Beatriz Williams’ 2013 book, “A Hundred Summers,” is a story of love, friendship, deceit and bigotry, along with a catastrophic storm of the century.  The author transports the reader through 1930s high-society Manhattan and the coastline of Rhode Island on a wealthy island where old money summers each year.

Williams is my favorite author; she has made me cherish the genre of historical fiction. Though “A Hundred Summers,” is not her first published work, it is the first of her novels that I discovered.

I have been reading her books religiously for more than a decade. Each summer her wonderfully crafted stories based on little intricate pieces of history become my beach read, which I look forward to as soon as the weather at the Jersey shore gets warm. Williams’ story leading up to the devastating hurricane of 1938 must be adapted for the screen as a limited series.

Williams’ novels are more than easy beach reads. The overlooked moments of history she chooses to create a story around prompt me to do my own research, wanting more.

“A Hundred Summers” follows the forbidden love of Lily Dane and Nick Greenwald. They are prevented from being together by circles in New York’s high society because Lily is a Protestant and Nick is Jewish.  Through a series of plot twists, the two are separated until they meet again seven years later in 1938 on the beautiful shore town of Seaview, Rhode Island, a place where Lily’s family has vacationed for years.

The story picks back up with the abrupt arrival of Nick and the new Mrs. Budgie Greenwald, Lily’s childhood best friend.  The high society of the fictional Seaview shore town is cold to the newlyweds because of Nick’s Jewish ancestry and Lily’s betrayal by her friend. Drama ensues.

The story has everything that makes a juicy limited series perfect for binge-watching—past flames, dark family secrets, old money problems and an aesthetic backdrop.  Did I mention the real-life storm of the century, hence the title of the novel?

According to the National Weather Service, “the hurricane produced storm tides of 14 to 18 feet across most of the Connecticut coast, with 18- to 25-foot tides from New London east to Cape Cod. The destructive power of the storm surge was felt throughout the coastal community.” The NWS also mentions, “Narragansett Bay took the worst hit, where a storm surge of 12 to 15 feet destroyed most coastal homes, marinas and yacht clubs.”

The hurricane approaches New England, coinciding with the climax of the story, adding nailbiting suspense that Williams excels at creating.  In fact, 43 houses were destroyed during the storm on Seaview Neck.

What I also love about Williams’ collection of novels is that there are two main family trees that overlap. Although the stories work on their own, it is always satisfying to bump into characters you previously met in another novel, in another world by Williams.

In “A Hundred Summers,” we first meet Christina Schuyler and Julie Schuyler, two characters from the fictional Schuyler family that appear over Williams’ collection of work. The Schuyler family tree can be found on the author’s website, BeatrizWilliams.com.

As previously mentioned, “A Hundred Summers” should be adapted as a limited series, and moreover could work as part of a collection because all of her novels would work beautifully on the screen.

According to her site, “The Summer Wives,” published in 2018, is “now in development for television with John Wells Productions, with the author to adapt.” The Hollywood Reporter, in an article from 2019, “John Wells Inks 9-Figure Warner Bros. Deal, Sets Expansive 13-Show Slate” mentions the title as a “project currently in development” but the latest article in the publication on Wells’ overall deal with Warner Bros.,  unfortunately, makes no mention of the novel or writer.

A potential “A Hundred Summers” series’ setting would split mainly between a picturesque lazy shore town of inherited cottages and glamorous Manhattan apartments. I envision the costume designer as Donna Kakowska, who designed the wardrobes in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” making the costumes also a major character in the story, whether it be Manhattan eveningwear or coastal chic. The soundtrack would be led by artists like Laufey with a modern jazz vibe mirroring the music of the ’30s.

Make this happen, someone!

And when it does, pour yourself a martini dry, old fashioned or Shirley Temple, and curl up with a fluffy blanket in your silk PJ’s and settle in for a marathon watch.

About the Writer

Kristin Gura is a fan of comedian biographies, historical fiction and sports. She has spent most of her life residing in various neighborhoods in Philadelphia, and mostly enjoys being outdoors in nature. A proud mother of three, she is married to her wonderful husband of 25 years, and is a lover of fine meats and cheeses.