ENDLESS SUMMER

Prequels, sequels, and bonus tracks for favorite Hilderbrand novels.

One wonders what the author of 28 novels, sometimes appearing at the rate of two per year, does in her spare time. It turns out she writes what might almost be called Elin Hilderbrand fan fiction, creating short stories piggybacking off already-developed characters and plots. Brief introductions to each of the nine stories presented in this collection explain which book it goes with and the circumstances of its creation (most were digital or limited-edition publications; three were unpublished until now). Though it certainly would be best to read each story with its progenitor, as suggested, some can also work on their own. Both "The Surfing Lesson" (which goes with Beautiful Day) and "The Tailgate" (The Matchmaker) have the tight narrative focus and limited character set that make the short form shine. Less successful are the add-on stories "Summer of '79" and "Summer of '89," because if you haven't come fresh from Summer of '69, the large, multigenerational cast and intricate tapestry of the backstories are a little challenging. Fans of Golden Girl, in which Nantucket novelist Vivi Howe dies in the first chapter, will be pleased to see her resurrected here in "The Workshop." Vivi's experiences at the Bread Loaf Writer's Conference in Vermont are based on Hilderbrand's famously terrible time at the University of Iowa graduate writing program. Also fun is "Barbie's Wedding," in which realtor Fast Eddie Pancik's little sister, a bit player from The Rumor, marries the competition, shaking off any latent bad juju from the prostitution ring she helped run.

A generous gift to the fans.