The Five-Star Weekend

At various points throughout The Five-Star Weekend, the main plotline is interrupted to focus on a Nantucket resident witnessing Hollis and her friends from an outsider’s perspective. Although sometimes gossipy and judgmental, the locals of Nantucket Island depict the benefits of a supportive, loyal home community. When Electra interrupts Hollis’s dinner with her friends, a woman named Sharon jumps to her rescue: “All Sharon has to say to Electra is ‘You will leave everyone at that table alone right now or I will see to it you are forever banned from this island. Trust me, I have that power’” (277). Unlike digital friends, in-person friends can jump to one’s rescue in a social situation. Residents of the island, unconnected from the mainland and only accessible by boat or plane, share a close bond due to the location of their community. While a private life can be challenging to maintain, the Nantucket community supports each other like family.

Realizing the bonds of the community, Tatum sees no value in ever moving away from Nantucket. While admiring the island’s beauty while out sailing, Tatum thinks, “There’s nothing like seeing Nantucket from the water to make you fall in love with the island all over again” (323).