Vacationland

Moore (The Islanders) follows a family’s tribulations while summering in Maine in her delectable latest. NYU history professor Louisa McLean brings her three children to her parents’ summer home in Rockland without her husband, Steven, who stays behind and continues putting in long hours in chasing his dream of selling his podcast company. Louisa, resentful at having to deal with the kids herself, also hopes the time away will help her stop procrastinating on writing her book. Tensions mount as her mother reveals that paying to care for Louisa’s father, Martin, a judge who now has Alzheimer’s, might require them to sell the family house as soon as the following year. Then a young woman named Kristie Turner arrives by Greyhound after her mother’s death, determined for reasons that are only revealed later to gain an audience with Martin. She decides to stay a while, gets a job as a waitress, and worries about money after learning she’s pregnant. Kristie’s life is detailed in sharp contrast to Louisa’s leisurely days, as Louisa weighs a desire to help Kristie with her parents’ needs. Steven’s lack of understanding over how much the house means to Louisa, meanwhile, causes tensions to flare. Moore details the dicey situation with nuance and grace. Readers are in for a treat. (June)