The House on Fripp Island

By: Rebecca Kauffman

Narrated by: Susan Bennett

A taut, pause-resisting novel of secrets and strife. When two families - one rich, one not - vacation together off the coast of South Carolina, little do they know that someone won't be returning home.

Fripp Island, South Carolina is the perfect destination for the wealthy Daly family: Lisa, Scott, and their two girls. For Lisa's childhood friend, Poppy Ford, the resort island is a world away from the one she and Lisa grew up in - and when Lisa invites Poppy's family to join them, how can a working-class woman turn down an all-expenses paid vacation for her husband and children?

But everyone brings secrets to the island, distorting what should be a convivial, relaxing summer on the beach. Lisa sees danger everywhere - the local handyman can't be allowed near the children, and Lisa suspects Scott is fixated on something, or someone, else. Poppy watches over her husband John and his routines with a sharp eye.

It's a summer of change for all of the children: Ryan Ford who prepares for college in the fall, Rae Daly who seethes on the brink of adulthood, and the two youngest, Kimmy Daly and Alex Ford, who are exposed to new ideas and different ways of life as they forge a friendship of their own. Those who return from this vacation will spend the rest of their lives trying to process what they witnessed, the tipping points, moments of violence and tenderness, and the memory of whom they left behind.

©2020 Rebecca Kauffman (P)2020 Recorded Books

Not particularly good

The plot line of The House on Fripp Island could have been interesting if better developed. Unfortunately character development was cartoonish, awkward, and heavy handed. The first half of the book it was difficult to understand why these two families would consider taking a vacation together. They appear to have nothing in common and do not appear to like each other very much. As the story progressed I began hoping the entire house full would take a fishing charter and all drown (note the story begins with an unidentified drowning/murder victim.). The book was a race for who could be the least unlikable character and the bar was set pretty low.

The story had some great descriptive passages; unfortunately any relationship to the real Fripp Island ends at the bridge on the way in. There was not a single Fripp Island detail that was accurate or even close. Because I live on Fripp Island this was particularly annoying, Think, I am going to set a novel in Chicago but move the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building there because ... well why not.

The book is essentially an average lifetime movie. Not terrible but not good.

The reader did a pretty good job which actually saved the book on tape. In less capable hands I would have stopped listening.

Unique characters and plot points - very well done

I really liked that ALL the characters were well developed and we saw both their internal and external struggles.

I was also thrilled to find I was surprised by the plot points, many of which I would not have guessed - which is not typically the case.

In addition, I liked the fact that not every situation was resolved - tied up in a pretty pink bow. This made the book seem far more realistic to me.

I would definitely recommend this book and check out others by this author. I’ve over 600 titles in my Audible account and only maybe 30 I’d suggest to others.

Fantastic story!

I loved the story that opened up into something so big and wonderfully imperfect. This the the second book I’ve read by Rebecca Kaufman, the first being The Gunners which was also a great story. Highly recommend this title!!

Ok read

I’ve been going to Fripp Island for 40 years and are from WV so I was curious about this book. Although we stayed in one of the smaller condos-not the big houses as described. The story is just ok - a good and easy summer read. Although there is no diner on the island or magnolia grove, I wish there was.

Nothing Happens

I found it to be boring. Way too detailed about inane things. Very few of the characters are likable and by the time someone dies I didn’t care who it was, I just wanted SOMETHING to happen.

Turn Back Now

In the middle of this book, I went to Amazon to read reviews, and a lot of those reviews were negative. I thought they were unfair, and then I finished the book, and this is a warning dear reader: Don't listen to this book. First, the main characters are from Wheeling, WV, and they have southern accents. That might not be the writer's fault, but the insistence of presenting West Virginia as a southern state was distracting. People from northern West Virginia, where Wheeling is, speak with a Pittsburgh dialect. But that's not the biggest problem with this book. The writer throws in an ending that is not believable. It is ridiculously violent and she never set us up for the violent ending. I liked this writer's style, so I was disappointed in the amateur writing near the end of the book. This writer can and should do better. She did a beautiful job describing characters and the nuances of relationships. She also did a nice job describing the actions and behavior of teenagers. But she totally screwed her story and her characters over with a ridiculous, overwrought ending that didn't fit. Red herring endings are always the device of the lazy writer.

no no no

I have to return. The entire book is poppy said, john said, lisa said. blah blah blah. I cant take it!