The Summer That Made Us Book Review

I knew nothing about this book when I put it on reserve except that there was a new book coming out by Robyn Carr. The Summer That Made Us: A Novel by Robyn Carr came on to my reserve shelf and I started reading it quickly so that I didn't have the same problem as the last few reserves that I have gotten.  It was a fast read and I got to go to bed early a few nights and curl up with the book which was so hard to put down.

That was then… For the Hempsteads, summers were idyllic. The lake was a magical place, a haven where they were happy and carefree. All of their problems drifted away as the days passed in sun-dappled contentment. Until the summer that changed everything.

This is now…After an accident turned the lake house into a site of tragedy and grief, it was closed up. None of the Hempstead women speak of what happened, and relationships between them are uneasy at best to hurtful at worst. But in the face of new challenges, one woman is determined to draw her family together again, and the only way that can happen is to return to the lake and face the truth.  Robyn Carr has crafted another beautifully woven story about the complexities of family dynamics and the value of strong female relationships.

This book was a total change from other Robyn Carr books and I even had to go check the cover to make sure that I was reading the author that I thought.  This books was an emotional journey for the 6 cousins and their mothers to grow together after the summer that ended their summer fun 27 years before.  The family was splintered and Meg decided that this is what she wanted as her dying wish to go to the lake and spend time with family.  Charley went to the lake and hired people to clear out the trash and fix up the place so that they could stay over the summer months.  Meg invited all the family members by letter to join her there.  Krista showed up first straight from prison where she had been for 23 years for killing her boyfriend during a robbery.  Other people slowly starting showing up so that this family could use the time to heal.  It was an amazing book with great characters who all changed over the course of the book.  I know that I needed a few tissues towards the end of the book so make sure you are prepared and not reading it out in public because this one is emotional.  I hope that you check it out and enjoy this book as much as I did!!