This is a tender coming-of-age novel set on Block Island. Ruth was only seventeen when she lost her mother, and her grieving father sent her to stay with a friend of the family. Diana Beckett is an artist who knew Ruth’s mother in her vibrant youth and knew her better than most. Ruth meets Diana’s nephew Charlie and learns a lot about friendship, love, and loss on that patch of sand and rock that became her home. When she returns years later, she finds out there is still more the island has yet to teach her.
I highly recommend this book to fans of complicated love pairings, coming-of-age stories, long-held family secrets, and domestic drama.
I thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of June Baby for my unbiased evaluation. 4.5 stars
