If you’ve ever wanted to slip into a picture by Slim Aarons, renowned photographer of elites on continuous vacations, now is your chance. McCoy’s gorgeous novel takes place on the Caribbean island of Mustique in the 1970s, a getaway for Princess Margaret.” — Washington Post, a Noteworthy Book pick for May
"Historical fiction lovers will luxuriate in a trip to Mustique Island, Sarah McCoy’s latest novel about a 1970s enclave, and a mother and her daughters who find their new beginnings there. McCoy’s created a big-hearted, enchanting gem." — Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me
"I am utterly charmed by the characters, the writing, the sunshine, and the way Sarah McCoy seamlessly blends fact and fiction. Mustique Island is an immersive delight and a welcome ray of light." — Jane Green, New York Times bestselling author of Sister Stardust
“Glamorous, scandalous, and wholly immersive in a way that will keep you turning pages long after the sun has set, Mustique Island is a captivating story of mothers and daughters told with adventurous spirit and heart. Toss this in your beach bag and your summer reading is set.”
— Steven Rowley, bestselling author of The Guncle
"Though sun-drenched and frequently frothy, McCoy’s...underlying tale of women-in-crisis who claw their way back to strength carries sobering messages about the importance of family loyalty and resiliency." — Booklist
"Readers will embrace Sarah McCoy's heartfelt, thoughtful story of mothers and daughters, desire and identity amid the circus life of Mustique Island that asks the questions: what do we owe one another, and what do we owe ourselves?" — Therese Anne Fowler, bestselling author of A Good Neighborhood
"As soon as I opened this gorgeous novel and sailed with Willie May to the picture-perfect island of Mustique, I was entranced. A moving exploration of the bonds of love and motherhood, Mustique Island is my new favorite Sarah McCoy novel...and the best book I've read this year. Pair this novel with a Pink Lady cocktail—made with roselle hibiscus, ginger, and cloves—for a blissful, literary escape." — Amanda Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters
"As soon as I opened this gorgeous novel and sailed with Willie May to the picture-perfect island of Mustique, I was entranced. A moving exploration of the bonds of love and motherhood, Mustique Island is my new favorite Sarah McCoy novel...and the best book I've read this year. Pair this novel with a Pink Lady cocktail—made with roselle hibiscus, ginger, and cloves—for a blissful, literary escape."
"Though sun-drenched and frequently frothy, McCoy’s...underlying tale of women-in-crisis who claw their way back to strength carries sobering messages about the importance of family loyalty and resiliency."
"Readers will embrace Sarah McCoy's heartfelt, thoughtful story of mothers and daughters, desire and identity amid the circus life of Mustique Island that asks the questions: what do we owe one another, and what do we owe ourselves?"
"Historical fiction lovers will luxuriate in a trip to Mustique Island, Sarah McCoy’s latest novel about a 1970s enclave, and a mother and her daughters who find their new beginnings there. McCoy’s created a big-hearted, enchanting gem."
"I am utterly charmed by the characters, the writing, the sunshine, and the way Sarah McCoy seamlessly blends fact and fiction. Mustique Island is an immersive delight and a welcome ray of light."
Glamorous, scandalous, and wholly immersive in a way that will keep you turning pages long after the sun has set, Mustique Island is a captivating story of mothers and daughters told with adventurous spirit and heart. Toss this in your beach bag and your summer reading is set.”
"Though sun-drenched and frequently frothy, McCoy’s...underlying tale of women-in-crisis who claw their way back to strength carries sobering messages about the importance of family loyalty and resiliency."
Prepare to meet Marilla, a captivating heroine who will transport you back to the treasured world of Anne of Green Gables. Rich in historical detail, this charming novel vividly explores love, loss, friendship, and the coming-to-self of a girl on the cusp of womanhood.
Another girl once came of age at Green Gables. Spunky, smart, buffeted by tides of duty and ambition, loss and love, young Marilla finds her voice in Sarah McCoy’s beautiful rendering of a beloved place, a complex woman, and a long-ago time. Deftly and tenderly told, Marilla of Green Gables is a must read for anyone who adored Avonlea and Anne and ever wondered, what came before?
Sarah McCoy has given readers a precious gift: the opportunity to step back into the world of Avonlea, and the chance to get to know Marilla Cuthbert as a leading lady in her own right. In McCoy’s skillful and sensitive hands, Marilla emerges as a heroine of depth, complexity, and heart. I savored my time with this cast of old friends, enjoying the dilemma of whether to speed through these compelling pages or to pause and relish everything about the lovely world imagined within them.
L.M. Montgomery’s Marilla Cuthbert flares to life in Sarah McCoy’s enchanting novel of Avonlea. Her story of wrenching family sacrifice and the enduring pleasures of home, is as much a love letter to the world of Green Gables as it is a breath of fresh air. Hats off to McCoy for enlivening this classic with such heart and grace.
Fans of the Anne of Green Gables series will rejoice at this warm and heartfelt addition to their world. McCoy’s love for the characters is palpable, and with an insightful eye she illuminates the original Avonlea, while also offering glimpses into the turbulent history of the time.
12/01/2021
Perched in the southern Caribbean and owned by oddball British playboy Colin Tennant, Mustique Island is designed as a hideaway for rich, privileged folks. It's 1972, and divorcée Willy May Michael—a former Texas beauty queen—builds a house there, not so far from Princess Margaret. When she invites her adult daughters, they discover that Mustique isn't all sun, fun, and glorious white sand. With a 75,000-copy first printing.
Mustique Island draws celebrities and royals on an international level. Narrator Cassandra Campbell’s range of accents is perfect in this story about a mother and her two daughters’ exploration of what personal autonomy means to them in the 1970s. Willy Mae, a former Texas beauty queen, falls in love with a British brewery tycoon. After she divorces her unfaithful husband and British high society, she builds a home on Mustique. When Willy Mae’s adult daughters visit, the trio discover the tropical utopia has a dark underbelly. The mother-daughter story shifts as the three women contemplate their past and what the future holds for them during this season of change. Sighs of ennui from royalty and stilted, formal dialogue from Caribbean staff enhance the performance. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Mustique Island draws celebrities and royals on an international level. Narrator Cassandra Campbell’s range of accents is perfect in this story about a mother and her two daughters’ exploration of what personal autonomy means to them in the 1970s. Willy Mae, a former Texas beauty queen, falls in love with a British brewery tycoon. After she divorces her unfaithful husband and British high society, she builds a home on Mustique. When Willy Mae’s adult daughters visit, the trio discover the tropical utopia has a dark underbelly. The mother-daughter story shifts as the three women contemplate their past and what the future holds for them during this season of change. Sighs of ennui from royalty and stilted, formal dialogue from Caribbean staff enhance the performance. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
