Summary

The novel opens with a description of the Keating family vacationing at their summer home in 1976. One by one, the narrator describes the members of the family and the reasons they enjoy the seaside retreat. Fern is a determined but not quite competent homemaker: she bakes, “but not well,” attempts gardening, and cares for her children (1). Edgar believes that the enjoyment of the wind and water are a part of his identity, but constantly questions the role his inherited wealth plays in his personality. Children Cricket, James, and Will are carefree, playing in the sun and sand and wishing the summer did not have to end.

In August, Fern receives a phone call from her deceased parents’ lawyer informing her that all of the money is gone. When Edgar learns the news, he reminisces on a moment from his childhood, when he first recognized...