Ruth Moore is back with another story of small-town life on the coast of Maine. This time her writing follows several members of the Ellises, the well-respected and independent family that originally settled in Candlemas Bay. Jen Ellis is forced to play hostess to summer borders in order to pay off her late husband's debts. Her son Jeb must choose between his schooling and his devotion to the family fishing trade. For Candace Ellis, Jen's sister-in-law, a house full of summer-people could not be worse. Could Candace's selfish act cause the family to fall apart, or will it ultimately bring happiness for the rest of the Ellises? Moore communicates a place and its people through just one family full of unique and strong-willed characters. As in her other novels, Ruth Moore uses detailed day-to-day lives to build characters of depth and tell a universal story of courage, heartbreak and love that, despite the hardships, is ultimately warm and moving.
