In Barbara Delinsky’s Sweet Salt Air, two best friends reunite on a small island off the coast of Maine. Charlotte, a globetrotting travel writer, and Nicole, a food blogger and homemaker, come together to write a cookbook featuring the cuisine of their beloved island Quinnipeague, where they used to spend summers together as girls. But there are secrets between them that neither will acknowledge. Over the course of one last summer on the island, the two women will finally discover each other’s deep-buried secrets and change both of their lives forever.
One aspect of this novel that I particularly enjoyed was Delinsky’s expert characterization of her main characters, Nicole and Charlotte. The two women are well-rounded, dynamic characters with flaws and rough edges, and the author skillfully sketches their personalities. The secondary characters are not as well defined, but the broad strokes of their personalities are there. Sweet Salt Air is also intensely evocative of Quinnipeague, the small insular island where much of the novel takes place. While reading, you can almost smell the salt air and hear the chatter of lifelong islanders. If you are looking for a beach read to warm you up during this cold, endless winter, check out Sweet Salt Air – you won’t be disappointed!
Review by Shannon Wood
Adult Services Librarian
Nordonia Hills Branch Library
