Reviews - Florence Adler Swims Forever

703 reviews for:

Florence Adler Swims Forever

Rachel Beanland

3.87 AVERAGE

hookabook's review

4.5

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

jilltek's review against another edition

4.0

Quick read. Some WWII historical fiction but not entirely about the war as this is about years leading up to it. Based on a true story with some sad points, but also some feel good stuff!

marsha307's review

4.0

emotional informative medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

nothingforpomegranted's review

3.75

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

In 1934, nineteen-year-old Florence Adler is home in Atlantic City for the summer, preparing to swim the English Channel, when she drowns during an unaccompanied practice swim, in view of her parents, her young niece, the non-Jewish lifeguard who trains her and maybe loves her, and the German college student her parents have brought across the Atlantic out of fear of the rising Nazi power.

Missing from the scene is Florence's sister, Fannie. Sequestered in the hospital to monitor her high-risk pregnancy, Fannie is central to the rest of the plot; Esther, her mother, decides to keep Florence's death from her sister, hoping to avoid early labor and other pregnancy complications. The book whirls through seven different character perspectives as they grieve and keep secrets until the birth.

I loved this story and its unapologetically Jewish identity, particularly as a historical fiction novel that isn't set firmly in the world of the Holocaust. The characters were complex, human, and lovable, and despite the slow pace of the book, I kept turning pages, craving whatever would happen next. Admittedly, the vast array of perspectives was, while intriguing, a weakness of the novel: Beanland's writing wasn't quite sophisticated enough to distinguish among so many different voices, and some of the storylines suffered thusly.

I was also disappointed by the ending. The entire book built suspense to the reveal of Florence's death to Fannie, and while I recognize that the book was about so much more--the nature of love, sisterhood, and loss--this moment was integral to understanding so many of the relationships that enlivened the rest of the story, and I was sorry not to have the opportunity to process and mourn with Fannie.

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