The May House
- Judith D Collins
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
By: Jillian Cantor
Narrator: Cassandra Campbell
Simon & Schuster Audio
ISBN: 9781668091159
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: 05/12/2026
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
Three adult sisters inherit a beach house from their grandmother on the condition they return every May to spend one week together, earthing family secrets, unrequited love, and the deep bonds of sisterhood in this shimmering new novel from the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Fiction Writer and Beautiful Little Fools.
No matter what’s going on in the May sisters’ lives, the one thing they can rely upon is seeing each other for one week each year, while staying at their grandmother’s beachside home in gorgeous Coronado. As adults, Julia, Emily, and Nora aren’t particularly close, spread out across the country and busy with careers, relationships, and the minutia of life, but their promise to Grandma Vera keeps them anchored together, if only for one week every May.
One year Julia, the oldest and most dependable sister, doesn’t show. And suddenly Nora and Emily start to question how much they truly know about their sister’s life. Told in alternating points of view, spanning from their time together with Grandma Vera as kids into their adult lives, The May House explores how a decades-long family secret has unknowingly shaped each sister and, ultimately, how it brings them closer together.
Funny, poignant, and brimming with heart, The May House is an irresistible story about the special bond between sisters and figuring out what matters most in life, in all its ups and downs.
Praise
"The quintessential beach read—women talking, shocking secrets, and a really hot guy."
—Kirkus Reviews
"A beautiful, big-hearted novel that celebrates the love, the complexity, and the life-long bond of sisterhood. With a beach house in gorgeous Coronado as the setting, The May House is the perfect summer read and a touching reminder that some promises are well worth keeping."
—Amy Poeppel, author of Far and Away
"The May House is a story of three sisters, the idyllic beach house they inherit, and the secrets that fractured their family. Braiding together the past and present, Jillian Cantor beautifully writes about the complicated bonds of sisterhood. Filled with heart-rending yet life-affirming twists, this novel has unforgettable characters that stick with you. It's a family drama, a mystery of the heart, and a love story all rolled into one. I adored every page."
-Audrey Ingram, USA Today bestselling author of The Summer We Ran
"The May House is a moving tale of three women, the promise that binds them, and a beach house that holds generations of memories—and generations of secrets. Equal parts page-turning and heartwarming, Jillian Cantor’s latest is a love letter to sisterhood and the eternal ties that, like the tide, continuously bring us back where we belong. A sparkling, unforgettable read from a standout voice."
–Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times Bestselling Author of Summer State of Mind
The May House by Jillian Cantor is a moving dual-timeline family drama set in Coronado, where three sisters—Julia, Emily, and Nora—inherit their grandmother’s beach house on the condition they spend one week together every May. When the most dependable sister fails to show up, a decades-long family secret begins to unravel, forcing the remaining two to confront the grief and fractured bonds that have defined their lives.
It’s a character-driven "mystery of the heart" that explores whether a single promise can bridge the gap between estranged siblings.
Intro:
~Three adult sisters—Julia, Emily, and Nora—inherit their grandmother’s beach house in Coronado.
~The catch: They must spend one week together every May to keep it.
Decades of distance and a shared family secret come to a head when Julia, the dependable eldest sister, fails to show up one year.
Setting:
~The idyllic, sun-drenched Coronado Island in California.
~The Ocean Boulevard house itself is a character, described so vividly that you can practically feel the salty sea air and cozy vibes.
Mood:
"A warm ray of sunshine" with an underlying current of mystery.
~It captures a "quietly intense" coastal mood that is equal parts heartrending and life-affirming.
The Vibe:
~Coastal & Atmospheric:
Set in a beachside home in Coronado, CA, filled with "salt air vibes" and cozy-yet-mysterious undertones.
~Intricate Sister Drama:
A "shimmering" story about three estranged sisters—Julia, Emily, and Nora—who reunite every May to honor a promise to their grandmother.
~Non-Linear Mystery:
Jumps frequently between childhood and adulthood to unravel a decades-long family secret.
Theme & Highlight:
~The Weight of Secrets: When the dependable oldest sister (Julia) fails to show up for their annual week, the others realize how little they truly knew about her.
~Unbreakable Bonds: Explores the "messy reality" of sisterhood—flawed, complicated, but ultimately unbreakable.
Character Highlight:
The "mystery of the heart" is driven by the distinct—and often clashing—identities of the three sisters:
~Julia: The "Type A" planner and anchor of the group, whose unexpected absence drives the plot. (Maryland)
~Emily: The middle sister, often viewed as the "perpetual screwup," who must step into a new role. (Florida)
~Nora: The youngest, a "flighty star" who feels the weight of the family's missing pieces most acutely. (New York)
Author Writing:
~Cantor utilizes a non-linear timeline that jumps between childhood and 2019.
~Her prose is praised for its "shimmering" quality and its ability to weave complex thematic elements subtly into a purposeful, well-crafted narrative.
Standout:
~The alternating points of view. Seeing the same past events through three different emotional lenses creates a "masterful" layering of truth and perspective.
Themes:
~The Unbreakable Sibling Bond:
Exploring how sisterhood is complicated but ultimately anchors you.
~Generational Trauma:
How long-held secrets unknowingly shape the lives and choices of descendants.
~Promises:
The weight of keeping your word to the dead and how those promises can eventually save the living.
Takeaway:
Family is like the tide; no matter how far you drift, there are invisible forces always pulling you back to where you belong.
Metaphor:
The sisters are like sea glass—tumbled and weathered by the rough waves of their personal lives, but smoothed into something beautiful only by returning to the same shore.
Why You Should Read:
~This is the perfect summer read for anyone who loved Little Women or enjoys deep dives into messy, realistic family dynamics.
~It balances "beach-read" aesthetics with "cerebral" mystery elements that keep you turning pages late into the night.
Recs:
~Great for anyone looking for a "Coastal California" escape with a side of family secrets.
~Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey
~The Island Club by Nicola Harrison
~ Alice Hoffman, Elizabeth Berg, Mary Ellen Taylor, Camille di Maio, Elin Hilderbrand, Eileen Goudge, or Rochelle Weinstein
Audio 🎧
~ I look forward to listening to the audiobook narrated by Cassandra Campbell (a favorite), who always delivers that 5-star signature performance that captures the distinct emotional tenor of each character, mood, and setting.
My thoughts:
"In The May House, Jillian Cantor explores the weight of a legacy that is both a gift and a burden. Three sisters, bound by a grandmother’s dying wish, return annually to a beachside sanctuary in Coronado that holds as many secrets as it does memories. But what happens when the anchor of the family suddenly vanishes? Cantor weaves a poignant, multi-generational story that asks if we ever truly know the people we grew up with—and if it’s ever too late to return home."
Special thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for sharing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: May 12, 2026
My Rating: 5 Stars
May 2026 Must-Read Books
About the Author
Jillian Cantor has a BA from Penn State University and an MFA from the University of Arizona. She is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of 15 novels for teens and adults which have been chosen for Indie Next, Library Reads, Amazon Best of the Month and have been translated into 15 languages. Born and raised in a suburb of Philadelphia, Cantor currently lives in Arizona with her husband and two sons. WEBSITE
