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From the New York Times bestselling author Sarah McCoy, a compulsive, sun-splashed voyage of self-discovery with a wealthy divorcee and her two headstrong daughters in 1970s Mustique, the world’s most exclusive private island, where Princess Margaret and Mick Jagger were regulars and long-held secrets are the buried treasures.
It’s January 1972 but the sun is white hot when Willy May Michael’s boat first kisses the dock of Mustique Island. Tucked into the southernmost curve of the Caribbean, Mustique is a private island that has become a haven for the rich and privileged. Its owner is the eccentric British playboy Colin Tennant, who is determined to turn this speck of white sand into a luxurious neo-colonial retreat for his well-to-do friends and into a royal court in exile for the Queen’s rebellious sister, Princess Margaret—one where Her Royal Highness can skinny dip, party, and entertain lovers away from the public eye.
Willy May, a former beauty queen from Texas—who is no stranger to marital scandals—seeks out Mustique for its peaceful isolation. Determined to rebuild her life and her relationships with her two daughters, Hilly, a model, and Joanne, a musician, she constructs a fanciful beach house across the island from Princess Margaret—and finds herself pulled into the island’s inner circle of aristocrats, rock stars, and hangers-on.
When Willy May’s daughters arrive, they discover that beneath its veneer of decadence, Mustique has a dark side, and like sand caught in the undertow, their mother-daughter story will shift and resettle in ways they never could have imagined.
🌟AMAZON Best Book of the Month Pick for Literature & Fiction
🌟BOOKBUB Best Book of Spring Pick
🌟Town & Country Best Book of May Pick
🌟Veranda Magazine Best New Book of Summer Pick
🌟Vox Magazine Pick of May
🌟Best Beach Bag Book Pick by the Satellite Sisters
🌟Deep South Magazine‘s Summer Reading List Pick
“Sarah McCoy’s Mustique Island is a sun-kissed mother-daughter story set against the backdrop of the titular private island.”
— POPSUGAR’s Most Anticipated Books of 2022
“If you’ve ever wanted to slip into a picture by Slim Aarons, renowned photographer of elites on continuous vacations, now is your chance. McCoy’s gorgeous novel takes place on the Caribbean island of Mustique in the 1970s, a getaway for Princess Margaret and her celebrity hangers-on (paging Mick and Bianca). Divorcée Willy May Michael, a former Texas beauty queen, has her heart set on designing a home on the island to help rebuild her relationship with her daughters. Caught up in the social scene’s excesses and the politics of an island with a tangled history of colonization, she and her daughters live in a world of wealth but struggle and sacrifice to make the life they want for themselves.”
— The Washington Post
“If you’re looking forward to a summer of beach books, Mustique Island is the perfect tropical treat to whet your appetite.”
— The Augusta Chronicle
“Mustique Island by Sarah McCoy is an absolute dream come true for literary enthusiasts.
— Lone Star Lit
“I know we’re not supposed to judge books by their covers—but this one makes my eyes so happy. When I pulled my early copy of Mustique Island from its envelope, I gasped. Look at it: The punchy, beachy colors! The glamorous, 70’s vibe! That typeface. Even better, Sarah McCoy has the storytelling chops to make the inside as lovely as the outside.”
— Mary Laura Philpott, bestselling author of Bomb Shelter
“Historical fiction lovers will luxuriate in a trip to Mustique Island, Sarah McCoy’s latest novel about a 1970s enclave, and a mother and her daughters who find their new beginnings there. McCoy’s created a big-hearted, enchanting gem.”
— Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me
“Readers will embrace Sarah McCoy’s heartfelt, thoughtful story of mothers and daughters, desire and identity amid the circus life of Mustique Island that asks the questions: what do we owe one another, and what do we owe ourselves?”
— Therese Anne Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of A Good Neighborhood
“I loved every minute of my trip to glorious Mustique Island… Sarah McCoy’s writing is just like the island— so warm and luscious. It lets you feel the warm breeze on your skin and has you rooting for the fabulous Willy May, such a beautifully drawn, strong woman. I couldn’t wait to jump back into this fascinating world each night.”
— Martha Hall Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls
“Glamorous, scandalous, and wholly immersive in a way that will keep you turning pages long after the sun has set, Mustique Island is a captivating story of mothers and daughters told with adventurous spirit and heart. Toss this in your beach bag and your summer reading is set.”
— Steven Rowley, bestselling author of The Guncle
“I am utterly charmed by the characters, the writing, the sunshine, and the way Sarah McCoy seamlessly blends fact and fiction. Mustique Island is an immersive delight and a welcome ray of light.”
— Jane Green, New York Times bestselling author of Sister Stardust
“As soon as I opened this gorgeous novel and sailed with Willy May to the picture-perfect island of Mustique, I was entranced. A moving exploration of the bonds of love and motherhood, Mustique Island is my new favorite Sarah McCoy novel…and the best book I’ve read this year. Pair this novel with a Pink Lady cocktail–made with roselle hibiscus, ginger, and cloves–for a blissful, literary escape.”
— Amanda Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters
“It’s the early 1970s, and it’s perfectly acceptable to name-drop visiting royalty, whether rock (Mick Jagger) or Windsor (Princess Margaret)… sun-drenched and frequently frothy, McCoy’s underlying tale of women-in-crisis who claw their way back to strength carries sobering messages about the importance of family loyalty and resiliency.”
— Booklist
