This story takes place on Cape Cod in the early 1960's, although the time is inconsequential. In fact, with the exception of a few references to the songs on the radio or the movies playing at the theater, the reader could easily think this story was more contemporary. The two families involved (the Colemans and the Shepherds) have a long-standing history -- one that goes back generations.

Samuel and Sarah Coleman have two sons, Isaac and Asa. Their friendship with Nate Shepherd saw him through the death of his wife Annie and then through the courtship of his second wife Noelle, who is eighteen years his junior (and was Annie's hospice nurse). However, they seem to be a perfect match, and the Coleman's welcome Noelle into their extended family.

The book gets its name from the gatherings that the families have over the summers, enjoying fresh clam chowder and the titular gin. The families have watched Isaac and Asa grow into upstanding, young, Christian men, with great work ethics, easy smiles, and a charm that draws young women in. But everything changes one fateful summer.

Asa and Noelle have an undeniable chemistry. And despite their Christian beliefs, her marriage vows, and his growing guilt about lying to his family, they begin to act on their feelings and start an illicit affair. They often vow to break things off, but their attraction to each other is too strong and they simply can not stay away from each other. Even the distance of university cannot keep them apart.

Soon enough, though, they learn that their affair has consequences that they never expected, the least of which is the toll that the secret-keeping has taken on both of them. The way in which the author reveals all of this is simultaneously sublime and breath-taking. The narrative makes one want to vacation (or even move!) to Cape Cod and enjoy the picturesque and idyllic setting.

I really only found two negatives in this book. The first is that the familial unit of the Coleman's as a whole is, at times, a bit too perfect, a little too ideal, and just too adept at handling every situation that comes their way. And the second is that the ending felt a little abrupt. To avoid spoiling the ending, I'll simply say that it would have been nice to see the everyone's reactions more fully fleshed out when the the affair was revealed.

Book Summary

Set against the beautiful backdrop of Cape Cod, The Gin & Chowder Club is an eloquent, tender story of friendship, longing, and the enduring power of love…

The friendship between the Coleman and Shepherd families is as old and comfortable as the neighboring houses they occupy each summer on Cape Cod. Samuel and Sarah Coleman love those warm months by the water; the evenings spent on their porch, enjoying gin and tonics, good conversation and homemade clam chowder. Here they’ve watched their sons, Isaac and Asa, grow into fine young men, and watched, too, as Nate Shepherd, aching with grief at the loss of his first wife, finally found love again with the much younger Noelle.

But beyond the surface of these idyllic gatherings, the growing attraction between Noelle and handsome, college- bound Asa threatens to upend everything. In spite of her guilt and misgivings, Noelle is drawn into a reckless secret affair with far-reaching consequences. And over the course of one bittersweet, unforgettable summer, Asa will learn more than he ever expected about love—the joys and heartache it awakens in us, the lengths we’ll go to keep it, and the countless ways it can change our lives forever…

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