Although this fast-paced novel deals with death and mourning, it is quite uplifting. Author Jane Rosen writes from the perspective of Julia Gold, a book editor who discovers the beautiful writing of novelist Benjamin Morse. The two become partners in love and work.
Julia chronicles their active lives in Manhattan and relaxed summers on Fire Island, a long, narrow barrier island located in the southernmost part of Suffolk County, Long Island. She captures the island’s charm, describing the ferry ride to get there, the bicycle transportation, the seventeen distinct communities, the wild ocean and calm bay, the bars and restaurants, and the inhabitants’ personalities and casual lifestyles. Everyone — year-long residents, summer renters, and day-trippers alike — looks forward all winter to spending time on the island.
Now, Julia is enjoying one last summer there. Throughout the novel, she confronts many challenges, including messy attachments to her traditionally Jewish family, disease, old age, loss, and the stages of grief. But she also finds hope, positivity, and intergenerational support, making this story upbeat and appropriate for teen readers.
Miriam Bradman Abrahams, mom, grandmom, avid reader, sometime writer, born in Havana, raised in Brooklyn, residing in Long Beach on Long Island. Longtime former One Region One Book chair and JBC liaison for Nassau Hadassah, currently presenting Incident at San Miguel with author AJ Sidransky who wrote the historical fiction based on her Cuban Jewish refugee family’s experiences during the revolution. Fluent in Spanish and Hebrew, certified hatha yoga instructor.
