A review by fantasticallyfabled
Given Our History by Kristyn J. Miller

emotional funny reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Seventeen years of friendship. Thirteen years of loving each other. Six years of heartache. And one year to finally get it right.
 
Teddy and Clara meet one rainy afternoon at a summer camp for homeschooled kids. Their friendship is forged over a game of Trivial Pursuit, a 3-legged race, a sprained ankle, and a can of Pepsi. Phone numbers are exchanged, many phone calls are made, mixed CDs are burned, and The Long-Distance History Club is formed — two adorably nerdy kids who quickly become best friends.
 
I was not expecting this to be such an angsty, wonderful, heart-wrenching story. The dual timelines worked wonders for this book and were, in my opinion, the best part. The flashbacks to the beginning of Clara and Teddy’s friendship were vital to understanding their upbringings and complicated relationship. At first, they only saw each other once a year at camp, mapping the stars, screaming curse words into the void on the top of a mountain, and becoming each other’s rock. Even though they lived in different states, they shared their secrets, goals, dreams, and fears through Myspace messages, texts, and phone calls. When they got older, they’d pick a spot to meet between Pennsylvania and Maryland to support and comfort each other in person. Teddy and Clara fell deeply in love but were too young, ambitious, scared, and stubborn to surrender to their feelings and be together. They inadvertently hurt each other multiple times through miscommunication and rejection because they couldn’t figure out how to love without fear. Fear of losing their friendship. Fear of never achieving all the academic goals they worked so hard for. Fear that they would eventually resent each other for giving up on their dreams, like their parents did, just to be together.

 
Present Day: Clara is living her dream as a history professor at the University of Irving in Maryland. At the beginning of the semester, Clara is asked by her department chair to submit her application for tenure (yay) and share her office with a visiting scholar (sure, no problem). He specializes in maritime history at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh (huh, that sounds familiar, but no, it couldn’t be). He’s young and accomplished, and his last name is Harrison (oh no). Of course, the handsome, new, visiting scholar is none other than her childhood best friend-turned-stranger, Teddy, whom she last saw six years ago and hasn’t spoken to since. 
 
On top of sharing an office, Teddy volunteers to help Clara with the scholarship fundraising gala she’s organizing to beef up her tenure dossier. Pushed together at every turn, Clara and Teddy can’t help but revisit old feelings and stoke the embers of their love — that never actually burned out.
 
My only complaint is that there needed to be an epilogue. I read the last chapter, fully expecting to turn the page and get a look into Teddy and Clara’s future. But alas, there was nothing. I will have to take their last toast as proof of their happily ever after.
 
“‘How about. . . to looking ahead,’ I say with a glance at Teddy, because this is far from the beginning of our story." 
"But it’s also far from the end.”

 
** I received this book for free from St. Martin’s Griffin, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. **