Books

Elin Hilderbrand, queen of beach reads, has more to say

Here's what the ‘queen of beach reads’ will be doing in her next chapter in life, as she brings her 24-year tradition of summer Nantucket books to an end.

By Annie Jonas

June 19, 2024

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Since the publication of her first novel in 2000, Elin Hilderbrand has penned nearly 30 popular novels set on Nantucket. She’s a regular on the New York Times bestseller list, and with more than 20 million books sold worldwide, she’s more than earned her title as the “queen of the beach read.”

For two decades, Hilderbrand has delivered a summer novel set on Nantucket every June to her dedicated fanbase, the “Hilderbabes.”

But the summer tradition is coming to an end this year, as Hilderbrand embarks on her next chapter in life: retirement.

“Swan Song” is the last of Hilderbrand’s Nantucket novels. The book, published last week, is a “meta” mystery story that follows a retiring police chief as he tries to solve a mysterious fire.

We talked with Hilderbrand about what’s next for the Nantucket literary legend, her new Netflix show, her favorite summer reads, and more.

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Boston.com: In 2021, you announced you would retire in 2024. What influenced your decision?

Hilderbrand: I’ve written 27 novels set on Nantucket. There’s been a new summer novel every year for the past 24 years. And I have run out of compelling, fresh takes on Nantucket. The last three or four books have been harder and harder to write because I sense – or I fear – that I’m repeating myself. I decided back in 2021 that I was going to retire this year, and so the business plan that I’ve been on (which is one Nantucket summer book coming out every June) is coming to an end. I’m calling it a “retirement” so that readers acknowledge that is no longer happening, that their summers are no longer going to include a new Nantucket summer book. But I will still write.

I’ve been on a brutal schedule, like a hamster wheel of deadlines for years and years and years, and I want to get off. I do 40 speaking events a year, and it’s just so much, it’s so much time away from my kids. My kids are at that age (they’re between 18 and 24) where they’re not yet launched, they’re still living with me at my house. I want to be able to spend time with them before they move out and have their own families. I’m still going to be writing all the time. I just need at least a year without any kind of looming, pending deadline.

The news of your retirement came as a surprise to many in your loyal fanbase, the Hilderbabes. What will your retirement mean for your fans? 

I care for them very, very deeply, and that is one of the main reasons why I’m retiring. We’ve all followed and read an author [for a long time], and then one book just isn’t as good as the others. I never want to be that person, that is my worst nightmare. And I can sense it. I can sense that it’s not sustainable what I’m doing. I want to retire before anyone picks up a book and says, ‘You know what? It just wasn’t as good as her last one,’ or ‘It reminded me too much of this book.’ I never want that to happen. I also didn’t want to pivot without giving everybody a warning, because it has been a long time and I’ve been very, very consistent.

What are you currently writing? 

I have a two-book deal with my daughter, we’re writing two novels set at boarding school. The first book, “The Academy,” is coming out September 2025, and book two will come out in September of 2026. That is loosely based on her experience at St. George’s School in Newport, [Rhode Island]. 

What other projects are you working on?

My novel, “The Perfect Couple,” which came out in 2018, has been made into a six-episode Netflix series. They’re going to announce the release date in July. It was shot in Chatham and it stars Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Dakota Fanning, Eve Hewson and Meghann Fahey from “The White Lotus.”

It’s an incredible cast, one of the best ensembles, honestly, of all time. It has an amazing director, Susanne Bier, who did ‘The Undoing, “The Night Manager,” and “Bird Box.” She’s incredible, so I’m super excited about that.

I have a bunch of other projects, too. “The Five Star Weekend” is in development with Peacock right now, and “Swan Song” has been optioned (I can’t tell you by who). “The Winter Street” book series has been optioned and “28 Summers” [has been optioned] with a movie company. I’m going to hope and pray that “The Perfect Couple” is successful enough that those all end up getting greenlit. That would be so much fun, and I can be as involved or as uninvolved as I want to be on those.

I’m executive producer on all my projects, but I’m not writing them, so the pressure is minimal. My involvement with “The Perfect Couple” has been so much fun, like I got dinner with Nicole Kidman. It’s just been incredible.

Many Boston.com readers spend their summers on Nantucket. Can you speak more about the depiction of the island they can expect to see in “The Perfect Couple?” 

Because the majority of “The Perfect Couple” was filmed on location in Chatham, the production will have an authentic Cape and island feel. The second unit shot extensively on Nantucket itself, and the script includes inside references to places like Bartlett’s Farm. Hollywood legend Fred North took overhead footage in his helicopter, and he later messaged me and said it was one of the most beautiful places he’s ever shot.

In an interview with The Washington Post, you said “the phenomenon of ‘Big Little Lies’ cannot be understated.” What did you mean by that, and why was the TV show important for you and your work? 

“Big Little Lies” changed the game, as far as taking women’s stories and making them into commercial properties on the screen. As soon as that started winning awards, my phone started ringing. That’s when a lot of my stuff got optioned. What I’m hoping is that after “The Perfect Couple” comes out, Nantucket and beach reads will then be considered fodder for Hollywood.

Let’s talk about the categorization of the beach read. It is often not taken seriously, or is not considered high-brow literature. What do you make of its categorization?

I went to the University of Iowa Writers Workshop, it’s very fancy and extremely literary. And then I went on to write beach reads. I bring all of those tools in my toolbox to my beach reads. I think that’s why they’re so popular, because they are really character based. I use everything that I learned at Iowa, and I apply it to a genre that is considered more commercial – it is more commercial, because I sell a ton of books. But I’m also trying to elevate the genre. I’m trying to elevate the genre so that people expect really good storylines, really in-depth characters, and really interesting twists in a beach read.

What books do you recommend for Boston.com readers headed to the beach this summer?

I loved “Real Americans” by Rachel Khong, it is absolutely amazing. In my opinion, if you’re taking your vacation time on the beach, you want something that’s going to engage you. So anything that’s going to engage you counts as a beach read for me.

There’s a book coming out next week by Claire Lombardo called “Same As It Ever Was,” and it is unbelievable, definitely one of my top books of the year. And then “All Fours” by Miranda July. I loved, loved, loved it.

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