in rural small-town America. The town of Wellfleet closes ranks against Charlotte when it becomes evident that she wants to be part of the community, believing that her romantic notion of pastoral life is just a whim that she can indulge in because her wealth allows her to try on lifestyles as easily as trying on designer clothing.
2) The characters are, for the most part, realistic. There were some stereotyped town eccentrics, but Schmidt does an excellent job of portraying the inner-life of a woman who worries that she may have made the wrong choices in life and it may be too late to do anything about that without destroying the web of relationships that are delicately attached to her. Her struggle between what's right for her family and what's right for her is real and authentic. I can even see how she would fall for Henry, ass though he is. Who hasn't had the "crush on teacher" syndrome, however fleeting? It's just that most of us have these crushes while we're still in high school and are thus jailbait to the object of our affection (which tends to effectively thwart any romantic entanglements).
3) This is a nice "slice of life" book that avoids depicting life on Cape Cod as quaint and idyllic. Schmidt shows the back-breaking labor, the desperation, and the poverty of families just trying to make ends meet. These are the people who are left behind everytime the tourist season ends to face the bleak realities of winter and survival. It was also interesting to read about life in a New England fishing community, a place to which I have never been, and Schmidt provides just the right amount of detail in this respect.
4) The novel avoids the cliched ending that I thought it was careening toward and had a more mature, realistic resolution than I expected. That's all I'll say other than I thought the ending was perfect and satisfying.
Some things I didn't like:
1) Despite all her protestations to the contrary, I saw Charlotte's attraction to Darryl as a repeat of what had happened years earlier with Henry. Again, Charlotte is in love with the idea more than the man; this time she's in love with the hard-working, salt-of-the-earth, brawny shouldered working class man who will take her away from her stilted marriage and awaken passion in her that she's never known (okay, it doesn't say that, but I was getting strong whiffs of this stank with or without it being directly stated). Darryl is damaged goods and Charlotte has set herself up to once again save the man who can't be saved--which she spends the better half of the novel doing. To which I could only shake my head and think, "Stupid girl."
2) Some disjointed leaps in time and sudden, unexpected switches in the point of view made it somewhat confusing. Not overly so, but just enough to irritate the piss out of me as I tried to pick up the thread of the narrative once again.
3) Every time Charlotte and Darryl had one of their heart-to-heart talks, the dialogue read like a trite script submitted to Lifetime. For your groaning pleasure:
"I just want to come over there and drag you up the stairs and . . . make love to you. . . . " He spoke so roughly she likely should have been frightened, but naturally she was thrilled.
"I want you just as badly! I think about you all the time. I think, if we'd met each other when we were younger . . . but . . . "
"If you knew me back then you'd have spit in my face."
"I'd have made love to you like it was my religion."
Puke, buzzard, puke. Nothing triggers my gag reflex like this kind of romantic nonsense. (Granted, my idea of romance is a little along the lines of Ash in Army of Darkness saying "Gimme some sugar, baby" while revving up the chainsaw that has replaced his arm. But I digress.)
Overall, this is a quick, enjoyable read when Charlotte and Darryl aren't trading sweet nothings. Because Schmidt has done so many other things so well in the novel, I'm willing to forgive that.
Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder
May 21, 2010
Charlotte thought she knew what she was getting into when she married a man who is twenty years older than her. They end up moving to the home Henry has inherited and Charlotte could not believe how unfriendly the people are in her new hometown.
She ends up getting a bit too friendly with a farmer, Darryl, who is around her age. Everyone can see that spark that goes off when she and Darryl are together. Will she do the safe thing and stay in a stale marriage or will she finally give herself what she's always wanted?
This is one of those books that is great to read when you're in the middle of a transition in your life. It helps you figure things out for yourself even if your situation is completely different. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this is the type of book that hits home.
She ends up getting a bit too friendly with a farmer, Darryl, who is around her age. Everyone can see that spark that goes off when she and Darryl are together. Will she do the safe thing and stay in a stale marriage or will she finally give herself what she's always wanted?
This is one of those books that is great to read when you're in the middle of a transition in your life. It helps you figure things out for yourself even if your situation is completely different. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this is the type of book that hits home.
July 2, 2010
There were good times and bad in this book. One comment on the book was 'Expertly explores the complexities of domestic life and the tug of forbidden love.' If I had not received this as an Early Reader Giveaway, I might not have chosen it off the shelf. This puts me at a disadvantage, as romance novels are not my love. Anyway that above statement pretty well covers the book for me....I did not believe some of the characters. The Idea of Charlotte being with Henry and having Fiona with him did not ring true with me. Other parts of the book were right on. Fitting in with the locals. Getting caught up in the law suit of the very man Charlotte sells the land to who tries to ruin the oysterman she loves and never shows any responsibility for...It caught me in places and dropped me in others. ( )
flag
flag
January 5, 2022
It took a little time for me to get in sync with the literary prose of this book. Once I did, I found it well written; and the book took off for me. It was an emotional read, all five senses were utilized; and there are vivid descriptions of the landscape, way of life in a small fishing community, oyster farming, relationships, human nature, and a range of emotions. I also learned about a profession I knew nothing about - oyster farming and hard-working oyster farmers.
Forty-year-old journalist Charlotte Tradescome is a sensitive, caring, joyous person, a good mother, and a journalist. Her husband Henry is also a journalist, a workaholic, a compulsive reader, emotionally stunted, churlish, ill-mannered, overly critical, a pseudo-intellectual who sees darkness in everything, and also 20 years older than Charlotte. Why did she marry him? The people who knew him in his early years made a myth of him, and Charlotte's emotions drew her in, and she felt favored by the great man and married him. They are really a mismatched couple - she puts out all the effort in their marriage and he supplies very little.
They live in a small, cramped apartment in Manhattan and have a three-year-old daughter named Fiona. Charlotte feels she is missing something in life, so she jumps at the chance for a better one when Henry inherits his family home in Wellfleet, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. She thinks that in moving she will find Joy and happiness by becoming a part of a small community, and Charlotte hopes to create a rich life experience for Fiona. Henry is "black heel marks" all the way. But the locals are less than welcoming to these "washashores".
Charlotte delights in watching the hard-working oyster farmers who use the beach in front of the summer houses to farm their plots of oysters and make their meager living. In order to make repairs to their new home and have enough until they get established, Charlotte talks Henry into selling off part of Tradescome Point. They sell a piece of land to the wealthy Narvilles, who build a mansion, a seawall, and a fence next door. The Narvilles immediately claim ownership of the beach front and ban the farmers from plying their trade. This fuels the conflict between the wealthy summer residents and the locals who have always made their living from the sea.
Charlotte meets a man named Darryl Stead who farms oysters in front of her property. He is a recovering drug addict and struggling financially to make his small dreams come true. Darryl is also a handyman and helps Charlotte restore her house, and she repays him by helping him cultivate his oysters. A friendship blossoms into love - a forbidden love. They have a major decision to make about their relationship. The sale of Charlotte's land, and dispute over it, cause her to feel guilty that she has jeopardized Darryl's livelihood, so she enlists a sometimes lawyer named Orson to help her. They both start researching to find out who really owns the beach. Their findings create a surprise ending.
Several subplots include:
- The dynamics between the locals vs the summer residents. This includes the division that money causes between the groups.
- The established community is not accepting of newcomers who are trying to establish themselves into the area. The newcomers are called "washashores".
- An old way of life-giving way to a new one. The locals who are shaped by history and resent it. The summer residents who think they deserve a million-dollar view.
- Do Charlotte and Darryl give into temptation or do they do what's best for everyone involved?
There are back stories to help give insight into the character's emotions and personalities. There is plenty of emphasis on the hardworking locals, their struggles, and what their life is like. It's also gratifying to see the relationship between Charlotte and her daughter Fiona - the maternal love. Highly recommended.
Forty-year-old journalist Charlotte Tradescome is a sensitive, caring, joyous person, a good mother, and a journalist. Her husband Henry is also a journalist, a workaholic, a compulsive reader, emotionally stunted, churlish, ill-mannered, overly critical, a pseudo-intellectual who sees darkness in everything, and also 20 years older than Charlotte. Why did she marry him? The people who knew him in his early years made a myth of him, and Charlotte's emotions drew her in, and she felt favored by the great man and married him. They are really a mismatched couple - she puts out all the effort in their marriage and he supplies very little.
They live in a small, cramped apartment in Manhattan and have a three-year-old daughter named Fiona. Charlotte feels she is missing something in life, so she jumps at the chance for a better one when Henry inherits his family home in Wellfleet, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. She thinks that in moving she will find Joy and happiness by becoming a part of a small community, and Charlotte hopes to create a rich life experience for Fiona. Henry is "black heel marks" all the way. But the locals are less than welcoming to these "washashores".
Charlotte delights in watching the hard-working oyster farmers who use the beach in front of the summer houses to farm their plots of oysters and make their meager living. In order to make repairs to their new home and have enough until they get established, Charlotte talks Henry into selling off part of Tradescome Point. They sell a piece of land to the wealthy Narvilles, who build a mansion, a seawall, and a fence next door. The Narvilles immediately claim ownership of the beach front and ban the farmers from plying their trade. This fuels the conflict between the wealthy summer residents and the locals who have always made their living from the sea.
Charlotte meets a man named Darryl Stead who farms oysters in front of her property. He is a recovering drug addict and struggling financially to make his small dreams come true. Darryl is also a handyman and helps Charlotte restore her house, and she repays him by helping him cultivate his oysters. A friendship blossoms into love - a forbidden love. They have a major decision to make about their relationship. The sale of Charlotte's land, and dispute over it, cause her to feel guilty that she has jeopardized Darryl's livelihood, so she enlists a sometimes lawyer named Orson to help her. They both start researching to find out who really owns the beach. Their findings create a surprise ending.
Several subplots include:
- The dynamics between the locals vs the summer residents. This includes the division that money causes between the groups.
- The established community is not accepting of newcomers who are trying to establish themselves into the area. The newcomers are called "washashores".
- An old way of life-giving way to a new one. The locals who are shaped by history and resent it. The summer residents who think they deserve a million-dollar view.
- Do Charlotte and Darryl give into temptation or do they do what's best for everyone involved?
There are back stories to help give insight into the character's emotions and personalities. There is plenty of emphasis on the hardworking locals, their struggles, and what their life is like. It's also gratifying to see the relationship between Charlotte and her daughter Fiona - the maternal love. Highly recommended.
November 2, 2010
This book was just so-so for me. A bubbly, wonderful woman marries a dreary, boring old man. I still don't quite get why she married him in the first place. Charlotte and Henry move from Manhattan to a fishing community in Cape Cod where Charlotte meets and falls in love with an oyster farmer, Darryl. She finds in him the honest love that has been missing in her marriage. There is also the ongoing conflict of land ownership. I learned more about oyster farming than i wanted to! The beginning of the story was interesting but seemed to fall apart in the middle and became a bit boring. I was disappointed in the outcome of the story and in the 3 main characters.
March 16, 2013
Dreck. Unrelatable, uninteresting characters. Infidelity makes my eyes roll. The scenes involving the child and her bewildered, unloving father were so upsetting to me (no, I don't have any personal experience with that) I had to stop reading. Didn't finish. Avoid.
May 3, 2019
Read, read, read it and still felt this book lacks something.
October 1, 2023
The House on Oyster Creek started out slowly for me, but I am glad I stuck with it. Author Heidi Jon Schmidt develops a storyline and characters with great care and with detail. I especially enjoyed her use of the setting, Wellfleet Massachusetts, a small fishing community on Cape Cod. The townspeople struggle with needing temporary residents ("washashores") while disliking them at the same time. The story focuses on a young wife and mother, Charlotte, who is married to a much older man, Henry, who is emotionally distant from her and their daughter. The family has relocated to Wellfleet from NYC when Henry inherits his family home. Schmidt does a strong job depicting the struggles that Charlotte experiences within her marriage and within a community that views her as an outsider. All of the characters are portrayed respectfully and realistically for the most part. There were a few plot devices that didn't seem to fit the flow of the story for me at times, but the novel concludes in a very satisfactory way. I look forward to reading more from this author.
February 13, 2019
At first, I didn't think I cared for this book because the characters seemed somewhat inaccessible and distant...then I realized that was the whole point; that the book was about human beings' basic inability to successfully connect, but only because we misinterpret the meaning of success. In other words, the constant striving to "live happily ever after" is not what life is all about. Rather it is about the small moments when we do connect with someone else, and that all of these moments are different and important in their own way. I have started to read more "local" authors (from the Cape where I live and write) and so far have enjoyed the different perspectives on this place I love. This novel was an especially good experience in that regard, but I genuinely think would touch any reader's soul.
February 25, 2018
This book is very different from The Bridges of Madison County, but it still strongly reminded me of that movie. The female characters were in similar situations, and the portrayals of the depth of their emotions were excellent. I was easily able to put myself in their places, and they moved me beyond words.
April 19, 2019
This book took me a while to wade through. However, now I've finally got through it... I love where Charlotte lives and the community she becomes apart of. I love the history and the way Heidi Jon Schmidt has a way with words, helping me create the imagery of a place I'd love to visit. I cared that Henry wasnt hurt, so loved the outcome at the end :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyable read
I loved reading the story of this area on the eastern seaboard and the personalities that live there and their interactions. I live in California, so it was interesting to picture this place and these characters.
I loved reading the story of this area on the eastern seaboard and the personalities that live there and their interactions. I live in California, so it was interesting to picture this place and these characters.
June 21, 2017
Fiction that reads like poetry. Heart-bendingly beautiful tale of life, of love and the agony of our choices.
September 25, 2019
We need an option that indicates that I had to abandon the book. I didn’t finish it and I finish ALL books. It just didn’t keep my attention. Maybe I will try it again but I had to move on.
January 10, 2021
A family moves to the Cape, emotionally distant husband, oyster farming.
July 16, 2021
Not sure if it was me or the story that lost steam at the end. Started out strong but....
December 29, 2024
Rounded up from 3.7
August 30, 2010
I didn't like this book as much as I wanted to, but still, it would make for interesting book group discussion (the paperback includes a discussion guide at the end). The story itself is a good one: a younger woman (Charlotte) married to an older man (Henry) move to his ancestral home on Cape Cod (Wellfleet) with their young daughter. Henry is a distracted professorial-type who spends more time trying to secure his intellectual legacy than living in the world. We learn throughout the course of the novel that he's emotionally stunted, having been raised by parents who don't know the first thing about children (nor a wish to learn) and who leave him with a nanny for months at a time. His emotional detachment drives Charlotte into the arms of Darryl, an oysterman. Much of the dialogue--especially between Charlotte and Darryl--is stilted and melodramatic. The author's strength, however, is the story's narrative and descriptions of the Cape, the dichotomy of its residents, and its changing landscape.
From Publisher's Weekly:
"Locals and summer people face off on Cape Cod in Schmidt's atmospheric romance. As soon as New Yorkers Henry and Charlotte Tradescome inherit Henry's ancestral estate in Wellfleet, Mass., the much younger Charlotte, wanting a different life for their young daughter, persuades her curmudgeonly husband to move into the house and renovate it with the proceeds from selling off a piece of the property. Charlotte finds it tough to connect with the year-round residents, but she does find an ally in Darryl Stead, an oysterman who farms the waters on the property adjoining the Tradescome house. Through helping Darryl tend his oysters, she falls more in love with the locals' down-to-earth way of life—and a little in love with Darryl himself. But the yuppie couple who bought the neighboring land from the Tradescomes are less charmed, and a drawn-out legal battle ensues as they attempt to evict the oyster farms along the point. Schmidt (The Bride of Catastrophe) brings the coastal town and its sometimes crusty inhabitants to briny life, and, thankfully, offers a story that's larger and more satisfying than a simple romance."
From Publisher's Weekly:
"Locals and summer people face off on Cape Cod in Schmidt's atmospheric romance. As soon as New Yorkers Henry and Charlotte Tradescome inherit Henry's ancestral estate in Wellfleet, Mass., the much younger Charlotte, wanting a different life for their young daughter, persuades her curmudgeonly husband to move into the house and renovate it with the proceeds from selling off a piece of the property. Charlotte finds it tough to connect with the year-round residents, but she does find an ally in Darryl Stead, an oysterman who farms the waters on the property adjoining the Tradescome house. Through helping Darryl tend his oysters, she falls more in love with the locals' down-to-earth way of life—and a little in love with Darryl himself. But the yuppie couple who bought the neighboring land from the Tradescomes are less charmed, and a drawn-out legal battle ensues as they attempt to evict the oyster farms along the point. Schmidt (The Bride of Catastrophe) brings the coastal town and its sometimes crusty inhabitants to briny life, and, thankfully, offers a story that's larger and more satisfying than a simple romance."
September 4, 2010
This was a quiet, rather delightful read. Forty-three year-old Charlotte Tradescome convinces her overly-critical, stodgy, pseudo-intellectual writer husband, Henry, to move from Manhattan to the house on Cape Cod that he’s inherited.
The book started out slow for the first handful of chapters and I blame Henry... I struggled to find a reason why Charlotte would’ve ever married him (he’s twenty years older, in addition to being an ass). We learn more about Henry's own crappy childhood as the book goes on, and yes, it explains him, but not why Charlotte stays with him. Charlotte isn’t the strongest of characters (she grows stronger throughout the book) but, imo, she’s much too vibrant and young to take the passive-aggressive shit he doles out.
Charlotte is at her best in the scenes where she’s with her 3 year-old daughter Fiona. However, I was torn in these scenes – why build up your daughter so she can withstand the constant disapproval of her bastard father, why not just leave the bastard? Okay, enough about Henry, onward...
Anyway, when Charlotte forages ahead with a "friendship" with a local oyster farmer, Darryl – her age, funny, and interesting – the book comes alive, breathes. And so does she, finding new confidence through his attention. I loved all their scenes.
To help fund their move to the Cape, the Trandescombs have sold off part of their land to a rich man who later uses his property rights to deny the locals access to their oyster farms, including Darryl. Charlotte, who is already out of place with the locals – hardscrabble people who live off the sea, paycheck to paycheck, while she and others live in grand million dollar homes – is devastated by the continued hatred spewed at her. She imagines herself saving Darryl, and the town by extension.
The ending wasn’t what I expected (or wanted) but I was surprised how perfect it felt and how it long stayed with me after closing the covers. I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars, the ending and the strength of the writing made it 4.
The book started out slow for the first handful of chapters and I blame Henry... I struggled to find a reason why Charlotte would’ve ever married him (he’s twenty years older, in addition to being an ass). We learn more about Henry's own crappy childhood as the book goes on, and yes, it explains him, but not why Charlotte stays with him. Charlotte isn’t the strongest of characters (she grows stronger throughout the book) but, imo, she’s much too vibrant and young to take the passive-aggressive shit he doles out.
Charlotte is at her best in the scenes where she’s with her 3 year-old daughter Fiona. However, I was torn in these scenes – why build up your daughter so she can withstand the constant disapproval of her bastard father, why not just leave the bastard? Okay, enough about Henry, onward...
Anyway, when Charlotte forages ahead with a "friendship" with a local oyster farmer, Darryl – her age, funny, and interesting – the book comes alive, breathes. And so does she, finding new confidence through his attention. I loved all their scenes.
To help fund their move to the Cape, the Trandescombs have sold off part of their land to a rich man who later uses his property rights to deny the locals access to their oyster farms, including Darryl. Charlotte, who is already out of place with the locals – hardscrabble people who live off the sea, paycheck to paycheck, while she and others live in grand million dollar homes – is devastated by the continued hatred spewed at her. She imagines herself saving Darryl, and the town by extension.
The ending wasn’t what I expected (or wanted) but I was surprised how perfect it felt and how it long stayed with me after closing the covers. I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars, the ending and the strength of the writing made it 4.
November 8, 2010
Forty-three year-old Charlotte Tradescome decides to move from manhattan to the house on Cape Cod that her "closed" overly-critical, unattractive, pseudo-intellectual writer husband, Henry, has inherited. She decides to make a different life for her and her daugher, Fiona. Henry asks if he can come also which is totally against the point to me from the beginning.
I struggled to find a reason why Charlotte would’ve ever married him. First, he’s twenty years older and secondly he's totally self-absorbed. As the book progresses, I do feel a little sorry for Henry as more of his past is revealed. Throughout the book young and vibrant Charlotte becomes a stronger woman and demands more from her life.
Charlotte is a wonderful mother but I wonder at the scars her three year daughter will bear in the future due to the non-behavior of her father who barely notices her. He was to keep his eyes on her at the beach while Charlotte was doing something else and forgot to. Charlotte arrived just in time to save her daughter's life.
When Charlotte enters into a "friendship" with a local oyster farmer, Darryl – her age, funny, and interesting – the book comes alive, breathes. And so does she, finding new confidence through his attention. But Darryl is a really good man and it doesn't sit well with him that Charlotte is married.
To help fund their move to the Cape, the Trandescombs have sold off part of their land to a rich man who later uses his property rights to deny the locals access to their oyster farms, including Darryl. Charlotte, who is already out of place with the locals – hardscrabble people who live off the sea, paycheck to paycheck, while she and others live in grand million dollar homes – is devastated by the continued hatred spewed at her. She imagines herself saving Darryl, and the town by extension.
The ending wasn’t what I expected but I, too, was surprised how perfect it felt and how it long stayed with me after closing the covers.
I struggled to find a reason why Charlotte would’ve ever married him. First, he’s twenty years older and secondly he's totally self-absorbed. As the book progresses, I do feel a little sorry for Henry as more of his past is revealed. Throughout the book young and vibrant Charlotte becomes a stronger woman and demands more from her life.
Charlotte is a wonderful mother but I wonder at the scars her three year daughter will bear in the future due to the non-behavior of her father who barely notices her. He was to keep his eyes on her at the beach while Charlotte was doing something else and forgot to. Charlotte arrived just in time to save her daughter's life.
When Charlotte enters into a "friendship" with a local oyster farmer, Darryl – her age, funny, and interesting – the book comes alive, breathes. And so does she, finding new confidence through his attention. But Darryl is a really good man and it doesn't sit well with him that Charlotte is married.
To help fund their move to the Cape, the Trandescombs have sold off part of their land to a rich man who later uses his property rights to deny the locals access to their oyster farms, including Darryl. Charlotte, who is already out of place with the locals – hardscrabble people who live off the sea, paycheck to paycheck, while she and others live in grand million dollar homes – is devastated by the continued hatred spewed at her. She imagines herself saving Darryl, and the town by extension.
The ending wasn’t what I expected but I, too, was surprised how perfect it felt and how it long stayed with me after closing the covers.
June 24, 2010
The House On Oyster Creek is a story about the hard working oyster farmers and townspeople in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. There is also a second part of the story about a legal battle over the right to farm oysters there. There are many vivid descriptions of the beautiful landscape and the resident's way of life. The Tradescome family moves there from New York to a house they inherited. Charlotte wants to raise her daughter in a quiet place away from the city. The relationship between Charlotte and her husband Henry is somewhat unbelievable. Henry is cold, obsessed with his writing career, and shows barely any emotion or feelings at all toward his wife and daughter. He thinks he is intellectually superior to almost everyone. Charlotte is a sensitive and caring person who is basically longing for love. How they ended up together I don't understand. When they arrive they are almost hated by all the townspeople except for one oyster farmer who works the waters across from their house. Darryl is one of the only people in town that will talk to them and after spending a little time together Charlotte and he start to fall in love. She sees in him the man that Henry can never be to her and her daughter. I was rooting for the two of them to end up together but at the same time for Henry to snap out of it and be a better husband and father. Later in the book you start to get a feeling for why Henry ended up the way he did. I'm not going to spoil the end, but you will find out who ends up together and why. I just wonder how everything is going to work out for everyone afterward. I found myself getting aggravated with most of the characters at one point or another and the ending is not exactly what I had hoped for. Overall it was an enjoyable book, but I kept thinking that many things about it were unrealistic (Charlotte and Henry's long marriage, how Charlotte and Darryl interacted with eachother, and even the amout of dislike shown to her from the townspeople).
September 17, 2012
This is not really set in Maine, but in a small fishing community near Wellfleet, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. Charlotte Tradescome wants to create a warm, rich family life for her three-year-old daughter, Fiona, so when her cold and reserved husband, Henry, inherits a house and some land, she persists in the idea of moving there from their cramped Manhattan apartment. To raise funds to live on, Charlotte sells off part of Tradescome Point, which " fuels the ongoing conflict between wealthy newcomers and locals, who have always made their living from the sea."
Heidi Jon Schmidt writes very well, with what Elinor Lipman called "an unsparing eye and a keen wit," and with insight into her characters, even those who seem unpleasant at first. One of my favorite quotes comes near the end, when Charlotte is surprised that Ada Town, a local elder, is willing to see Charlotte and listen to her.
"It's been very nice to get to know you a little. I like to see you with your daughter--it's a lovely sight for an orphan and old maid," (Ada said.)
Charlotte glanced away--the flash of Ada's loneliness was too painful, and the praise made her shy--but she felt the truth of it: She was uncertain partly because of her openness. Henry could press ahead and crush his opposition because he didn't stop to ask himself whether he might be wrong. Charlotte let life flow through and change her; and if this would have made her a very bad critic and a dreadful real estate developer, it had helped her to become a good mother, the most ordinary, most important thing on earth.
Schmidt, Heidi Jon. The House on Oyster Creek, p.288-289.
May 9, 2020
This book had some boring parts. Nothing too intense ever happened it was more of a slice of life kind of book. I did like parts that involved Charlette's kid Fiona. I did like the setting and atmosphere, but the plot and characters were just kind of dull.
October 7, 2010
I was fortunate enough to win this book in the Goodreads first reads giveaway. The story is about the New York City family consisting of forty-something Charlotte Tradescome, her husband Henry, who is twenty years her senior and their young daughter Fiona, relocating to an inherited property on Cape Cod. The relationship that this family shares is far from idyllic. Henry is consumed with his profession while Charlotte is consumed with their daughter and the idea of “something else”. I found myself questioning the foundation of this relationship and unsurprised by Charlotte’s contemplation of her life's missing elements. When they relocate to Wellfleet, Massachusetts, Charlotte develops a friendship with Darryl Stead, a local resident. I had difficulty believing the development or nurturing of this relationship.
The townspeople characterized in the book were diverse and entertaining. I enjoyed the personalities and history developed in the different characters. The year round residents of this town lead a very simplistic life, many sustained by farming oysters. When Charlotte and Henry sell a parcel of their land to a wealthy couple it results in a legal battle that endangers the livelihood of the oyster farmers. I applaud the author for undertaking the task of educating the reader about oyster farming and the hardship and dedication involved.
The setting in the picturesque Oceanside town was depicted beautifully. The author writes in the manner that I often felt that I was there experiencing the sights, sounds and smells. Overall I enjoyed the experience this book presented.
The townspeople characterized in the book were diverse and entertaining. I enjoyed the personalities and history developed in the different characters. The year round residents of this town lead a very simplistic life, many sustained by farming oysters. When Charlotte and Henry sell a parcel of their land to a wealthy couple it results in a legal battle that endangers the livelihood of the oyster farmers. I applaud the author for undertaking the task of educating the reader about oyster farming and the hardship and dedication involved.
The setting in the picturesque Oceanside town was depicted beautifully. The author writes in the manner that I often felt that I was there experiencing the sights, sounds and smells. Overall I enjoyed the experience this book presented.
August 25, 2010
From the book synopsis:
"Sensitive but practical, Charlotte Tradescome has come to accept the reticence of her older, work-obsessed husband Henry. Still, she hopes to create a life for their three-year-old daughter. So when Henry inherits a home on Cape Cod, she, Henry, and little Fiona move from their Manhattan apartment to this seaside community. Charlotte sells off part of Tradescome Point, inadvertently fueling the conflict between newcomers and locals. Many townspeople easily dismiss Charlotte as a "washashore." A rare exception is Darryl Stead, an oyster farmer with modest dreams and an open heart, with whom Charlotte feels the connection she's been missing. Ultimately he transforms the way she sees herself, the town, and the people she loves..."
The story dragged a bit at first but by the end, I was caught up in the lives of townspeople of Wellfleet.
The "flirtation" between Charlotte and Darryl left me feeling a bit squeemish and I was a bit surprised at how the book ended. I did not particular care for the main characters, Charlotte and Henry. I kept thinking that if the two of them were so unhappy with the other, why didn't they just get divorced? Even at the end, I felt as though Charlotte was just lucky and dodged a bullet; not that Henry discovered that he loved his wife all of the sudden.
All in all, it was an OK read.
"Sensitive but practical, Charlotte Tradescome has come to accept the reticence of her older, work-obsessed husband Henry. Still, she hopes to create a life for their three-year-old daughter. So when Henry inherits a home on Cape Cod, she, Henry, and little Fiona move from their Manhattan apartment to this seaside community. Charlotte sells off part of Tradescome Point, inadvertently fueling the conflict between newcomers and locals. Many townspeople easily dismiss Charlotte as a "washashore." A rare exception is Darryl Stead, an oyster farmer with modest dreams and an open heart, with whom Charlotte feels the connection she's been missing. Ultimately he transforms the way she sees herself, the town, and the people she loves..."
The story dragged a bit at first but by the end, I was caught up in the lives of townspeople of Wellfleet.
The "flirtation" between Charlotte and Darryl left me feeling a bit squeemish and I was a bit surprised at how the book ended. I did not particular care for the main characters, Charlotte and Henry. I kept thinking that if the two of them were so unhappy with the other, why didn't they just get divorced? Even at the end, I felt as though Charlotte was just lucky and dodged a bullet; not that Henry discovered that he loved his wife all of the sudden.
All in all, it was an OK read.
July 14, 2010
I love novels that take place near the ocean, so I was thrilled to find out this book takes place in Wellfleet (Cape Cod) Massachusetts. The story finds former New York City dwellers, Henry and Charlotte Tradescome, and their three year old daughter Fiona, moving to Wellfleet when Henry inherits his family's home. Imagining a quieter and better quality life for themselves and their little girl, instead they are seen as outsiders. Darryl Stead is the exception. He is one of the oyster farmers and handymen who welcomes the Tradescomes. Before long Charlotte finds herself attracted to Darryl.
More troubled waters surface when Charlotte convinces Henry to sell off a portion of the land surrounding the home, so that they can use the funds for improvements to their own place. Little did the couple expect that the new owners of the land were planning to build a mega-mansion. If that isn't bad enough, these same people initiate a move to ban oyster farms from the surrounding land, causing more controversy in this quiet seaside town.
The writing is simple, the story easy to follow and moves at a good pace, but is somewhat lacking in substance. Despite this, I think The House on Oyster Creek, might appeal to many women as a light summer read. Pack this one to take along with you, as you head for the beach.
RATING - 3.5/5 Stars
More troubled waters surface when Charlotte convinces Henry to sell off a portion of the land surrounding the home, so that they can use the funds for improvements to their own place. Little did the couple expect that the new owners of the land were planning to build a mega-mansion. If that isn't bad enough, these same people initiate a move to ban oyster farms from the surrounding land, causing more controversy in this quiet seaside town.
The writing is simple, the story easy to follow and moves at a good pace, but is somewhat lacking in substance. Despite this, I think The House on Oyster Creek, might appeal to many women as a light summer read. Pack this one to take along with you, as you head for the beach.
RATING - 3.5/5 Stars
July 6, 2013
This book is as much about the setting as it is about the characters. Scmidt gave us just the right amount of each to leave us wanting more of both. Too much setting would have felt like she was trying to sell us a vacation, too little and it wouldn't have mattered where the story took place. I've been to Wellfleet and she has described it perfectly- I feel like I'm back there again.
I finished this book feeling slightly disappointed. All the loose ends were wound up (for the most part) but it seemed to me that Charlotte will forever be in a perpetual state of limbo- and she always has been, too. If she truly loved Darryl, why wouldn't she spring for a relationship with him, instead of dancing around the edge of it? And why would she marry someone like Henry in the first place when what she really wanted was love and attention? Granted, if she never married Henry they wouldn't have ended up in Wellfleet in the first place- but her reasons for marrying him seem less than solid. Sure, it's great to have someone that needs you, but Henry is less than useless. Fiona is way too perfectly behaved a child, by the way. Granted, I have boys, but no four year old child acts like that. At all. Besides all that, it was still a good read once I got about half of the way through. Worth it if you're planning on taking a trip to the Cape, have been there, or are dreaming of visiting!
I finished this book feeling slightly disappointed. All the loose ends were wound up (for the most part) but it seemed to me that Charlotte will forever be in a perpetual state of limbo- and she always has been, too. If she truly loved Darryl, why wouldn't she spring for a relationship with him, instead of dancing around the edge of it? And why would she marry someone like Henry in the first place when what she really wanted was love and attention? Granted, if she never married Henry they wouldn't have ended up in Wellfleet in the first place- but her reasons for marrying him seem less than solid. Sure, it's great to have someone that needs you, but Henry is less than useless. Fiona is way too perfectly behaved a child, by the way. Granted, I have boys, but no four year old child acts like that. At all. Besides all that, it was still a good read once I got about half of the way through. Worth it if you're planning on taking a trip to the Cape, have been there, or are dreaming of visiting!
January 24, 2011
I like the story in this book. Charlotte is a forty something mom with an older husband, Henry. When Henry inherits the family ancestral home, they trade their life in New York for Cape Cod. In oder to repair the house, they sell a portion of the land that came with it. They remodel and start mixing in with the local folks. Hnery is able to work from home, so Charlotte and her daughter Fiona keep house and enjoy the surroundings.
The oyster and clam growers use the beach in front of the houses on the Cape for their industry. When the owners of the piece of land Henry and Charlotte sold, show up,they start building a mansion across the beach from Henry's house. As soon as it is completed, The Narvilles claim ownership of the beaches and try to prohibit the locals from making a living. Henry and Charlotte regret selling the land since the Narville spend about 1 month a year there but think they can force their wishes upon the locals.
Charlotte, with the help of Orson, a local lawyer, starts a research to see who the actual owners are. While doing this, she befriends Darryl Stead, one of the locals, is tempted to start a romance with him.
Read the book to see how the romance and title search progress. you will be surprised at the ending.
The oyster and clam growers use the beach in front of the houses on the Cape for their industry. When the owners of the piece of land Henry and Charlotte sold, show up,they start building a mansion across the beach from Henry's house. As soon as it is completed, The Narvilles claim ownership of the beaches and try to prohibit the locals from making a living. Henry and Charlotte regret selling the land since the Narville spend about 1 month a year there but think they can force their wishes upon the locals.
Charlotte, with the help of Orson, a local lawyer, starts a research to see who the actual owners are. While doing this, she befriends Darryl Stead, one of the locals, is tempted to start a romance with him.
Read the book to see how the romance and title search progress. you will be surprised at the ending.
October 1, 2010
As a native Cape Codder I was really excited to win this book. I started reading it as soon as it arrived, and I was not disappointed.
Heidi Jon Schmidt weaves a tale of romance and the age/old struggle between the rich, and the working class. When Charlotte Tradescome travels to the home her husband inherited from his parents many years prior, she falls in love with the house and the Town of Wellfleet. She decides that she is going to move from New York with her daughter Fiona. She and her husband Harry have a strained marriage, and she hopes that perhaps this could provide a fresh start for the family.
They sell of a piece of their land to finance their new life. When the new owner moves in, he decides not to let the oyster farmers use the water in front of his house, citing his ownership. Charlotte feels responsible for the dispute, and is horrified that Darryl, the oyster farmer she feels a deep connection with may lose his livelihood.
I really enjoyed this novel, and felt that Schmidt delicately captured the undercurrents of conflict that can occur on Cape Cod between natives and "wash-ashores" and the tourists who visit each year.
Heidi Jon Schmidt weaves a tale of romance and the age/old struggle between the rich, and the working class. When Charlotte Tradescome travels to the home her husband inherited from his parents many years prior, she falls in love with the house and the Town of Wellfleet. She decides that she is going to move from New York with her daughter Fiona. She and her husband Harry have a strained marriage, and she hopes that perhaps this could provide a fresh start for the family.
They sell of a piece of their land to finance their new life. When the new owner moves in, he decides not to let the oyster farmers use the water in front of his house, citing his ownership. Charlotte feels responsible for the dispute, and is horrified that Darryl, the oyster farmer she feels a deep connection with may lose his livelihood.
I really enjoyed this novel, and felt that Schmidt delicately captured the undercurrents of conflict that can occur on Cape Cod between natives and "wash-ashores" and the tourists who visit each year.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews