Drawing Home - by Jamie Brenner (Paperback)

About the Book

"Summer has started in idyllic Sag Harbor, and for Emma Mapson that means greeting guests at the front desk of The American Hotel. But when one of the town's most famous residents, artist Henry Wyatt, dies suddenly, Emma learns he has mysteriously left his waterfront home--a self-designed masterpiece filled with his work--to her teenage daughter, Penny. Back in Manhattan, legendary art patron Bea Winstead's grief at her lifelong friend and former business partner Henry's passing turns to outrage at the news of his shocking bequest. How did these unknown locals get their hands on the estate? Bea, with her devoted assistant Kyle in tow, descends on Sag Harbor determined to reclaim the house and preserve Henry's legacy. While Emma fights to defend her daughter's inheritance, Bea discovers that Henry left a treasure trove of sketches scattered around town. With Penny's reluctant help, Bea pieces them together to find a story hidden in plain sight: an illustration of their shared history with an unexpected twist that will change all of their lives. Drawn together in their battle for the house, Emma and Bea are forced to confront the past while facing a future that challenges everything they believe about love, fate, and family."

Book Synopsis

An unexpected inheritance, a promise broken, and four lives changed forever: discover "the gold standard of summertime escapism" from USA Today bestselling author Jamie Brenner (Elin Hilderbrand).

Summer has started in idyllic Sag Harbor, and for Emma Mapson that means greeting guests at the front desk of The American Hotel. But when one of the town's most famous residents, artist Henry Wyatt, dies suddenly, Emma learns he has mysteriously left his waterfront home -- a self-designed masterpiece filled with his work -- to her teenage daughter, Penny.

Back in Manhattan, legendary art patron Bea Winstead's grief at her lifelong friend and former business partner Henry's passing turns to outrage at the news of his shocking bequest. How did these unknown locals get their hands on the estate? Bea, with her devoted assistant Kyle in tow, descends on Sag Harbor determined to reclaim the house and preserve Henry's legacy.

While Emma fights to defend her daughter's inheritance, Bea discovers that Henry left a treasure trove of sketches scattered around town. With Penny's reluctant help, Bea pieces them together to find a story hidden in plain sight: an illustration of their shared history with an unexpected twist that will change all of their lives. Drawn together in their battle for the house, Emma and Bea are forced to confront the past while facing a future that challenges everything they believe about love, fate, and family.

Review Quotes

"Drawing Home is that rare novel where the plot and characters are equally rich, complex and surprising. Brenner sets a scene like no other author, transporting the reader to the town of Sag Harbor as though they were really there, breathing the sea air and sipping a cocktail at the iconic American Hotel. This is a novel with boundless soul, unexpected twists, nuanced relationships and unique characters that are all consuming. I drank this book in."--Elyssa Friedland, author of The Intermission

"A beach book with heart and soul is a lucky find. Snatch up this delicious summer read and head for a hammock!"--Judy Blundell, author of The High Season

"Book clubs: get your merlot to go! Jamie Brenner has become the queen of the beach read with Drawing Home. This page turner will keep you reading long into your summer nights. A famous artist dies in seaside Sag Harbor leaving his curated home to a local's teenage daughter, blowing the expectations of his heirs and the art world to bits.Told you you couldn't put it down!"--Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author Tony's Wife

"I absolutely loved Jamie Brenner's Drawing Home. A smart beach read about family, friendship, and the true meaning of home, this is Jamie Brenner's best book yet!"--Brenda Janowitz, author of The Dinner Party

"I have been a fan of Jamie Brenner's storytelling from the very beginning; she is the rare writer who gets better with each book. Drawing Home is a captivating novel about mothers and daughters, shifting allegiances, the art world, waterfront real estate and love. Welcome to the gold standard of summertime escapism."--Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Couple and Summer of '69

"I loved Drawing Home! It was original, delicious, and surprising. Jamie Brenner is wise beyond her years."--Nancy Thayer, bestselling author of A Nantucket Wedding

"Jamie Brenner always delivers smart, soulful summer reads and Drawing Home is her best book yet. Set against the idyllic backdrop of Sag Harbor and filled with richly-drawn, nuanced characters, Drawing Home is wonderfully absorbing and utterly satisfying."--Cristina Alger, bestselling author of The Banker's Wife

"Jamie Brenner has mastered the art of the perfect summer read--an appealing, seaside setting you love spending time in, a cast of characters you come to care about, and enough twists and turns to keep you turning pages long past high tide. Drawing Home has all of that plus some complex themes that make this Brenner's most memorable novel and possibly her best yet."--Stephen McCauley, author of My Ex-Life

"Jamie Brenner sketches a gorgeously evocative plot with her newest summer beach read, Drawing Home...She transports readers to the glamorous world of a Hamptons summer, where locals and wealthy tourists uneasily mingle, but where a new love, and a life filled with possibilities, waits just around the corner."--Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The High Tide Club and The Weekenders.

"Readers hoping to make more fictional friends will find plenty of options in these pages. Complex characters and probable connections turn a pleasant story into something special."--Library Journal

"Readers of Elin Hilderbrand or Nancy Thayer are sure to love Drawing Home, a charming entry in the heartwarming beach read canon. Jamie Brenner has created a slew of likable, flawed characters, all struggling to handle their grief at Henry's death and figure out his apparently conflicting final wishes. Emma, Bea and Penny end up learning surprising lessons about themselves and each other as the summer unfolds."--Shelf Awareness

"Smart, full of curveballs, and perfect for the beach."--Kirkus

"The delightful town of Sag Harbor provides the perfect setting for an enthralling tale of class, intrigue, and complicated family dynamics in Brenner's latest. A smart beach-read with plenty of sizzle."--Fiona Davis, author of The Masterpiece and The Address

"The pages practically turn themselves."--People

"This lovely and poignant story delivers a calming setting and fine description that transports the reader. While the plot developments are not earth-shaking, the connections that form between the characters are unlikely and satisfying. An exquisite beach read, perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Jane Green."--Booklist

About The Author

Jamie Brenner is the author of the USA Today bestseller The Forever Summer, The Husband Hour, and The Wedding Sisters. She lives in New York City and spends her summers visiting the beach towns that inspire her books.