Jamie Brenner’s Drawing Home transports readers to Sag Harbor for the summer. Here we find Emma Mapson and her daughter Penny who are Sag Harbor natives. Emma is a single mother who has been a concierge at the town’s most highly rated establishment, The American Inn, for about a decade. Her fourteen year old daughter Penny is an anxiety stricken teenager trying hard to fit in. Penny often spends afternoons at the hotel while waiting for Emma to finish her shift. At the hotel Penny forms an unlikely relationship with Henry Wyatt, a well known artist who settled in Sag Harbor when the hustle and bustle of New York City became too much for him. Henry mentors Penny and helps her use her art as an escape from her anxiety. When Henry dies, he leaves his multimillion dollar estate to Penny which houses his art collection. This comes as a huge shock to both Penny and her mother, who struggle to make ends meet. Penny sees it as a change to escape her mundane life but Emma is weary of the artist’s decision.
Henry’s decision to bequeath his estate to a fourteen year old stranger also comes as a shock to Bea Winstead, Henry’s longtime manager, business partner and friend. It was Bea that first noticed Henry’s talent and was the founder of the first art gallery to show his work. Although the two lost touch later in life, she questions the validity of his will and decides to travel to Sag Harbor herself to handle it. When Henry first decided to leave the city and settle down in the seaside town, Bea thought he was crazy. When Henry built his estate he told Bea that he wanted it to one day be made into a museum of his work for the residents of Sag Harbor to cherish. This explains why Bea is convinced Emma and Penny swindled their way into Henry’s will.
As Bea begins to investigate Emma and Penny she comes to find out exactly why Henry decided to leave them his estate. As the novel progresses Penny begins to evolve from a nervous, eager to fit in teenager to a more self confident young adult. We also see Emma figure out how to be a dedicated single parent but also take care of herself and follow her own dreams and desires. An unlikely but entertaining friendship develops between the Mapsons and Bea, and Henry’s plan for the three of them unfolds just the way he imagines…well, almost. Mix up your favorite cocktail and sit on the porch with this quick but worthwhile read.
2 Book Girls 