TEST
I read this book while at the water park with my son. His happy laughter and smiling face, the warm sunshine and the cheerfully splashing gallons of water made a nice contrast to the dark material in this story because honestly, the whole thing was something of a downer.
Young Adelia (Addie) Montforte flees her home in Italy in the middle of the night, ahead of the advancing German army. Placed on a boat alone while her parents stay behind, she heads to America to meet her aunt and uncle. When she arrives at the holding center they are late picking her up and this pretty much sets the tone for their relationship. While they try to make her feel welcome she very much has the sense that she is a third wheel, a sort of unneeded extra to their smooth, placid existence.
She does however find a family who wants her. That summer, at the beach house her aunt and uncle rent every year she meets the neighbors. A family of friendly, rambunctious Irish Catholic boys take her in and include her in all their activities. From sandwiches at the beach to football in the yard and trips to the pier, being with the Connallys helps Addie set aside her worries from the troubles back home and enables her to be a regular kid for several glorious months. When summer ends she leaves with a golden tan and a heart full of love for the oldest brother, Charlie. Fortunately, she will see him and two of his brothers at school. Unfortunately, they live in the Irish neighborhood and she in the Jewish one. It’s fine to hang out together during the summer but people don’t leave their own groups once away from the beach.
Addie and the Connally boys thumb their nose at this tradition. Once home, Charlie walks the few blocks that separates their houses to pick her up and have her join whatever they have going on. It is the Connallys who throw her a birthday party and the Connallys who stand beside her when she has problems at school. When Charlie begins to return her romantic affections Addie is over the moon. Now she will finally, officially be one of them. Then tragedy strikes and the youngest Connally boy is killed. When Addie tries to reach out to Charlie she is gently rebuffed. Unable to live with the memories of what might have been she runs to Washington D.C. to work for a news agency. Her career takes off but her heart remains leaden. And then she meets Charlie again.
Charlie and Addie would have had a completely different relationship if they had met and loved during the last thirty years. A lot of their problems revolve around missed connections and misunderstanding which cell phones would have solved. Maybe it’s because I’m jaded from living in a time when no one is ever out of reach for long but I grew frustrated at how one missed meeting between them would cause a separation that lasted months. Their communication was such that I felt that no amount of affection between them would ever overcome their inability to just talk about things.
I also grew very annoyed with how Addie would leave whenever a problem cropped up. First she left the state, then the country in order to not face her problems with Charlie. I wasn’t convinced that a woman who constantly ran from emotional confrontation was really ready for an adult relationship.
I mentioned the book was a downer and the running and not communicating were a big part of that. Also, Addie was constantly worried – about Charlie, about Liam (the wild Connally brother), about her parents, about the war, about the plight of the Jewish people still in Europe – you name it, it was a concern of hers. Even her happiest moments were marred by one worry or another. Ultimately, I think this was what caused communication breakdowns and running – no one could hang on to all that trauma and not be just a bit difficult to deal with.
The bright side is that the story itself is pretty riveting. I loved the views of the home front and the tensions people were facing as America decided whether or not to join the war. I was fascinated by the prejudices that simmered here while we were fighting them “over there”. Addie’s job was fascinating, especially when she got to be a correspondent in England. I liked the way the news media was competing for their stories and the little office tensions that existed at the various places she worked.
I also loved the look at family life, first through the eyes of a child and as she grew, through the eyes of an adult who saw parents, aunts and uncles as humans with foibles rather than golden gods with all the answers. I thought Ms. Jenoff did an excellent job of capturing all the little tensions and dynamics that exist in even the happiest of families.
I didn’t like the romance portion, most especially how it ended but this book is a historical, not a romance so that was okay.
Overall the book was a good read. It didn’t make me long for the story to keep going or leave me with that great story feeling that has you turning back to the beginning and diving back in but it was an interesting and thought provoking look at history. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an engrossing, thoroughly researched and informative piece of World War Two fiction.
Grade: B
Book Type: Women's Fiction
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 01/09/15
Publication Date: 2015/08
I've been an avid reader since 2nd grade and discovered romance when my cousin lent me Lord of La Pampa by Kay Thorpe in 7th grade. I currently read approximately 150 books a year, comprised of a mix of Young Adult, romance, mystery, women's fiction, and science fiction/fantasy.
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.