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The Big House : A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home
The Big House A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home
Author: George Howe Colt
Faced with the sale of the century-old family summer house on Cape Cod where he had spent forty-two summers, George Howe Colt returned for one last stay with his wife and children. This poignant tribute to the eleven-bedroom jumble of gables, bays, and dormers that watched over weddings, divorces, deaths, anniversaries, birthdays, breakdowns, an...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780743249645
ISBN-10: 074324964X
Publication Date: 6/1/2004
Pages: 336
Rating:
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 75

3.5 stars, based on 75 ratings
Publisher: Scribner
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

heartinthehighlands avatar reviewed The Big House : A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home on + 54 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 14
I first read this from the library. Then I went out and bought a copy of my own. This is a wonderful book. And a great one for summer reading. This American summer home is very upper class and my roots are very middle class, and yet it brought back all kinds of memories of our summers spent in a small rented cottage. The themes of family and growing up and attachment to place are universal. It is a book I want to read again and again. It is touching and real and well-written.
katzpawz avatar reviewed The Big House : A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home on + 281 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 11
The gentleman has a way with words! The long, interesting story of a family history and the house it was lived in. This is NOT a story about what might have happened in a house - this IS the story of the house and it's obvious that the author is deeply in love with the house and his family history. Presented beautifully.
reviewed The Big House : A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home on + 60 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 9
This is a wonderfully written book. Colt wanders through several generations talking about his family's experiences at their Cape Cod summer home. It is a book that can be picked up and put down without concern for losing the plot. Each chapter stands alone and is interesting on its own.
readerholic avatar reviewed The Big House : A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home on
Helpful Score: 6
Very good. Loved the family history. Hard to put down.
cowbelle avatar reviewed The Big House : A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
Do yourself a favor and give this book a chance to work its magic on you. When I first started this book I surmised that someone was attempting to turn a thesis on old Cape Cod residential architecture into a novel to earn some money. Once into the book I wanted to apologize for those thoughts.
The author was actually describing this wonderful home in loving detail so that when
he takes you inside, you will understand and be ready to share, in some small way the living, loving nostalgia that is so rich you can feel it, smell it, and delight in
those magnifcent summers.
The author captures so much of his glorious childhood summers I want to rent a place on Wing's Neck for the summer! And, I must admit I've surfed the internet looking for rentals and dreaming of such a time and place this book gave me.
Thank you George Howe Colt for sharing your story. How many times have we all said,
"If only these walls could talk." You are indeed a great voice for the walls of The Big House.
Read All 16 Book Reviews of "The Big House A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home"

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bookcrazychick avatar reviewed The Big House : A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home on + 76 more book reviews
Loved this book. I've always been fascinated by the wealthy WASP culture and this delivers a heaping dose of it! Lot of history too of the area. Very interesting.
reviewed The Big House : A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home on + 12 more book reviews
This was a delightful book about one man's memories of a family summer home on Cape Cod. The characters came to life through his memories of years ago when he was a child enjoying his summers.


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