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Elin Hilderbrand
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Golden Girl Kindle Edition

by Elin Hilderbrand (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 32,519
Editors' pick Best Literature & Fiction
See all formats and editions

In this #1 bestselling page-turner from "the queen of beach reads" (New York Magazine), a Nantucket novelist has one final summer to protect her secrets while her loved ones on earth learn to live without their golden girl.

On a perfect June day, Vivian Howe, author of thirteen beach novels and mother of three nearly grown children, is killed in a hit-and-run car accident while jogging near her home on Nantucket. She ascends to the Beyond where she's assigned to a Person named Martha, who allows Vivi to watch what happens below for one last summer. Vivi also is granted three “nudges” to change the outcome of events on earth, and with her daughter Willa on her third miscarriage, Carson partying until all hours, and Leo currently “off again” with his high-maintenance girlfriend, she’ll have to think carefully where to use them.

From the Beyond, Vivi watches “The Chief” Ed Kapenash investigate her death, but her greatest worry is her final book, which contains a secret from her own youth that could be disastrous for her reputation. But when hidden truths come to light, Vivi’s family will have to sort out their past and present mistakes—with or without a nudge of help from above—while Vivi finally lets them grow without her.

With all of Elin’s trademark beach scenes, mouth-watering meals, and picture-perfect homes, plus a heartfelt message—the people we lose never really leave us—Golden Girl is a beach book unlike any other.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    385 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Little, Brown and Company
  5. Publication date
    June 1, 2021
  6. File size
    3766 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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From the brand

From the Publisher

Elin Hilderbrand Banner

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An Amazon Best Book of June 2021: What would summer be without an Elin Hilderbrand novel? I hope we never need to find out. One beautiful June day, Nantucket writer Vivi Howe is killed in a hit-and-run accident. She is now in the afterlife, being guided by her “Person,” who grants Vivi three nudges to push her grieving family and friends toward the right choices in the summer months following her death. And while Golden Girl introduces more fantasy that previous Hilderbrand novels, it has her trademark style, wit, complicated characters, and drool-worthy food descriptions. Golden Girl, Hilderbrand’s 27th novel, has a bit of a swan song feel to it—it was intended to be her last novel—and it’s possible this golden girl gets better with every book. —Sarah Gelman, Amazon Book Review

Review

"In this touching, scenic story, we learn what it is to let go and let life go on."

-- "Good Housekeeping"

"Hilderbrand is commercially successful but doesn't always get her due as an immensely talented writer. Golden Girl will help change that. It is funny and heartbreaking, and even though it's in some ways a departure for Hilderbrand, the novel still offers plenty of that Nantucket air to keep you turning pages."

-- "BookPage (starred review)"

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08LD4GXQ8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company (June 1, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 1, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3766 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 385 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 32,519

About the author

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Elin Hilderbrand

Elin Hilderbrand

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Elin Hilderbrand first discovered the magic of Nantucket in July 1993. Her recipe for a happy island life includes running, writing at the beach, picnics at Eel Point with her three children, and singing "Home, Sweet Home" at the Club Car piano bar. Here's to Us is her seventeenth novel.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
32,519 global ratings
Great book, emotional read.
5 Stars
Great book, emotional read.
I devoured this book within 24 hours! While the first 3 chapters equivalent were very hard for me for personal reasons they were so well written that I wanted to finish the book and learn more about the characters.
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Top reviews from the United States

Jan
5.0 out of 5 stars Great author!
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2024
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At first I didn't think I was going to like this. I already liked the main character and didn't at all like what happened. I kept with it and totally loved it! Such a great author to tell a story like this.
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Shelly Hammond
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun story that is easy to get lost in
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2022
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This book left a lot of room in my head for debate when I sat down to type up this review. On one hand there are unlikable characters that were really unlikable but on the other hand there were others that were great.
Vivian Howe, an author of thirteen beach novels and the mother of three almost grown children, is out jogging near her home on Nantucket when she is killed by a hit and run driver. She heads to the Beyond where she is assigned to a Person called Martha. Martha allows Vivi to watch what happens below for one summer. She is also granted three ‘nudges’ that allow her to change the outcome of an event for the living. Now, With her daughter worrying about another miscarrigage, her other daughter staying out and partying all hours, and her son Leo having an on and off relationship with his fairly high maintenance girlfriend, she has to really consider who and when to use those nudges!
Vivi watches as Ed Kapenash, The Chief, investigates her death since she has no idea who it was that hit her. However, her last book contains a secret or secrets from her past that she’s worried could completely tarnish her reputation. With Vivi in the Beyond, she is able to watch her family and she’s seeing things she never knew were happening. Things that cause Vivi to really have to consider incredibly closely who will be nudged and who won’t be.
This book has a lot of what the author’s other books have. If you like them, you’ll like this one I think. My biggest issue was the infidelity and how those who committed it were simply excused with no real consequence. I’m talking about both the married participant and the other one. Both being adults, both knowing what they were doing just fine, and things just being alright. For me, after that there really was no way I could bring myself to like the character though I think the redemption arc will win over a lot of people. I just couldn’t shake it. It had nothing to do with the death either as it started before that happened.
Anyway, as for the rest of the story, and like her other books, I’ll find myself getting so angry at certain characters and loving others but by the end I really cared about most of them. Even the ones I didn't, I was absolutely addicted to their stories.
I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it.
10 people found this helpful
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Ladyvln
5.0 out of 5 stars I think you’ll love it
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2023
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That’s pretty much it- it’s well done, great character development, sad in a way but ultimately warm and lovely. I couldn’t put it down.
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From CT
5.0 out of 5 stars This was the perfect book for this new widow
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2022
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This is the first of Elin Hilderbrand's books that I have read. For me, in selecting it, I was amazed, almost shocked, by how meaningful this book would be to me at this moment in my life. I grew up on the Southwest side of Cleveland and moved to Connecticut over 40 years ago with my future husband. We married at the end of our first year in CT, raised a family and wete enjoying a quiet retirement. He suddenly passed away at home in my arms less than a year ago. The book seemed to be the perfect tonic for me during this time of tears and feeling out-of-place. I am especially grateful for Elin's description of Vivi's hereafter which gave me tremendous comfort. It was a brave topic for her, as a writer, to tackle and, for me, she did it with hope and gentleness with being maudlin. Her references back to the Cleveland area were like she had lived there. Her familiarity with New England and Nantucket captured the atmosphere of the coastal area. I will probably reread this book in the coming year when I feel a need to reorganize my grief and life.
6 people found this helpful
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Katie Rowen
5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite Hilderbrand so far!!
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2024
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I believe I have read nine of Elin Hilderbrand's books so far and at the very least, I have liked some and absolutely loved, can't turn the page fast enough the rest. I Googled "What is Elin hilderbrand's best book?" and a New York Times article chose "Golden Girl" and I have to agree. The reader is sucked in immediately by the mystery (Who did it?) and then the premise ("I'm giving you until Labor Day and three nudges.") I loved this book!
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MrsLeif
4.0 out of 5 stars So refreshing to be back in Nantucket!
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2022
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So refreshing to be back in Nantucket!

Time and again, I do my yearly visit to Nantucket using Elin Hilderbrand's eyes and I enjoyed my time there.

This time, Golden Girl introduced us to Vivian Howe but don't fall in love with her character too soon. After all, she dies at the beginning of the book in a hit and run. The person responsible for her death is a mystery to the other characters but not so much to the readers.

Vivian Howe is a mother and a friend. She was a wife too but she is divorced from her husband who left her for a younger woman.

Vivian was a writer. A well-known writer who was hoping her new book Golden Girl would push her to the top of the sales.

Vivian gets a second chance. No, not to come back to earth and be alive again, but to spend the summer following her three children from the great beyond and make sure they are all doing fine before she moves on. She even gets 3 "nudges" approved by her guide Martha to use on her children as she sees fit.

Willa is Vivian's oldest child. She is married and enjoys her work and life in general. The one thing missing is a child of her own. She has suffered a couple of miscarriages and just found out she is pregnant again when her mother passes away, She is also the one who finds out her mother's past and is not sure what to do with the information.

Carson is the middle child. She is a wild one. She enjoys a little cocaine and alcohol while she bartends at the coolest place in town. She is also hiding something that could hurt more than one family member.

Leo is the youngest. He should be getting ready for college instead of being confronted with his mother's death. He's probably the one with the biggest secret. A secret that could come out if the detective investigating the case finds out what happened the day before his mother's death.

Golden Girl was just what I needed at this time. It transported me to a beautiful town with interesting characters and it made me forget reality for a few hours.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs
11 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Lorraine Garant
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in Canada on July 15, 2023
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I really enjoyed reading Golden Girl. I always enjoy Elin Hilderbrand's novels and this one was no exception. A story of love, friendship and for forgiveness. Worth the read!
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Kindle Customer Pippa Quigley
5.0 out of 5 stars Skin has done it again...!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 8, 2022
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No book ever pulls me in and makes me happier than one of Elin's! This was especially beautiful - and had me crying on the last page ! P!ease hurry to finish your next one Ms Hilderbrand!
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Rlovesbooks
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
Reviewed in Germany on October 20, 2022
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I love all her books. They are all special and want to make me move to Nantucket and then again not. This one has a special twist making one be part of the authors views od afterlife and still been in reallife in the story
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Bandana
5.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling ,Enchanting , Engaging !!
Reviewed in India on September 28, 2021
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This has been one of the most engaging read’s This concept of life after death …’ the Beyond ‘ … is there in the scriptures , and we have heard about it from our elders .And this very concept has been put in words so beautifully .It’s a must read …whether one believes in the concept or not .
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Not long enough!
Reviewed in Australia on August 6, 2021
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I loved this book
Laughed and cried
And I too want to know what happened next to all of the characters, flawed though they might be...
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