BOARDWALK SUMMER
Meredith Jaeger
William Morrow
May 23, 2018
384 pages
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I had just finished a book that weighed on me heavily, so I was looking for something lighter. Boardwalk Summer looked like it would fill my need. The dual timelines (1940 and 2007) appealed to me. I love books that take place in the mid 20th century.
The setting is Santa Cruz, California. The 1940 part is about Violet, a young married woman who yearns for something better than her abusive husband (trigger warning) and aspires to be an actress. The 2007 part is about Mari, a young single mom who wants to save the beach in Santa Cruz from condo development. As we come to expect with dual timelines, there is a connection between the 2 women.
The story is satisfying. The premise is good but the writing style is on the light side. I cannot count how many times the phrase swiped on some lipstick, swiped on some blush, swiped on some deodorant appeared. Perhaps that could have been caught by an editor or proofreader. A minor detail but the receptiveness becomes tiresome.
There is a twist in the last half of the book that I did not expect. It was a pleasant surprise.
Finally, I love the author’s section at the end, ABOUT THE BOOK. She explains the historical points of the story. She has included actual businesses, a famous carousel and the Gazebo. This chapter adds a whole new factual and interesting element to the story.
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