February Book Club.....Summertime

Hello Everyone, I have just joined Gransnet. I would love to be involved in the book club - can someone please tell me what I need to do to join in?
Thank you.

this is a brilliant book - it really evokes the time & place & high running tensions

Summertime is a fictional story based on real events – The labour day hurricane of 1935, and the unfair treatment of veteran soldiers returning from the first world war destitute.

The setting is the fictional small town of Heron Keys, and the plot revolves round the prejudices involved with apartheid. Fear and distrust by the white inhabitants to the war veterans working on a government project and living in appalling conditions. Fear and distrust by the black workers, who had seen equality in France, then come home to witness injustice and even lynching.

Both sides come together for a 4th July barbeque on the beach – segregated by a flimsy rope across the sand. Trouble ensues, and a white woman is seriously beaten. It assumed that the perpetrator is one of the black veterans, and feelings run high – lynching is in the air.
Everything is put on hold by the approach of a violent storm. To start with, the apartheid lines hold, even to the extent of white being given priority over black in the town storm shelter. In the end, everyone is equal in their fight to survive, clothes ripped off by the storm, bodies mutilated. We are all familiar with film footage of such natural catastrophes, but the writing makes it feel very real.

Woven into this, there is a love story, and other relationships – no details, I don’t want to spoil the book!

This is undoubtedly the best book I have read in a long time. It was an absolute joy to read. The characters were well portrayed and the imagery so vivid, I was transported back in time to 1935 to live through that hurricane with Missy. I shall be recommending this book to my friends, and eagerly await any new books from Vanessa LaFaye. 10/10 from me!��

That's what I love about this book club. It gets me reading books I would never have chosen for myself. It took me a while to pick this one up but once I started the first chapter I just couldn't put it down. Very well written with a lot of research put into it. I also didn't realize how badly the vetrans were treated. I also knew nothing about the hurricane

I probably wouldn't have chosen this book in a shop or library but I thoroughly enjoyed it and must learn to try different types of books. Apart from being a good story, it was informative. I had no idea of how badly the war veterans were treated. The description of the hurricane was very vivid. I certainly would not like to experience one.

My 90 year old aunt has definitely got all her marbles and loves a good book so I will pass it on to her.

Thanks again for sending me a copy.

What a lovely surprise to receive a copy of 'Summertime' in the post! I have nearly finished it and thoroughly enjoying it, it really draws you in to the characters. Thanks to Vanessa for writing such an interesting book.

When I started this book last week I had the feeling that I wasn't going to get into it. Then 'wow', I couldn't put it down and was picking it up whenever I had some spare time. The last few chapters particularly really seemed to gather the reader into the drama of the hurricane and the fate of the characters. If there is one little niggle, there seems to be an awful lot of similes (think that's the right term thinking back to O level English) and I kept waiting for another one to appear! But it's a great book and I hope there's a 2nd novel on the cards.

I have just finished Summertime. It was an excellent book really drew you in with the characters looking forward to reading more in the future. I love receiving books of the month and have not been disappointed yet Thanks Gransnet

Summertime is such a good read. You can almost imagine being there.
How long did it take Vanessa to research her facts for the book?
Is there still much evidence in the Florida Keys area today as a reminder of the war veterans & how they had to re-adjust & were they eventually assisted?

Thank you very much for this book. Readers living around Marlborough might be interested to hear that Vanessa is down to appear at Swindon Festival Of Literature in May. I shall definitely be buying a ticket to see her.

This book was brilliant. I couldn't put it down. I found the topic so interesting, having once got caught in a tropical storm while in Florida. Of course the hurricane in the story was something else. It surprised me to learn that the veterans were not as well treated as they deserved. It didn't surprise me that the black people were locked out of the shelter. That was shocking but we know they were considered to be second class in those days. All in all, a well written and engaging story.

I haven't quite finished the book and find it very hard to put down.

The interaction between the white and black characters is riveting. Except for the doctor, the white people are depicted as cruel and callous, whereas the black ones gain our sympathy. Because these events are factual, it brings it home to the reader what the veterans endured at this time.

Just received my copy of Summertime. I look forward to starting it tonight!!

Thanks merlot, very close to the story in the book!

I found this very interesting but don't look unless you have finished the book.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4b4sLbSZWQ

Some good photos which compliment the author's vivid description of the devastation.

Yep,I'm a grumpy gran! Got it off my chest now and looking forward to sharing the lovely comments about Summertime

I always thought the gift of a beautiful, well chosen newly published book was to enable gransnetters to provide questions and constructive reviews to the author and the publishers.
I think that if we receive a book, we should make an effort to read it, review it and ask a question.
It must be frustrating to receive so many statements about the joy of the postman calling with a free book!
Or am I just being a grumpy gran?

I get so excited when the postman knocks on the door with a new read. This book did not disappoint .... Summertime was a great read , found it very difficult to put down.... left me wanting more.... hopefully there is a followup .

A fabulous book. It was so hard to believe that almost 20 years after WWI, that men were still struggling to find work and being treated so disgustingly. The whole concept that the white folk would trust the coloured help with their homes and children, yet not be able to support them in return was heartbreaking! This book swept me up like a tornado, for the first time in years, I read the entire book in one day. The tornado didn't care what colour their skin was-what an incredible book. Highly recommended.

I`d like a follow up to this one, would love to know how their lives progressed. Any chance Vanessa?

Love this book. Such a great sense of time and place. Really good depiction of how things were. Glad attitudes have changed so much during our lifetimes, but still some distance to go, I fear. Well done Vanessa. Looking forward to your next one.