The friendship between the Shepherd and Coleman families was as well worn and comfortable as their summer homes and shoes in Cape Cod. Starting with a friendly rivalry between Nate Shepherd and Samuel Coleman over who made the best clam chowder, the two families have a long standing tradition of supporting each other through their respective joys and tribulations as well as starting each summer with their annual gathering for gin and tonics and loads of freshly made clam chowder.

The summer started off well with Samuel and Sarah's two sons, Isaac and Asa, getting ready to head off to their respective universities in the fall and Nate happily in love and married to Noelle, a young nurse who had been a godsend to his first wife when she was terminally ill. As the old friends kibitzed together and enjoyed their drinks, none noticed the growing tension and attraction between Noelle and the athletic college bound Asa.

Despite all the values his parents had transmitted to him, the romantic poet inside Asa became headstrong in his growing passion for Noelle and didn't want to pay attention to the young girls that flocked to Cape Cod. While full of disdain for Isaac's balancing act with his girlfriends, he feels his own passion to be purer and stronger. Heedless of the consequences, he makes his feelings known. What harm could come of that?

Well known for her children's books, THE GIN & CHOWDER CLUB is Nan Rossiter's first adult novel and, hopefully, it will be the start of many more. This wonderful story of family and friendship is lovingly built with a strong plot, thoughtful character insights, and a great attention to the details of life that reflect both the ordinary as well as their far reaching consequences. Her depictions of Noelle's feelings of being torn between two lovers as well as the intensity of emotion felt by Asa as a young college student are so accurate that you just want to keep reading to find out how it will end. It is a great summer read and with its Discussion Suggestions, it is sure to provide lots of conversational fodder for a book club selection. Enjoy!

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…

Read an Excerpt