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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
This book was cute! Very earnest and sweet. I absolutely, positively LOVE that it is based on a true story of the author's family. I very much loved and attached to Anna and Stuart, tolerated but rooted for Gussie, and DESPISED Isaac.
lovely - slow to start, but wraps up quickly in the second half of the book. A little neat and tidy, but the characters were well thought out, with Esther and Gussie in particular being standouts. A good debut novel
i haven’t read a book like this before. it was very character driven but the characters were so well developed. i was a tad disappointed in the end but i think ill get over it eventually. i loved this story. so emotional and at the same time very very heartfelt.
Florence Adler Swims Forever // by Rachel Beanland
"What did she want?" - "To swim forever."
Florence Adler Swims Forever is a family-focused novel by Rachel Beanland. Florence and Fannie Adler may be sisters but their lives so far have turned out rather differently. While one is focused on family life and is expecting a new baby, the other has dedicated her life to competitive swimming. With everybody together for the summer, life in the small apartment above the family-owned bakery is already tight but their father agrees to take in a mysterious girl from Germany, adding even more stress to the equation. When tragedy strikes and their mother's biggest priority becomes protecting Fannie from losing another baby, everyone shows how far they are willing to go to protect those they love, even at the risk of more heartbreak and loss.
For a reason that I cannot explain, I have avoided reading this book for a while. I could not put my finger on it but I just always felt that the time was not right yet and that I had to wait. A couple of days ago, I finally decided to dive in and I have not been able to stop thinking about it until I finished a few minutes ago. I was surprised when something very defining already happened at the beginning of the book and was not sure what other big finale could be worked towards, but it almost is the lack of a dramatic buildup that kept me so captivated the entire time. The events of this book are based on a true story and Beanland did a fantastic job of writing this story in a way that made you feel like the entire story could be happening right here, right now. It almost felt like I was following along with the happenings in my own community. I am obviously struggling for the correct words but if you are a fan of novels that keep you wondering what happened to the characters after the book is finished, then this is the right read for you. I honestly cannot believe that this is the author's first novel!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
"What did she want?" - "To swim forever."
Florence Adler Swims Forever is a family-focused novel by Rachel Beanland. Florence and Fannie Adler may be sisters but their lives so far have turned out rather differently. While one is focused on family life and is expecting a new baby, the other has dedicated her life to competitive swimming. With everybody together for the summer, life in the small apartment above the family-owned bakery is already tight but their father agrees to take in a mysterious girl from Germany, adding even more stress to the equation. When tragedy strikes and their mother's biggest priority becomes protecting Fannie from losing another baby, everyone shows how far they are willing to go to protect those they love, even at the risk of more heartbreak and loss.
For a reason that I cannot explain, I have avoided reading this book for a while. I could not put my finger on it but I just always felt that the time was not right yet and that I had to wait. A couple of days ago, I finally decided to dive in and I have not been able to stop thinking about it until I finished a few minutes ago. I was surprised when something very defining already happened at the beginning of the book and was not sure what other big finale could be worked towards, but it almost is the lack of a dramatic buildup that kept me so captivated the entire time. The events of this book are based on a true story and Beanland did a fantastic job of writing this story in a way that made you feel like the entire story could be happening right here, right now. It almost felt like I was following along with the happenings in my own community. I am obviously struggling for the correct words but if you are a fan of novels that keep you wondering what happened to the characters after the book is finished, then this is the right read for you. I honestly cannot believe that this is the author's first novel!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you @simonandschuster for this #gifted copy
This book took me completely by surprise! Read like a family saga I
was fully committed to the Adler family within the first few pages.
1934 Atlantic City the Adler family experiences a tremendous loss...... the beginning was where it all happens and then it slowly unfolds in the best way... each chapter follows a character and is done so beautifully and well organized. This story is heartbreaking yet captivating. Also a perfect end of summer read. I really don’t want to say to much about the plot because it will give soooo much away!
You all know I love a good authors note... this one did not disappoint
This book took me completely by surprise! Read like a family saga I
was fully committed to the Adler family within the first few pages.
1934 Atlantic City the Adler family experiences a tremendous loss...... the beginning was where it all happens and then it slowly unfolds in the best way... each chapter follows a character and is done so beautifully and well organized. This story is heartbreaking yet captivating. Also a perfect end of summer read. I really don’t want to say to much about the plot because it will give soooo much away!
You all know I love a good authors note... this one did not disappoint
Although I really enjoyed this book, I felt like the author really chickened out by ending the story before anyone tells Fanny that her sister died. The author really could have demonstrated her chops in writing these necessary scenes: Fanny’s experience in the delivery room after being so afraid of it, her joy at meeting her daughter, her confusion when her husband doesn’t show up, whatever her feelings are as she processes that he has left her, Fanny’s learning about Florence’s death and the way she processes her feelings about everyone having lied to her, Fanny’s bonding or lack thereof with her daughter as she grieves her sister’s death and the end of her marriage, everyone else’s feelings of guilt and/or self-righteousness or whatever as they confront Fanny’s feelings about being lied to, the internal emotional experience of the person (probably Ester) who tells Fanny about Florence, Joseph’s guilt/discomfort over buying off his son-in -law and worry over whether Fanny will ever learn the truth, and how Stuart deals or doesn’t deal with the no-Jews/no-Blacks policy of his father’s hotel. It’s a lot of hefty emotional baggage but it all needs to be written.
Florence Adler Swims Forever is what I would consider a perfect summer read for me. Historical fiction, the beach, a secret, interesting characters… A great read that pulls you in from the tragedy in the first chapter all the way through to the end. It’s hard to describe the plot without giving away spoilers, but I don’t think knowing some of the main points ruins the story at all. While Florence Adler starts the summer getting ready to swim across the English Channel, her sister Fannie lies in hospital, pregnant and on bedrest with the hopes that she will not lose this child. Fannie’s 7 year old daughter Gussie is staying with her grandparents, Joseph and Esther, and Florence, rather than with her father Isaac. And there is also Anna, a Hungarian Jew who Joseph sponsored for a student visa, daughter of an old flame, as well as Stuart, Florence’s trainer and possible love interest.
Told through the voices of each of the characters above, and based in the pre-war setting of 1934 Atlantic City, Florence Adler Swims Forever is an engaging story of family, friendship, secrets, and the choices we make and live with. I personally loved how the author was able to add an important historical element about the immigration situation for German Jews at the time, a story within the story. Rachel Beanland’s prose is just lovely, and I honestly had a hard time putting this book down. I wasn’t 100% sure about the ending, a little too abrupt and easy for my liking, but it did work, and I didn’t leave me feeling disappointed, just wanting more. All in all this really is a great read!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Told through the voices of each of the characters above, and based in the pre-war setting of 1934 Atlantic City, Florence Adler Swims Forever is an engaging story of family, friendship, secrets, and the choices we make and live with. I personally loved how the author was able to add an important historical element about the immigration situation for German Jews at the time, a story within the story. Rachel Beanland’s prose is just lovely, and I honestly had a hard time putting this book down. I wasn’t 100% sure about the ending, a little too abrupt and easy for my liking, but it did work, and I didn’t leave me feeling disappointed, just wanting more. All in all this really is a great read!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this book was very well written and such a fascinating story based on the authors family. I wish that we had seen Fannie’s reaction at the end of the book, but overall I thought it was a great story!
An unexpected book, but beautifully done with a wealth of narrators propelling the story forward. It captures the unique hope and heartbreak of life and consequences in inter-war Atlantic City.