Chapter summaries The Five-Star Weekend Elin Hilderbrand

Chapter 27 Summary: Book in Hand, Feet in Sand

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The chapter opens with Caroline in her bedroom feeling guilty about breakfast with Jack but excited by the $2,500 Hollis sent via Venmo. She heads to the pool with Isaac’s drone, recalling the romantic day he taught her to fly it in Central Park. On the beach, Hollis and the guests settle under umbrellas. Caroline launches the drone and captures bird’s-eye footage of Tatum sunbathing, Brooke reading (or pretending to), Gigi in a bikini, and Dru-Ann swimming. She spots a seal and wonders if something sinister lurks beyond the idyllic scene.

Hollis and Gigi take a walk away from the others. Hollis admits she had breakfast with her first love, Jack Finigan, and reminisces about their teenage romance, including kissing in the dunes and parking in the “Round Room.” Gigi empathizes. Hollis thanks Gigi for being a lifeline after Matthew’s death and asks why she agreed to come. Gigi hints at a connection, then accidentally says “now that he’s dead” about her partner. Hollis is stunned to learn Gigi also lost someone. Gigi deflects, saying she wants to escape while at the weekend. Hollis feels mortified for assuming her own grief was more important.

Dru-Ann finds peace swimming in the ocean. Gigi joins her, and they discuss Dru-Ann’s public-relations crisis. Gigi says the online attacks are rubbish and encourages Dru-Ann to stand by her convictions rather than apologize. Dru-Ann decides not apologizing is on brand.

Brooke struggles with body image and food. She skips lunch at first, then gives in and eats a lobster salad sandwich and a BLT, feeling bloated and guilty. She tries to read but cannot focus. Hollis brings lunch straight from Something Natural, including sandwiches, Asian noodle salad, watermelon, and Paloma sugar cookies.

Caroline reviews the drone footage, pleased with the results. She hears knocking and finds Charlie Kirtley, Tatum’s husband, drunk on the porch in a FREE BRADY T-shirt. Caroline quickly closes the door and goes to find her mother.

Key Events

  • Caroline flies Isaac’s drone and captures footage of the beach scene, including a seal.
  • Hollis tells Gigi she had breakfast with her first love, Jack Finigan.
  • Gigi inadvertently reveals that her partner died; Hollis realizes Gigi also suffered a loss.
  • Dru-Ann and Gigi swim together; Gigi advises Dru-Ann not to apologize for her controversy.
  • Brooke obsesses over food and body image, finally eats, and feels self-conscious.
  • Charlie Kirtley arrives drunk at the house, prompting Caroline to fetch Hollis.

Character Development

  • Caroline feels guilt but focuses on her job; her drone flying connects her to Isaac and gives her a sense of purpose.
  • Hollis opens up about Jack and realizes she was blind to Gigi’s grief, feeling ashamed of her self-absorption.
  • Gigi nearly reveals she lost Matthew; she deflects but the secret edges closer to the surface.
  • Dru-Ann finds solace in the ocean and, with Gigi’s encouragement, decides not to apologize, staying true to her brand.
  • Brooke struggles with insecurity and a cycle of eating and guilt; she cannot relax or connect with others.
  • Charlie Kirtley appears drunk and immature, suggesting potential disruption to the weekend.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Surveillance and Symmetry: The drone gives Caroline a god’s-eye view, highlighting the tension between the weekend’s perfection and underlying problems.
  • Ocean as Healing: Dru-Ann describes the ocean as “vast” and “profound,” a place where her troubles shrink.
  • Secrets and Confidences: Gigi’s accidental slip about her partner’s death brings her hidden connection to Hollis closer to daylight.
  • Food and Control: Brooke’s relationship with food mirrors her anxiety; she cannot savor or stop, unlike Gigi who eats mindfully.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens the mystery around Gigi by revealing she lost someone close to her at the same time as Hollis lost Matthew, creating a parallel Hollis is just beginning to grasp. It also advances Caroline’s role as filmmaker and introduces Charlie Kirtley, whose drunken arrival hints at conflict to come. The beach scene shows each woman coping with her personal burdens, setting the stage for more revelations.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. What does Hollis reveal to Gigi during their walk on the beach?
    Hollis admits she broke the “rules” of the Five-Star Weekend by having breakfast with her first love, Jack Finigan.

  2. How does Gigi advise Dru-Ann to handle the public-relations crisis?
    Gigi tells Dru-Ann not to apologize, arguing that speaking her mind and standing by her convictions is why she became popular in the first place.

  3. Why does Brooke skip lunch initially, and what does she do instead?
    Brooke feigns sleep because she feels self-conscious about eating and her body image, but eventually she joins and eats half a lobster salad sandwich and half a BLT, then feels bloated and guilty.

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