There's always a considerable amount of drama involved around a wedding. Shipstead’s considerable talents are a bit wasted on her cast of characters. It's hard to get too concerned about the fortunes of a wealthy white family and their angst. A very pregnant Daphne Van Meter is about to marry the scion of the Duff family at her family’s summer place on Waskeke, an island off New England. As the book opens, her striver father, Winn, is leaving for the drive up to Waskeke. He’s the kind of man who wears needlepoint belts, while other characters wear “ironic” clothing featuring whales. But a real, quite dead, whale will feature prominently by the end of this chaotic weekend. Winn's younger daughter, Livia, has recently had her heart broken when another wealthy young son of the island, Teddy Fenn, dumped her after she became pregnant and aborted the child. She grumps and sulks around feeling very sorry for herself, particularly after making a fool of herself at Teddy’s club while drunk. Teddy’s father, in turn, seems to be standing between Winn and his long-sought membership in the island’s exclusive golf club. In many respects, the main character is poor Winn, married to his pleasant but unexciting wife, Biddy, who has developed a seemingly insatiable passion for one of Daphne’s bridesmaids, the alluring and lusty Agatha. Misunderstandings and unfortunate coincidences drive the plot. That said, it is an amusing send up of a certain class of Americans and a lot of fun to read, a diverting summer beach read that makes one glad to be merely middle-class. 299 pp.
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