The Big House : A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home

A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home

By: George Howe Colt

Write A Review

Paperback | 1 June 2004

At a Glance

Paperback
336 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.43 x 13.97 x 2.79

Paperback

$39.99

or 4 interest-free payments of $10.00 with

Ships in 5 to 10 business days

Faced with the sale of the century-old family summer house on Cape Cod where he had spent forty-two summers, George Howe Colt recounts returning for one last stay with his wife and children in this stunning memoir that was a National Book Award Finalist and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.

This poignant tribute to the eleven-bedroom jumble of gables, bays, and dormers that watched over weddings, divorces, deaths, anniversaries, birthdays, breakdowns, and love affairs for five generations interweaves Colt’s final visit with memories of a lifetime of summers. Run-down yet romantic, The Big House stands not only as a cherished reminder of summer’s ephemeral pleasures but also as a powerful symbol of a vanishing way of life.

Industry Reviews

David Halberstam What a wonderful book. George Howe Colt has taken an original idea -- over four generations a house is a family and a family is a house -- and turned it into an uncommon success, becoming in the process the writer as family archaeologist. It's a book that stands in a line with The Late George Apley and The Proper Bostonians.

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.

Defective items

If there is a problem with any of the items received for your order then the Booktopia Customer Care team is ready to assist you.

For more info please visit our Help Centre.

You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Sociology & Anthropology Sociology Sociology & Customs & Traditions Home & House Maintenance History General & World History Earliest Times to Present Day 20th Century History from 1900 to 2000 Specific Events & Topics in History Social & Cultural History Arts & Entertainment

Architecture Theory of Architecture Biographies & True Stories Biographies Regional & National History History of the Americas

Prologue: Winter	p. 1

Arriving	p. 5
The Family Tree	p. 20
1963	p. 30
The Discovery of Cape Cod	p. 42
Rooftree	p. 60
Renovations	p. 79
Fishing	p. 89
The North and South Faces	p. 100
The Barn	p. 117
Plain Living	p. 123
Money	p. 131
Sailing	p. 142
Tennis	p. 158
Midsummer	p. 173

Hidden House	p. 181
The Big Cove	p. 205
Missing Cards	p. 217
Rain	p. 228
The White Elephant	p. 237
Full House	p. 257
Florida	p. 272
Leaving	p. 284
Epilogue: Indian Summer	p. 301
Notes on Sources	p. 321
Acknowledgments	p. 325
Table of Contents provided by Rittenhouse. All Rights Reserved.

The Big House : A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home

A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in Biographies

Touching the Sky

The extraordinary story of an Australian trailblazer who became the longest flying female airline pilot in the world

Kosciuszko

The incredible life of the man behind the mountain

Rebirth

A Love Story From the Depths of War

Musquito

The real story of a legendary colonial warrior

Long Journey Home

The perilous escapes of Anzac POWs from fascists in wartime Italy

Outside the Wire

On the front line with the SAS in Australia's war in Afghanistan

The Infinity Machine

Demis Hassabis, DeepMind and the Quest for Superintelligence

I Wrote My Own Eulogy

The art of appreciating your own life

Hunting Elly's Killer

A father's relentless pursuit of justice

Louis-Francois Cartier

The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon

Kate!

The Courage, Grace, and Power of the Woman Who Will Be Queen

Getting Murdoched

How Murdoch's Media Wields Power and Punishment

You Better Believe I'm Gonna Talk About It

An Ocean and a Day

A powerful and poignant memoir on grief, loss and hope, from the internationally bestselling author of The Search Party

Poor Charlie's Almanack

The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

Being Patient

Close Encounters in Cancer World

The Outrageous Good Fortune of Living

A guide to replacing religion with meaning and grace, for readers of Julia Baird, Stephanie Dowrick and Alain de Botton

Survivor

Life in the SAS

Nobody's Girl

A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice

We Did Ok, Kid

A Memoir

Elderhood

Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life

Elizabeth II

In Private. In Public. The Inside Story.

You Better Believe I'm Gonna Talk About It

Detention

A rookie teacher. The toughest prison school in Australia.

This product is categorised by