Beatriz Williams returns to the fictional shores of Winthrop Island with Under the Stars, a spellbinding narrative that weaves together three women’s destinies across two centuries. This latest offering from the New York Times bestselling author demonstrates her remarkable ability to craft stories that feel both intimately personal and sweepingly epic, establishing her as one of contemporary historical fiction’s most accomplished voices.
The novel centers on the discovery of mysterious paintings hidden in the cellar of the Mohegan Inn, setting in motion a chain of revelations that connect modern-day chef Audrey Fisher to Providence Dare, a woman who vanished aboard the doomed steamship Atlantic in 1846. Williams masterfully employs her signature dual-timeline structure, alternating between contemporary Winthrop Island and the treacherous waters of Long Island Sound during one of America’s most devastating maritime disasters.
Character Development: Complex Women Across Time
The Contemporary Trio
Williams excels in creating flawed, authentic characters who feel genuinely human rather than mere plot devices. Audrey Fisher emerges as a compelling protagonist—a world-class chef struggling to emerge from her famous mother’s shadow while grappling with the recent collapse of her marriage and restaurant. Her relationship with food serves as both her salvation and her identity, beautifully rendered through Williams’s vivid descriptions of culinary artistry.
Meredith Fisher, Audrey’s alcoholic actress mother, could have easily been a one-dimensional figure of Hollywood excess. Instead, Williams crafts a woman whose glamorous screen persona masks deep trauma and genuine vulnerability. Her journey toward sobriety and reconciliation with her past feels authentic and earned, particularly in her complicated relationship with Mike Kennedy, Audrey’s bartender father.
The supporting cast, including the enigmatic Sedge Peabody and the gruff but loveable Mike Kennedy, adds depth and local color to the Winthrop Island setting. Sedge, in particular, serves as both romantic interest and amateur art historian, his character providing crucial exposition without feeling forced or artificial.
Historical Authenticity and Providence Dare
The historical sections showcase Williams’s meticulous research and storytelling prowess. Providence Dare is rendered as a fully realized character whose voice feels authentic to the 1840s while remaining accessible to modern readers. Her relationship with the painter Henry Irving and the detective John Starkweather creates a compelling love triangle built on genuine emotional stakes rather than mere romantic convention.
Williams’s decision to base the Atlantic disaster on actual historical events adds gravitas to the narrative. The shipwreck sequences are harrowing and visceral, demonstrating her ability to balance historical accuracy with dramatic necessity.
Structural Brilliance and Narrative Flow
The novel’s structure—alternating between Providence’s first-person account and Audrey’s third-person present-day narrative—creates natural momentum and suspense. Williams has mastered the art of the cliffhanger, ending chapters at precisely the right moments to maintain reader engagement without resorting to cheap tricks.
The device of Providence’s discovered manuscript serves multiple purposes: it provides historical context, drives the contemporary plot forward, and creates an intimate connection between past and present. This narrative choice feels organic rather than contrived, a testament to Williams’s skill in plot construction.
Thematic Depth and Artistic Merit
Family Secrets and Identity
Under the Stars explores themes of family legacy, identity, and the ways our ancestors’ choices echo through generations. The paintings themselves serve as both literal artifacts and metaphorical bridges between past and present, representing how art can preserve truth even when official records fail.
The mystery surrounding Audrey’s paternity adds another layer to these themes, though Williams handles this subplot with restraint, avoiding melodrama in favor of genuine emotional complexity.
Art as Historical Witness
Williams’s incorporation of Henry Irving’s paintings as central plot elements demonstrates her understanding of how art functions as both historical document and emotional expression. The detailed descriptions of the artworks and their discovery create palpable excitement, making readers feel they’re uncovering hidden treasures alongside the characters.
Critical Assessment: Strengths and Weaknesses
What Works Exceptionally Well
Williams’s prose strikes an ideal balance between accessibility and literary merit. Her descriptions of both modern culinary scenes and 19th-century maritime life are vivid without being overwrought. The dialogue feels natural and period-appropriate, particularly in the historical sections where maintaining authenticity while ensuring comprehension requires significant skill.
The romance elements never overwhelm the central mystery, instead serving to illuminate character development and advance the plot. Both Audrey’s tentative relationship with Sedge and Providence’s complex feelings for Irving and Starkweather feel genuine and hard-earned.
Areas for Improvement
While generally excellent, the novel occasionally suffers from pacing issues, particularly in the middle sections where the contemporary storyline sometimes feels less urgent than the historical narrative. Some readers may find the coincidences required to bring all plot threads together somewhat convenient, though Williams generally handles these moments with sufficient skill to maintain suspension of disbelief.
The legal subplot involving the Irving family’s claim to the paintings, while necessary for plot resolution, feels slightly underdeveloped compared to the rich emotional and historical elements of the story.
Literary Context and Comparison
Under the Stars demonstrates Williams’s continued evolution as a writer, building on the strengths displayed in previous works like The Summer Wives and Husbands & Lovers. Her ability to create compelling historical mysteries while maintaining contemporary relevance places her in the company of authors like Kate Morton and Lucinda Riley.
The novel’s exploration of art history and family secrets recalls the work of Susan Meissner and Alyson Richman, while its maritime disaster elements evoke the historical authenticity found in works by Jennifer Chiaverini and Martha Hall Kelly.
Final Verdict: A Triumphant Return to Winthrop Island
Under the Stars succeeds brilliantly as both historical fiction and contemporary family drama. Williams has created a novel that honors the past while speaking directly to present-day concerns about identity, family, and the price of hidden truths. The book’s exploration of how art preserves memory and meaning across generations feels particularly relevant in our current cultural moment.
The novel’s 400+ pages never feel excessive, with Williams maintaining tension and reader interest throughout. Her research into both the Atlantic disaster and 19th-century American art history enriches the narrative without overwhelming it, creating a story that educates as it entertains.
For readers who appreciate multi-generational sagas with strong female protagonists, compelling historical detail, and satisfying mystery elements, Under the Stars delivers on all fronts. Williams has crafted a novel that stands as both an entertaining page-turner and a thoughtful exploration of how the past continues to shape the present.
Recommendations for Similar Reads
Readers who enjoyed Under the Stars should consider:
Historical Fiction with Dual Timelines
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
- The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
- The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
Family Saga Mysteries
- The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
- The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer
- The Birth House by Ami McKay
Other Beatriz Williams Novels
For newcomers to Williams’s work, consider starting with Husbands & Lovers, The Summer Wives or A Hundred Summers to appreciate her signature style before diving into the interconnected Winthrop Island series.
Under the Stars firmly establishes Beatriz Williams as a master of historical fiction who understands that the best stories about the past illuminate truths about the present. This is essential reading for anyone who believes that some secrets are worth uncovering, no matter how long they’ve been buried.