The Perfect Couple

Nantucket, the setting of The Perfect Couple, is a real, well-known island in the state of Massachusetts. Nearly 50 kilometers from the island of Cape Cod, Nantucket is at the tip of the American seaboard and was the center of the country’s whaling industry at one point. An early destination for transatlantic colonial settlers in the 17th century, Nantucket is a heritage town. The name “Nantucket” is of Indigenous American origin, as the island was inhabited by the Wampanoag people before colonization. It is believed that epidemics brought about by contact with the settlers, as well as migration, contributed to the dwindling number of Wampanoag people on the island. In the 21st century, Nantucket is home to vacation houses owned by uber-wealthy families from New York City, Boston, and elsewhere in the United States and beyond. Nantucket’s waterfront properties, such as Summerland in The Perfect Couple, are some of the most expensive in the United States, leading to Nantucket being labeled the “Billionaires’ Isle.”

Nantucket’s appeal lies no doubt in its scenic white-sand beauty as well as its location: While it is close to large East Coast cities, it is also tucked in the relatively quieter state of Massachusetts. In The Perfect Couple, Nantucket symbolizes not only wealth and beauty but also a sense of community. Everyone on the small island knows each other and is connected through the thriving industries of tourism and hospitality. Moreover, the island has a strong cultural ethos, with events like bespoke wine tastings being the norm. It is a world where leisure and wealth enable people to indulge in enjoyable, productive work, such as producing and tasting heirloom vegetables and cheese and designing unique jewelry. However, the book suggests that the idyllic front of Nantucket hides a darker undercurrent of class biases, the pressure of appearances, and the never-ending pursuit of perfection. While it seems the world of Nantucket is solely inhabited by the likes of the Winburys, characters like Chief Kapenash and Chloe show that Nantucket is not just a holiday destination for the wealthy. People in Nantucket have regular lives and work as servers, cops, cruise-organizers, and housekeepers. The dichotomy between locals and visitors, those living in affordable-housing homes and waterfront multi-million-dollar estates, is also part of the story of Nantucket, both in the novel and in real life.