Julia Morse, the narrator of this elegiac novel, has just died. But before she can move on, she needs to make sure that her husband, Ben, is going to be okay without her. So when he goes to their Fire Island house for the summer, she (or her not-quite-palpable spirit) follows.

"Jane L. Rosen...makes her characters and the setting feel both familiar and worthy of the reader’s time."

Over the course of the weeks leading up to Labor Day, we --- along with Julia --- watch Ben navigate his grief. At first he is too bereft to make an effort. But he gets plenty of support from neighbors like Shep, the crusty octogenarian who also lost his wife and temporarily moves in with Ben; Renee, Julia’s best friend, who is recovering from her husband’s betrayal and their subsequent divorce; Matty, Renee’s 16-year-old son, who can’t deal with his mom’s new dalliances; and many other characters who make up the small village on this real but unworldly island.

As Julia watches the summer unfold, she shares with us her thoughts on friends, summer rituals, and her own life. A successful book editor, she put off starting a family because she and Ben were so happy as a couple. But just when they decided to have a child, cancer took over. She was 37 when she died.

Jane L. Rosen --- whose previous novels are NINE WOMEN, ONE DRESS; ELIZA STARTS A RUMOR; and A SHOE STORY --- makes her characters and the setting feel both familiar and worthy of the reader’s time. While ON FIRE ISLAND unfolds satisfyingly, there is no big payoff in plot twists or emotional denouements. Still, this tender story about love and healing, set on an island where the real world seems very far away, might well be the perfect summer beach read.