The Five-Star Weekend

Described by New York Magazine as “The Queen of Beach Reads,” Elin Hilderbrand’s 29 novels appeared in well-known bestseller lists from the early 2000s on (Heaney, Katie. “How Elin Hilderbrand Became the ‘Queen of Beach Reads.’” The Cut, 18 June 2019). Most of her novels are set on the author’s home ground, Nantucket Island. The term “beach read” was coined in the 1990s, and Hilderbrand’s publisher credits her work with advancing the subgenre. Her work defines the beach read: an easygoing plot focused on interpersonal relationships set in a prosperous, relaxed community. Only a few of Hilderbrand’s books broach political issues, and her major characters experience meaningful change and joyful resolutions. The Five-Star Weekend references the COVID-19 pandemic only from the perspective of a food blogger growing a successful website due to readers who are isolating and needing entertainment.

Hilderbrand spent summers on Cape Cod and eventually moved to Nantucket in 1993, where she began writing. Like Hollis, Hilderbrand moved from working-class status while raising three young children to cultivating millions of fans while publishing at least one best-selling novel annually. Hilderbrand’s experiences with love, heartbreak, grief, cancer, motherhood, and work-life balance shine through her characters. However, her intimate knowledge of Nantucket—the locals, shops, restaurants, neighborhoods, and natural beauty—contributes to a realistic setting in her novels, catering to the escapism that beach readers often seek.

Hilderbrand provides commentary on the concept of a beach read midway through The Five-Star Weekend when Gigi and Brooke shop at an independent bookstore. Brooke discovers “a novel with a sky-blue cover […] The flap copy says that the book is set on Nantucket; it’s a ‘beach book’” (173), an apparent reference to any one of Hilderbrand’s Nantucket novels. Brooke feels intimidated by reading, but Gigi posits, “The thing I love best about reading fiction is that it gives you a way to connect the experiences of your own life to the larger world” (172). She directs Brooke to more profound literary content and insults Brooke in the process. In having Gigi subtly disapprove of Brooke’s choice, Hilderbrand points out the judgment that exists of her own novels. Hilderbrand’s candid voice is a regular component of her work and builds relatability among her characters, who indulge in less relatable activities, such as sipping expensive champagne while watching a private beach fireworks show.