From sun-seeking vacationers to quirky locals, author Elin Hilderbrand has spent her career vividly capturing the nuances of island life on Nantucket. All the while, her sister, Heather Thorpe, has been observing a story of her own—the evolution of Elin herself. Now, Heather, partnered with the comfort and ease of Nantucket Island Tours, is inviting visitors behind the scenes, offering an intimate look at the places Elin holds dear—and sharing a few of her own favorite island gems along the way.

Deborah Tannen once said, “A sister is like yourself in a different movie, a movie that stars you in a different life.”

For famed Nantucket author Elin Hilderbrand, it’s not hard to imagine what her movie might look like: the Grey Lady cast in a hazy golden hue, camera panning over windswept dunes and tucked-away beaches, and a script full of long summer afternoons along cobblestone streets and misty shorelines, romantic tension, and the occasional twist of mystery. Elin has spent her career bringing these scenes to life through the pages of her novels—some of which have already made their transition from paper to screen. But if Elin is the star of this feature, then it’s her sister, Heather Thorpe, who’s been behind the camera—watching the scenes unfold with pride. 

For Heather, witnessing her sister’s story unfold has been something she deeply cherishes. Her own movie has run alongside Elin’s, intertwined, as only sisters’ stories can be. This summer, Heather is flipping the script to a new scene, channeling her love for Elin and highlighting her sisters’ coveted knowledge of all things Nantucket into a new island experience: the Blue Book Tour. If you’re a true Hilderbrand fan, that name will sound familiar—lifted from the pages of The Hotel Nantucket.

“It’s my way of letting people see her through my eyes,” says Heather about the tour. “I’m so proud of Elin and proud to be sharing her with fans in this way.” Heather was there as an early reader for Elin’s work and later to support her through book signings as those works gained popularity. “Elin and I are yin and yang,” says Heather, who, funny enough, is the extrovert in their dynamic. “While Elin signs books and connects with readers, Heather takes the helm—“I’m like Julie McCoy from The Love Boat, directing the cruise,” she jokes. As Elin rose to become Nantucket’s reigning queen of the beach read, Heather saw an opportunity to give fans more than just a signature—a one-of-a-kind experience they would never forget.

The Blue Book Tour is the latest evolution in a series of unforgettable fan experiences that Heather has been guiding for years. Its roots trace back to an earlier venture called “Bucket List Weekends,” which gave Heather a meaningful way to leave her own mark on the island her sister holds so dear. Heather and Elin now fondly refer to these experiences as “fan weekends,” but the heart of the idea remained the same: immersive experiences that invite readers to step directly into the pages of Elin’s novels. Hosted at The Nantucket Hotel—not to be confused with the fictional Hotel Nantucket—these weekends offer fans the chance to explore the island’s hidden gems, favorite haunts, and iconic locations that bring Elin’s stories to life. 

“We have always included a tour of the island as part of the weekend,” Heather recalls. “In the early days, it was more of a traditional, historical overview of Nantucket. But over time, I realized fans were craving something more personal—more Elin.”

With readers eager to discover where their favorite fictional moments were born, Heather reimagined the experience, shifting the focus from general history to an intimate, behind-the-scenes glimpse into Elin’s world. From restaurants featured in novels to beaches where beloved characters found clarity or romance, the tour became less about the island’s past and more about Elin’s storylines that make the island feel familiar to so many. Those personal touches soon gave Heather inspiration for a new excursion, one that could be undertaken in just a few hours for the many day-trippers to the island, and so was born the Blue Book Tour.

Heather had been quietly envisioning this kind of tour for nearly a decade—an experience that would go beyond the standard sightseeing route to immerse readers in the heart of Elin’s Nantucket. A firm believer that everything happens for a reason, Heather’s timing turned out to be serendipitous. Just as she set out to bring her long-held idea to life, Elin released The Blue Book—a (not-so-fictional) guide to Nantucket originally introduced as a hotel favor for guests in her bestselling novel, The Hotel Nantucket. Suddenly, Heather had the perfect companion piece: a real-world counterpart to Elin’s literary universe.

Heather works with Nantucket Island Tours—a long-standing island fixture, owned by the Scudder family of HyLine Cruises, that has been providing informative and innovative excursions for decades—to bring the 2-hour Blue Book Tour to life. Along the way, guests will see sites from Elin’s books, hear stories about her childhood from Heather, and of course, stop at the legendary Chicken Box for a glass of Prosecco. “It’s a very conversational tour. We talk about Elin’s characters and books,” enthuses Heather. “I love connecting with her fans and letting them see her in this way.” Fans will get to visit a few of Heather’s personal favorite spots as well—like the enchanting village of ‘Sconset, whose storybook charm makes no secret as to why this locale finds its way into the pages of many of Elin’s books. 

Rick Peterson, general manager for Nantucket Island Tours says, “We have been along for the ride with Elin’s fans since the early days of the Bucket List Weekends and due to the success and enjoyment of the attendees, making this a regularly scheduled part of our season, especially with Heather as Tour Guide, made this an easy decision. We love sharing Nantucket with our tour guests, this gives us a unique way to explore the island unlike anyone else.”

A longtime fan and attendee, Christie Nickerson shares,“Two of my very good friends and I recently went on the Blue Book Tour and while it could have gone many ways, it was honestly perfect. As the guide, Heather has “personality plus”: she is happy, fun, kind, knowledgeable and absolutely loves this role where she can share the island and the deep connection she has with Elin—and the stories—ohhhh the stories! This was a 2-hour tour that went by too fast. We laughed, we learned and I even cried. Heather told us so many stories that linked the island to the books but there was one special moment on our tour when she spoke of Golden Girl. You could see her demeanor change and how difficult it was for her not to cry when she told our tour bus the meaning behind the book. She truly makes you feel like you are the only one on the tour.”

“The island has given so much to Elin,” says Heather. With over 30 years on the island, it’s been the creative wellspring for her stories and a cherished place to call home. And as Heather sees it, Elin has given just as much in return—through her writing, her presence, and her deep love for the island that inspires it all. 

“It really is a true give and take,” says Heather. “Elin’s descriptions are so vivid, you feel like you’ve been transported.” That sense of immersion recently inspired one couple, moved by one of Elin’s novels, to travel all the way from Australia to experience the island for themselves, with the help of the Blue Book Tour. 

Elin has famously said that when she first pulled into Nantucket Harbor, it was like she came home to a place she had never been. It’s that very feeling that she captures for her readers. And for Heather, who lives full time now in the home where she and Elin grew up summering in Brewster, she jokes that a morning on the ferry, taking in the beauty of two famously striking shorelines, is not a bad commute to work. 

“I’ve been a Cape Cod girl my whole life,” says Heather. “It’s been nice to expand that to include Nantucket.” Through fan weekends, and now the Blue Book Tour, Heather has been able to make the island, which is so much a part of her sister, a little bit her own too. “What I love best about the tour is this mutual affection that the fans and I have for my sister,” says Heather. “I hope that what they take away is both a little bit of Elin and a bit of the island too.”

Heather describes The Blue Book as Elin’s “love letter to the island,” and if that’s the case then this tour is undoubtedly Heather’s love letter to her sister. 

Allyson Plessner is a freelance writer for Cape Cod Life.