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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
"What did anyone ever know about a relationship that could look as transparent as a Coke bottle one moment and as milky as sea glass the next?"
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I picked this book up expecting a fun summer story about a strong woman in history doing something amazing, but boy was I shaken by the turn this book took. I don't want to give too many specifics without giving spoilers but essentially it's the story about the real lives of a Jewish family in the 1930's. This family love each other fiercely that they go to unimaginable lengths to protect one another. Joseph and Esther are the parents any one of us could want they are successful and kind and want the best for their daughters. Stuart was also a great character with morals beyond his age and background.
For much of the story I was really annoyed by Fannie and Isaac's selfish behavior. I was happy to see that their daughter Gussie had the great influence of her grandparents in her life. I appreciated that the author's note clarified the real story as that bumped it up a half a star for me, knowing that those were story devices to add tension rather than real actions of real people.
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.
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I picked this book up expecting a fun summer story about a strong woman in history doing something amazing, but boy was I shaken by the turn this book took. I don't want to give too many specifics without giving spoilers but essentially it's the story about the real lives of a Jewish family in the 1930's. This family love each other fiercely that they go to unimaginable lengths to protect one another. Joseph and Esther are the parents any one of us could want they are successful and kind and want the best for their daughters. Stuart was also a great character with morals beyond his age and background.
For much of the story I was really annoyed by Fannie and Isaac's selfish behavior. I was happy to see that their daughter Gussie had the great influence of her grandparents in her life. I appreciated that the author's note clarified the real story as that bumped it up a half a star for me, knowing that those were story devices to add tension rather than real actions of real people.
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I would round to 3.5 stars - almost dnf in the first 25% but the last 40% was 5 stars. Great ending.
Business first: I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. While the book was free, my review is my own and, as always, honest.
Most reviews hint at a tragedy that happens early in the book. A few name it, and I'll join them because it really does happen almost immediately and thus doesn't seem like a spoiler at all. Florence is home (Atlantic City, 1934) from college for the summer and training to swim the English Channel. She drowns during a solo practice session. Her family, mostly her mother, decide to keep this tragedy from Fannie, her older sister, who is pregnant and being carefully monitored in the hospital having suffered a late term miscarriage not long ago. Fannie's daughter, Gussie, a precocious eight-year-old, moves in with her grandparents rather than stay with her aloof father. She's moved from her usual spot at her grandparent's apartment because the grandfather has taken in Anna, a refuge from Germany and the daughter of a childhood friend who is hoping to attend college in the fall. The family is Jewish and the only main character who is not is Florence's swim coach, Stuart, who clearly always pined for the young woman he trained.
This is a book about characters, not action. After the initial tragedy, not a whole lot happens. If you've read even a handful of my reviews, you know I read for character so this is fine by me, but I know it is a turn off for some. The characters are developed in large measure by the author's decision to let most of them take turns as protagonists and sharing elements of their pasts. This isn't an unusual trick, but it can go wrong easily.
I truly enjoyed this novel. Here, the author manages her chosen format with great skill, especially with so many different protagonists to manage and given that this is her first novel. I appreciate that the characters' religion is neither over- nor underemphasized...it is simply a part of their background and it factors into but does not wholly govern their actions. The characters aren't perfect...some are more flawed than others, but no one is flawless. Gussie rang the least true for me; she didn't quite feel like a child, let alone a fairly young one. I really liked the depth of the mother's character in particular. Fannie's husband is also well-drawn -- he's the closest thing to a "bad guy" that we see, but he's still very much human and he seems aware of his flaws including his limitations as a father (and as a son). The author also kept me rooted in the time and place without overdoing the growing threat in Europe; after all, the characters know only the wrongs they've begun to see, but they don't know what's to come (too often authors seem to forget that, especially when they set novels in the pre-WWII timeframe).
Solid 4 stars. Great summer book -- not fluff, but relatively easy to read in a lounge chair whether by the beach or in one's own backyard.
Most reviews hint at a tragedy that happens early in the book. A few name it, and I'll join them because it really does happen almost immediately and thus doesn't seem like a spoiler at all. Florence is home (Atlantic City, 1934) from college for the summer and training to swim the English Channel. She drowns during a solo practice session. Her family, mostly her mother, decide to keep this tragedy from Fannie, her older sister, who is pregnant and being carefully monitored in the hospital having suffered a late term miscarriage not long ago. Fannie's daughter, Gussie, a precocious eight-year-old, moves in with her grandparents rather than stay with her aloof father. She's moved from her usual spot at her grandparent's apartment because the grandfather has taken in Anna, a refuge from Germany and the daughter of a childhood friend who is hoping to attend college in the fall. The family is Jewish and the only main character who is not is Florence's swim coach, Stuart, who clearly always pined for the young woman he trained.
This is a book about characters, not action. After the initial tragedy, not a whole lot happens. If you've read even a handful of my reviews, you know I read for character so this is fine by me, but I know it is a turn off for some. The characters are developed in large measure by the author's decision to let most of them take turns as protagonists and sharing elements of their pasts. This isn't an unusual trick, but it can go wrong easily.
I truly enjoyed this novel. Here, the author manages her chosen format with great skill, especially with so many different protagonists to manage and given that this is her first novel. I appreciate that the characters' religion is neither over- nor underemphasized...it is simply a part of their background and it factors into but does not wholly govern their actions. The characters aren't perfect...some are more flawed than others, but no one is flawless. Gussie rang the least true for me; she didn't quite feel like a child, let alone a fairly young one. I really liked the depth of the mother's character in particular. Fannie's husband is also well-drawn -- he's the closest thing to a "bad guy" that we see, but he's still very much human and he seems aware of his flaws including his limitations as a father (and as a son). The author also kept me rooted in the time and place without overdoing the growing threat in Europe; after all, the characters know only the wrongs they've begun to see, but they don't know what's to come (too often authors seem to forget that, especially when they set novels in the pre-WWII timeframe).
Solid 4 stars. Great summer book -- not fluff, but relatively easy to read in a lounge chair whether by the beach or in one's own backyard.
This is a fantastic book. As I was reading it I kept wondering how an author could come up with such compelling interwoven storylines and lovely characters, so it was fun to learn in the afterward that many characters, including Florence, were loosely based on members of the author’s family. I’m also surprised to learn that it’s the author’s first novel. It’s so finely crafted and thoughtful about its story arc and its characters. I look forward to reading more from her.
A historical fiction novel based on the author Rachel Beanland’s own family. Set in the summer of 1934 in Atlantic City. Florence Adler is home from college to train for and swim the English Channel. When tragedy strikes, the family must learn to adjust even lie to protect Florence’s sister Fannie. The multiple storylines keep this story moving. Be sure to read the author’s note at the end.
Things I Liked:
* The multi POV as it made the book move faster
* That the beginning of the book kicked off immediately with the conflict
Things I Didn’t Like:
* Some of the characters POV I did not like reading from
* The ending was such a letdown. It avoided all the conflict that was building up through the entire story and ended without letting the reader see what happens.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really enjoyed this one. I had thought it was going to be a light read though, which it is not. Shed some tears as the end.
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No