What readers think of The Guest Book, plus links to write your own review.

If you have ever believed you could write you will feel diminished by this novelist. Sarah Blake is an extraordinary writer. Her prose enables the reader to know the people in her novel and to see and feel the settings. But this novel, The Guest Book, is much more than beautiful descriptive writing. It is an indictment of a group of wealthy and entitled citizens. This is an important novel.

This book follows the Milton family through 3 generations from 1935 to today. Grandmother Kitty has many rules the upper class live by and these lead to secrets that almost tear the family apart. I found the alternate chapters in different time periods hard to follow in the beginning, especially since two of the main women are named Evelyn & Evie. The last part of the book is hard to put down. It would make for good discussion in a book club.

Can money, greed, mistakes, and lack of trust destroy a family? The author of The Guest Book, showed the reader extremely well how money, greed and lack of trust can destroy a family in this 3-generation saga of the Milton family. In some instances, I felt some of the incidents could be tied to things happening today.
A great big thank you to Book Browse and the publisher for providing me with this advanced reading copy of The Guest House to read and review and provide my personal opinions and comments.

The Guest Book is the story of a family, an island, and the secrets that are held within the walls of a treasured house. Sarah Blake has written a beautiful and thoughtful book about the way money and power can color the way we see – and want to be seen in – the world. Ogden and Kitty Milton purchased an island off of the coast of Maine in the 1930s. The grandchildren are now left to decide what to do with it. As they struggle with reality and their childhood memories, they must grapple with the truths they come to know. I love a good family saga, but this one went well beyond my expectations.

I enjoyed Sarah Blake's previous novel - THE POSTMISTRESS ...Her new novel is also an enjoyable read...THE GUEST BOOK is a family saga that follows three generations of the Miltons ...The reader travels back and forth in time to experience the family myth on a beautiful island in Maine...It covers the classic theme of how we remember and what we choose to forget...It is perfect for Book Groups...

Three generations of intriguing women. An exclusive family-owned island off the coast of Maine. Lives of privilege versus lives without. A strict sense of matriarchal duty. Secrets. Regrets. All elements that draw me in for a good read. All elements in Sarah Blake's The Guest Book. I was hooked from page one. Indulge yourself, and take this one to the beach, along with your sand chair, your umbrella, your sunscreen and a nice, cool beverage. Plan to settle in for a long afternoon of reading. You won't be sorry.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It follows three generations of a family dealing with loss, trauma, being trapped by social expectations, family expectations, assumptions of expectations, saving face and prejudice. A heart breaking story, but somehow cathartic.

the guest book is written by American author Sarah blake in 2019. The book is about love and loss, tragedy and triumph, social and political change.
Kitty and Ogden Milton lives off privilege until tragedy destroys their lives. Neddie falls to death from a window. there is some conflicts about the island in the family. Evie is fighting hard to keep the island while her cousins are open to selling the island and her husband reminds her off their financial situation. the story leaves us with a hint of hope. It is a tentative first step. It gives us the lessons to learn from the past and prevent history from repeating itself and to be alert in every situation. The novel was an amazing one, giving me new knowledge and also the lesson to stay positive and enjoy every moment of life.