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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
This book is sweet and poignant and heartfelt. The characters and setting are so rich and real and the book feels like it is perfectly caught up in the moment of time between the Depression and the start of WWII. I wish, at the end, there was a little more closure between Fannie and the rest of her family, but that is my only complaint. May Florence Adler swim on forever.
Florence Adler has dreams of swimming across the English Channel. One day, while training off the coast of Atlantic City, Florence drowns and thus fall the curtain on her life long dreams. Her devastated parents Joseph and Esther not only have to deal with the death of their youngest, but they have to be mindful of the health of their oldest child Fannie. Fannie is bedridden at a hospital, waiting to give birth to her third child. Her second child Hyram was born premature and did not survive. Her oldest, 7 year old Gussie, is being taken care of by her grandparents. Fannie's blood pressure is on the rise and Esther knows that the news of Florence's death will destroy Fannie along with her unborn child. Hence Esther hides the news of Florence's death from her sister. When Fannie insists that she wants Florence to visit her, she is told Florence is always swimming.
The story is inspired by real life events - the author's great-great aunt did die by drowning while training to cross the Channel and this death was indeed hidden from her great-great grandmother who was in a hospital ready to give birth.
The story is inspired by real life events - the author's great-great aunt did die by drowning while training to cross the Channel and this death was indeed hidden from her great-great grandmother who was in a hospital ready to give birth.
Wow debut book that is a true story in the author’s family. I felt the heartbreak of all the characters and loved the story even tho I sometimes hated how it was going. Loved the 1930s Atlantic City setting.
This story takes place in Atlantic City, 1934. The Adler family, including the daughters, Florence and Fannie, manages many secrets that run throughout the novel. I enjoyed the writing and the characters. I don't want to write much because I don't want to give much away.
It was depressing and all the characters made poor decisions.
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
What a lovely book. So beautifully written.
I read this book in a day. I was transported to a summer in Atlantic City in the 1930s and dropped right into the Adlers' life. There are the big themes of dealing with the tragedy of Florence's death while worrying about Fannie and her high-risk pregnancy and trying to get a family out of Germany. There are also many lovely little moments throughout the book. The author does a wonderful job of including world events to really put you in that place in history.
To learn in the acknowledgements that the author's great-aunt was the inspiration for Florence made the story even more memorable to me.
*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*
I read this book in a day. I was transported to a summer in Atlantic City in the 1930s and dropped right into the Adlers' life. There are the big themes of dealing with the tragedy of Florence's death while worrying about Fannie and her high-risk pregnancy and trying to get a family out of Germany. There are also many lovely little moments throughout the book. The author does a wonderful job of including world events to really put you in that place in history.
To learn in the acknowledgements that the author's great-aunt was the inspiration for Florence made the story even more memorable to me.
*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*
