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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
“According to Granny, Northerners have a lot of misunderstandings about the South. Like how folks shivering up there in Vermont and Minnesota think we’re picnicking in the warmth and sunshine all winter long – perpetual summer.” (p. 19)
The James Family of Lamoyne, Mississippi live with a negative stigma over their family. Tallulah ran from her small town to escape the whispers and looks, but when her younger brother is imprisoned for murder she feels drawn home to help him.
Crandall beautifully touches on Southern values, mental illness and troubled childhoods in her newest, The Myth of Perpetual Summer, even successfully weaving in the civil rights movement and Vietnam war protests through the time periods captured within. However, like Remains of the Day, current day seems to take a backseat to the past as Tallulah seeks the closure she so desperately needs from her childhood.
For the full review visit: https://fortheloveofthepageblog.wordpress.com/
*Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by BookishFirst in exchange for an honest review.
The James Family of Lamoyne, Mississippi live with a negative stigma over their family. Tallulah ran from her small town to escape the whispers and looks, but when her younger brother is imprisoned for murder she feels drawn home to help him.
Crandall beautifully touches on Southern values, mental illness and troubled childhoods in her newest, The Myth of Perpetual Summer, even successfully weaving in the civil rights movement and Vietnam war protests through the time periods captured within. However, like Remains of the Day, current day seems to take a backseat to the past as Tallulah seeks the closure she so desperately needs from her childhood.
For the full review visit: https://fortheloveofthepageblog.wordpress.com/
*Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by BookishFirst in exchange for an honest review.
I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but was intrigued by the excerpt on BookishFirst and lucky enough to win an advance copy. The Myth of Perpetual Summer was captivating and heartbreaking. It alternated between Tallulah's childhood and present day, as she returned home for the first time since leaving nine years ago without telling anyone where she was going. The Myth of Perpetual Summer is about confronting your past, seeing the events through a new lens, talking about difficult things, letting go of things you cannot change.
There are two reasons I didn't rate this book higher - the first was that I wish there had been more of the present day story. It seemed that more of the story was in the past than in the present, and while there was definitely a lot in the past to be shown, I wanted to be more invested in how the present day was going to move forward. I loved Ross, but I didn't feel like we saw enough of him in present day to add depth to his character. (Perhaps he seemed too perfect?)
There are two reasons I didn't rate this book higher - the first was that I wish there had been more of the present day story. It seemed that more of the story was in the past than in the present, and while there was definitely a lot in the past to be shown, I wanted to be more invested in how the present day was going to move forward. I loved Ross, but I didn't feel like we saw enough of him in present day to add depth to his character. (Perhaps he seemed too perfect?)
I read Susan Crandall's Whistling Past the Graveyard in a book club that I was leading a few years back, and it was pretty much universally loved. While Crandall stays firmly in Southern territory, this novel was a step above Whistling in terms of the subject matter and the depth of the characters.
The Myth of Perpetual Summer is the story of Tallulah Mae James and her family, set in Mississippi in the late 1950s. Tallulah is a young child growing up in the shadow of the James family legacy, a Southern family with seemingly deep roots in their town of Lamoyne, MS. But while appearances matter immensely to Tallulah's Gran, Tallulah herself tries to be a little more practical about her family's problems. She and her three siblings, an older brother and two younger fraternal twins, are constantly dealing with their volatile parents and the pressures of living in a small Southern town. These pressures come to a head the Fall of 1963 when her brother is arrested for murder.
We are introduced to Tallulah initially several years in the future in 1972 when she is preparing to return to Lamoyne because her brother is being charged with murder. We learn that she has built a new life for herself and that she is living in California because of an event from her past that forced her to flee. We spend the rest of the story hopping back and forth in time, piecing the story together.
Tallulah is a strong character and seeing her development and growth in the face of unimaginable circumstances is inspiring. There are several moments in this story that will make you question whether she can truly count on anyone other than herself. This story destroyed me and then built me back up again. It's the type of Southern family story that rings so true, you'll want to pass this book along to your family with the comment, “Remind you of anyone?”
The writing is authentic and clear. I would have loved to get more backstory on what happened with Walden, and the epilogue came way too soon for my taste, but this story was an exquisite read. I highly recommend this one to anyone looking for their next good read.
The Myth of Perpetual Summer is the story of Tallulah Mae James and her family, set in Mississippi in the late 1950s. Tallulah is a young child growing up in the shadow of the James family legacy, a Southern family with seemingly deep roots in their town of Lamoyne, MS. But while appearances matter immensely to Tallulah's Gran, Tallulah herself tries to be a little more practical about her family's problems. She and her three siblings, an older brother and two younger fraternal twins, are constantly dealing with their volatile parents and the pressures of living in a small Southern town. These pressures come to a head the Fall of 1963 when her brother is arrested for murder.
We are introduced to Tallulah initially several years in the future in 1972 when she is preparing to return to Lamoyne because her brother is being charged with murder. We learn that she has built a new life for herself and that she is living in California because of an event from her past that forced her to flee. We spend the rest of the story hopping back and forth in time, piecing the story together.
Tallulah is a strong character and seeing her development and growth in the face of unimaginable circumstances is inspiring. There are several moments in this story that will make you question whether she can truly count on anyone other than herself. This story destroyed me and then built me back up again. It's the type of Southern family story that rings so true, you'll want to pass this book along to your family with the comment, “Remind you of anyone?”
The writing is authentic and clear. I would have loved to get more backstory on what happened with Walden, and the epilogue came way too soon for my taste, but this story was an exquisite read. I highly recommend this one to anyone looking for their next good read.
CRANDALL DELVES INTO ONE FAMILY’S FAULTS, AGAINST 1960s SOUTH BACKDROP
Susan Crandall's "The Myth of Perpetual Summer" starts with the 25 year-old protagonist, Tallulah James, seeing her younger brother's face on the evening news for his involvement with a murder. This one page prologue sparks Tallulah's trip back home to Mississippi and introduces the heart of this story and her 1960s childhood.
Crandall writes so effortlessly. The reader doesn't realize the depth of these topics (infidelity, mental stability, neglect) at first, which is a credit to Crandall's ability to write from the perspective of a child narrator transitioning to an adult. Tallulah's childhood is set in the 1960s South. The topics of race, feminism, the Vietnam War are all orbiting around this small southern town and the prominent James family.
There was only one element I didn't enjoy: the rhythm of the narrative. It started slow at first; introducing many characters and different timelines. Once I grasped the story it was hard to put down. Toward the end of the book, there was a slight detour for Tallulah's character. While it was somewhat necessary for her growth, it made the story feel like it was starting over at the end.
"Myth" included many wonderful story elements: strong family (specifically sibling) relationships, a romance storyline that felt natural, and characters that are complex or "gray." Crandall tackles generational sins and diseases and how they effect the next generation. She clashes familial faults with the antiquated notion of propriety.
This idea of a perfect family, town, country, etc. cannot exist. It is an illusion to believe that one can ignore the noise of life and proceed unaffected. One can only hope to accept what is and build on what is true.
Susan Crandall's "The Myth of Perpetual Summer" starts with the 25 year-old protagonist, Tallulah James, seeing her younger brother's face on the evening news for his involvement with a murder. This one page prologue sparks Tallulah's trip back home to Mississippi and introduces the heart of this story and her 1960s childhood.
Crandall writes so effortlessly. The reader doesn't realize the depth of these topics (infidelity, mental stability, neglect) at first, which is a credit to Crandall's ability to write from the perspective of a child narrator transitioning to an adult. Tallulah's childhood is set in the 1960s South. The topics of race, feminism, the Vietnam War are all orbiting around this small southern town and the prominent James family.
There was only one element I didn't enjoy: the rhythm of the narrative. It started slow at first; introducing many characters and different timelines. Once I grasped the story it was hard to put down. Toward the end of the book, there was a slight detour for Tallulah's character. While it was somewhat necessary for her growth, it made the story feel like it was starting over at the end.
"Myth" included many wonderful story elements: strong family (specifically sibling) relationships, a romance storyline that felt natural, and characters that are complex or "gray." Crandall tackles generational sins and diseases and how they effect the next generation. She clashes familial faults with the antiquated notion of propriety.
This idea of a perfect family, town, country, etc. cannot exist. It is an illusion to believe that one can ignore the noise of life and proceed unaffected. One can only hope to accept what is and build on what is true.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No