Relationships | Book Chatter

Perennials
By Mandy Berman
Random House, Hardcover, 9780399589317, June 6, 2017, 288pp.

The Short of It:

You know that nostalgic feeling you get when looking at an old Polaroid photo? That’s how I felt while reading this book. Youth captured in a snapshot.

The Rest of It:

As kids, Rachel and Fiona spent many wonderful summers at Camp Marigold. Eight glorious weeks of swimming, riding horses and making new friends. Things at home could change, but once they returned to camp, everything fell back into place and all was good with the world. In Perennials, Rachel and Fiona return to camp as counselors and with them is Fiona’s younger sister, Helen who is about to experience camp as they once did many years ago.

Summer camp. Sigh. When I was a kid, I read a lot of books about summer camp and they really had me longing for that experience. It wasn’t until last summer that I actually attended camp (as a leader) and although I wasn’t there as a camper, it was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. In this novel, Berman beautifully captures all the angst and anxiety of pre-teens but she somehow manages to capture the doubts and worries of the young adult counselors as well.

This book is summer, but it’s also life and love and friendship and all the not-so-pleasant stuff that comes with it. There’s a little more “action” between the campers and counselors than I would have liked to see. I am not a prude but since I work with teens and have teens of my own, I was a little sensitive to some parts of the story but at the same time I am far from naive. That said, anyone who is sensitive to language or sexual content may want to think twice before handing the book over to your teen. It’s not marketed as YA but from the cover you might think so.

In the end, I thought it was pretty well done. The final pages were especially poignant and frankly had me all choked-up. Perennials is Berman’s first novel and I look forward to what she writes next.

Source: Purchased
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Summer Dance
By Nan Rossiter
Kensington Publishing Corporation, Paperback, 9781496705051, May 30, 2017, 352pp.

The Short of It:

Rossiter revisits the much-loved characters of Nantucket and goes a bit deeper into the family’s history, giving us the long-awaited love story between Coop and Sally.

The Rest of It:

Nantucket is the perfect setting for new beginnings so when Sally ends up there, she’s hopeful that a new job and change of scenery is just what she needs to recover from an abusive marriage. One evening at a dance with her friends, she sees Coop across the room and after just one dance, she begins to think that happiness is not far off. Summer Dance is the story of Coop and Sally and how their love for one another challenged them in ways they never thought possible.

I am a huge Nan Rossiter fan. She writes such beautiful stories with great settings (Nantucket, Cape Code, etc.) and all of her stories center around characters who are flawed, but genuine and typically good, family minded individuals. I shy away from the typical “summer” read because usually there isn’t enough for me to sink my teeth into.

In Summer Dance, there is plenty for you to sink your teeth into. Sally was raised in the Catholic Church and this greatly affects her relationship with Coop. Her childhood friend Lizzy, also Catholic becomes Jewish in order to marry and so Sally is left wondering what religion means to her.

Can you be a good person even though you may not be perfect in the eyes of the church?

Sally is torn between doing what is right and doing what feels right and whether religion is a part of your life or not, I think most people can relate to this dilemma which is why this book would be great to discuss with a group.

I really enjoyed Summer Dance. It’s a great book to kickoff these hot summer months. I suggest you grab some wine, grill some scallops, find yourself a shady spot and dig in.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

This giveaway is for one copy of Summer Dance and is open to the US and Canada. A winner will be chosen randomly by me. The book will come directly from the publisher/author. Only one entry per person. Giveaway closes on June 9, 2017 (pacific). I will contact the winner for his/her mailing address.