Summary
Highlights
The host, Captain Book, discusses the structure of the podcast for 'The Cousins,' which will be covered in three parts due to ongoing house construction. This episode covers chapters 1-8 (pages 1-110). Key themes include multiple mysteries, numerous 'A' names, a pickpocket, uncomfortable attractions, and a shocking revelation at the end of the covered section. The book alternates perspectives between the three cousins: Milly, Aubry, and Jonah, and includes flashbacks from Milly's mother, Allison, set 20 years prior. The premise involves a grandmother, Mildred Story, who disinherited her four children, and the cousins receiving an unexpected invitation to work at her prestigious island resort, Gulf Cove.
Milly, full name Mildred (named after her grandmother), is 17 and lives in Brooklyn with her amicably divorced parents. She reflects on her strained relationship with her mother, Allison, attributing it to the family's past with her grandmother. Milly's grandfather, Allison's father, died when Allison was a senior in high school. Two years later, Mildred disowned all her children, citing 'you know what you did' in a notorious note. After 24 years of no contact, Mildred invites Milly, Jonah, and Aubry to work at her resort for the summer. Allison blackmails Milly to accept, hoping to be re-inherited.
Aubry's chapter begins with her deliberately losing a swim meet, suggesting underlying issues. Her four-year relationship with Thomas appears to be ending, as he avoids her and seems distant. Aubry's family dynamic is tumultuous, particularly with her father, Adam, an author who recently cheated on Aubry’s mother. The 'you know what you did' note from the grandmother puzzles Aubry, who now questions her father’s honesty, seeing how easily he lies.
Jonah, a 'weirdo in a good way' who researches to calm himself, arrives on the ferry with a collection of articles about the Story family. He meets Milly and Aubry, who don't recognize him due to his lack of online presence. There's an immediate, awkward attraction between Jonah and Milly, making the narrator suspect they might not be blood relatives. The cousins discuss their family, including their parents' strained relationships. Jonah receives a cryptic text from 'JT,' leading to speculation about a 'Parent Trap' scenario. The chapter ends with Milly confronting Jonah, suspecting he's not who he claims to be and that everyone has secrets they may be keeping.
Milly, Aubry, and Jonah arrive at Gull Cove Island. Milly wears her grandfather's watch, stuck at 3:00, and her mother's red high school dress as a statement. She learns more about her cousins' family finances, including an article about Jonah's father, Anders, being accused of a Ponzi scheme. They encounter an old, senile man, Dr. Fred Baxter, who mistakes Milly for her mother, Allison, and warns her about Mildred. He also makes a cryptic comment about Aubry's father, Adam. Hazel, Dr. Baxter's granddaughter, who wrote a college report on the Story family, offers to help them. Expecting Edward Franklin, the cousins are informed he left abruptly, and Carson Fine, the head of hospitality, has no record of their invitation. They finally meet Mildred, who seems unaware they were coming, leading Milly to conclude that someone else orchestrated their invitation.
A flashback to June 1996, six months after Allison's grandfather's death. Mildred plans a party for Allison's brothers, Adam and Anders, returning from Harvard. Allison, Archer, Adam, and Anders are all planning for the future. Allison’s crush, Matt, whose mother, Theresa, is Mildred's assistant, previously hooked up with Anders's on-again, off-again girlfriend, Kayla. This creates tension, especially as Anders despises Matt. Allison contemplates a date with Matt but decides against it to avoid drama, prioritizing family in honor of her deceased father.
Aubry and Milly share a dorm room, with Mildred supposedly away on business. Aubry's boyfriend has seemingly ghosted her. The cousins are invited to lunch by Donald S. Camden, Mildred's lawyer, who offers them summer jobs on a movie set in Boston, suggesting Mildred is too unwell to host them. Milly realizes that Donald is trying to get rid of them, while Mildred's previous actions suggest she's willing to let them stay, deepening the mystery of who really invited them.
Jonah, working at the resort restaurant, is confronted by Milly, who suspects his true identity. Milly grills him about his father's (Anders) alleged fraud. Jonah's apparent non-allergy to shellfish, combined with Milly's past observation of the 'real' Jonah's shellfish allergy, leads Milly to realize he's an imposter. Jonah (the imposter) eventually confesses that he's covering for the real Jonah (JT), who got a scholarship to a science camp. He is being paid in installments by JT to take his place at the resort. Milly discovers Jonah's real name is also Jonah North, furthering the confusion.
Milly shares her discovery about Jonah's true identity with Aubry, who is shocked but agrees to keep it secret. Milly attempts to get Edward Franklin’s contact information from Carson, but is denied. She learns from another bartender that Chaz, who briefly dated Edward, might know how to reach him. Mildred's assistant, Theresa, delivers a message: Mildred wants the cousins to attend brunch and a summer gala, indicating some level of acceptance despite her initial apparent ignorance of their arrival. Milly decides to attend the gala to seek answers about her grandmother's past and her mother's distant nature.
Aubry reflects on a past action that 'made her family implode.' She confronts her father, Adam, about his infidelity with her swim coach, revealing a shocking family secret. Aubry exposes Adam's narcissistic behavior and how he blames others for his actions. Both Milly and Aubry realize the Story family's 'dysfunction' isn't romantic but deeply miserable. Standing by their grandfather's gravestone, they decide to actively investigate the family's secrets. They opt to give Hazel an interview, believing her research on their family might provide the answers they seek.
The host poses lingering questions after chapters 1-8, including who truly wants the cousins on the island (speculating Theresa), and the unresolved situation with Aubry's boyfriend. Theories are offered, such as the possibility of the cousins' parents being involved in their grandfather's death, or something tragic happening to Allison's past crush, Matt, providing a motive for Theresa's potential involvement in sending the cousins.''