Winter Solstice (winter #4)

The fourth and final installment in Elin Hilderbrand's Winter Street series follows the Quinn family of Nantucket through the fall and early winter as patriarch Kelley Quinn's terminal brain cancer brings the sprawling, blended family together for their last holidays with him.

The novel opens in October as Kelley's second wife, Mitzi, plans a 22nd birthday party for their son, Bart, at the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) hall on Halloween. Bart has been home from Afghanistan for 10 months after nearly two years as a prisoner of war but struggles to readjust, spending most of his time smoking marijuana in his room. He insists on no costumes, partly because Kelley, now confined to a wheelchair after a seizure cost him sight in his left eye, is beyond dressing up. Bart reflects on how much has changed: his half-brother Patrick served 18 months in prison for insider trading; his half-brother Kevin married Isabelle, a former chambermaid at the family inn, and they now have two children and their own business; and his half-sister Ava moved to New York City, where she teaches music and dates Potter Lyons, a Columbia professor. These three older siblings are children of Kelley's first marriage to CBS news anchor Margaret Quinn, and Bart resents that they got more of their father than he ever did.

Eddie Pancik, recently released from prison for running a prostitution ring, receives the party invitation with excitement, hoping to restore his ruined social standing. He now works an entry-level phone job at Bayberry Properties, a real estate firm owned by his brother-in-law Glenn Daley. His wife, Grace, cannot attend the party, so their daughter Allegra, a receptionist at the same firm, agrees to accompany Eddie, noting that Bart is attractive.

In New York, Ava plans not to attend the party, fearing her father's decline will compel her to move home. Her plans shift after disastrous attempts to meet Potter's seven-year-old son, PJ. When Potter brings PJ to Ava's apartment for dinner, the boy screams that he hates her, and Potter takes him home. A second attempt at the Museum of Natural History goes no better, prompting Potter's ex-wife Trish and her boyfriend Harrison Fellowes to rush back from a conference. Harrison is kind to Ava and asks for her phone number, saying he has an idea. Realizing she needs stepparenting advice, Ava decides to attend the party and talk with Mitzi.

Meanwhile, Kelley lies in bed savoring small pleasures and worrying most about Bart's aimlessness and Mitzi's future. Eddie's phone job pays off when Marcia ("Masha") Christy calls, explaining that she and her husband, Raja, won a $132 million Powerball jackpot and want a Nantucket house. Eddie stops by the inn to RSVP and finds Mitzi in tears; she asks him to sell the inn, saying he is the only broker Kelley trusts.

Patrick's wife, Jennifer Quinn, a Boston interior decorator, privately struggles with cravings for the Ativan and oxycodone she became addicted to while Patrick was in prison. During a late-evening meeting, her client Grayson Coker, a bank CEO, plies her with scotch and attempts to kiss her; she struggles free and quits the project, losing a half-million-dollar fee. The next morning, Norah Vale, Kevin's ex-wife and Jennifer's former drug supplier, texts asking to meet on Nantucket.

At the party, all siblings attend. Bart tells Kelley beforehand that he plans to return to active duty in the Marines; Kelley squeezes his hand and whispers that it is okay. Eddie and Allegra arrive as the only guests in costume, having misunderstood the dress code. Bart, clearly attracted to Allegra, leads her outside with a bottle of tequila. Over shots, they exchange personal histories and share a tender first kiss. The ice cream cake is decorated with 22 candles plus 18 extras, one for each soldier in Bart's platoon who died, at his insistence. Afterward, Ava asks Mitzi how she managed to parent three resentful stepchildren. Mitzi counsels Ava to be herself with PJ, treat him with love and respect, and remember that she is the adult.

The next morning, Jennifer meets Norah and her brother Danko, a TV producer who pitches Jennifer a hosting role on Real-Life Rehab, a home renovation show. The catch: Jennifer must publicly reveal her addiction history. The pay is $35,000 per episode for 12 episodes. Jennifer asks for time to decide.

Through November, several threads advance. Eddie shows the Christys properties; they leave Nantucket deadlocked, with Raja wanting a stunning Wauwinet estate and Masha wanting the inn. Margaret retires from CBS to be closer to her dying ex-husband, delivering a final broadcast in which she offers unscripted closing remarks: "It has been my privilege to bring you the news each evening" (165). Bart struggles with guilt over his feelings for Allegra, haunted by his best friend Centaur's death during their captivity. On their first date, Allegra's chicken entrée triggers a crisis: When the Bely, the militants who held Bart prisoner, roasted a chicken, it meant a soldier would be executed the next morning. Allegra calmly has the dish removed and reorders, and Bart is grateful for her understanding.

A FaceTime call from Harrison brings a breakthrough: PJ talks to Ava voluntarily, and Harrison invites Potter to Thanksgiving in California. Potter is initially angry that Ava gave Harrison her number, but Ava argues passionately about the importance of civility between divorced parents, and Potter relents. Jennifer accepts the TV show after confessing her addiction to her friend Leanne Clinton, who urges her to "choose bravery over shame" (209). She tells Patrick everything, and he supports her. At Thanksgiving at the inn, Kevin's wife, Isabelle, confronts Jennifer about her association with Norah, but Patrick backs Jennifer. Separately, Grace reveals to Eddie that Benton Coe, her former lover, has offered her a well-paying job as a garden designer. She reassures Eddie her romantic feelings for Benton are gone, and Eddie gives his blessing.

December brings Nantucket's annual Christmas Stroll festival. Both Christys independently call Eddie to make surprise purchases for each other: Raja wants to buy Masha the inn, and Masha wants to buy Raja the Wauwinet house. Eddie is elated that both properties will sell. Glenn reveals that his full-price buyer for the inn is George Umbrau, the inn's former Santa Claus impersonator who had an affair with Mitzi years earlier. George plans to keep the inn as it was, allowing Mitzi to stay as long as she wishes. Jennifer attends a launch party for Real-Life Rehab, where Coker apologizes for his earlier behavior and has signed on as the show's sponsor. Patrick introduces himself to photographers as "Mr. Jennifer Quinn."

Bart receives confirmation for officer training at Camp Lejeune, a Marine Corps base in North Carolina, and asks Allegra to come with him. She agrees. But Mitzi calls Margaret with devastating news: Kelley has only days left. Ava cancels a planned Christmas trip to Austria with Potter and flies to Nantucket.

The family gathers at the inn on December 21, the winter solstice. Kelley drifts between consciousness and memory, perceiving visits from his deceased mother, his late brother Avery, and a young soldier who introduces himself as Centaur. Mitzi tells him George has bought the inn, and Kelley accepts this with peace. Potter, who has flown from Vienna, appears in the living room, gets on one knee, and proposes to Ava. She says yes and goes in to show Kelley the ring. He makes a sound that might be speech, and a trace of a smile crosses his lips. Each child says goodbye. Margaret goes last, thanking Kelley and whispering, "Because despite everything, there was always love" (291). Mitzi climbs into the hospital bed beside Kelley and tells him, "It's okay, Kelley. We are all going to be okay" (281). Kelley's final unspoken thought is that after the solstice, the days will get longer. Margaret closes the door, leaving Kelley and Mitzi in peace.