Pieces of Blue -- Holly Goldberg Sloan

<p><b>A Best Book of Summer (<i>The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post</i>)</b><br><b><br>"Bursting with humor, chaos, and raw tenderness." --Oprah Daily <p/>"<i>Pieces of Blue</i> is a brilliant and bighearted page-turner." --Maria Semple, <i>New York Times </i>bestselling author of <i>Where'd You Go, Bernadette</i> <p/>From <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author Holly Goldberg Sloan, a compelling and heartfelt novel for fans of Maria Semple and Emma Straub about a family trying to restore a ramshackle beachside motel--and their own lives</b> <p/><i>What good was thinking the future only held cloudy skies? Wasn't the reality that pieces of blue were always there, waiting to break through?</i> <p/>When Paul Hill drowns in a surfing accident, his broken-hearted wife, Lindsey, and their three children are left in huge financial trouble. Once Paul's life insurance finally comes through, Lindsey impulsively uses the money to buy a charmingly ramshackle motel in Hawai'i, hoping for a fresh start. Teenage Olivia quickly develops a crush on a handsome but monosyllabic skateboarder. Twelve-year-old Carlos reinvents himself as a popular kid named Carl. And Sena, the youngest, will do whatever it takes to protect her beloved motel chickens. <p/>But while the kids adjust, Lindsey is flailing, trying to pretend she knows how to bring a motel--and herself--back to life. Then a handsome stranger rolls into the motel parking lot, and she's surprised to feel a long-dormant pa