My Rating: 4.25
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Format: eARC*
Publication Date: July 12, 2022
Author: Viola Shipman
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The Edge of Summer Blurb
Bestselling author Viola Shipman delights with this captivating summertime escape set along the sparkling shores of Lake Michigan, where a woman searches for clues to her secretive mother’s past
Devastated by the sudden death of her mother—a quiet, loving and intensely private Southern seamstress called Miss Mabel, who overflowed with pearls of Ozarks wisdom but never spoke of her own family—Sutton Douglas makes the impulsive decision to pack up and head north to the Michigan resort town where she believes she’ll find answers to the lifelong questions she’s had about not only her mother’s past but also her own place in the world.
Recalling Miss Mabel’s sewing notions that were her childhood toys, Sutton buys a collection of buttons at an estate sale from Bonnie Lyons, the imposing matriarch of the lakeside community. Propelled by a handful of trinkets left behind by her mother and glimpses into the history of the magical lakeshore town, Sutton becomes tantalized by the possibility that Bonnie is the grandmother she never knew. But is she? As Sutton cautiously befriends Bonnie and is taken into her confidence, she begins to uncover the secrets about her family that Miss Mabel so carefully hid, and about the role that Sutton herself unwittingly played in it all.
The Edge of Summer Review
As a quick reminder, here is my rating structure:
- 1 star: Did not finish
- 2 Stars: Finished but I do not recommend
- 3 Stars: Liked but could use some improvements
- 4 Stars: Loved this book!
- 5 Stars: Rare. The unput-down-able, binge read obsession.
My star ratings are also based also genre based. I compare all books with books of the same genre. While I would love to believe that my love of books in general transcends all bias, there are genres I prefer over others.
I’m human.
Example: If I read a mystery novel and think it deserves a 5-star rating, then I have compared it to other mystery books, and determined it to be one of my absolute favorites. The unputdownable mystery.
This will hopefully keep me from comparing Outlander, a personal obsession of mine, with the experience of reading The Hate You Give. Both 5 star books for me, but completely and totally different. I couldn’t even try to rate them against each other, so I don’t. Makes my life easier. 🙂
My Thoughts
I don’t know if you have read yet, but if you enjoy women’s fiction, then you really should. She is an auto buy author for me and my mom. In fact, after reading one of Shipman’s previous books, Clover Girls, I pre-ordered The Edge of Summer for my mother’s birthday.
The Edge of Summer is an emotional look at the past few years and a journey through their repercussions. I was actually surprised by how personally insightful I found the book. Judging from the cover, I didn’t realize how deep we would dive into the psychological ramifications of Covid-19, but Viola Shipman tackles this hard topic with grace.
That’s not to say the book is overly heavy. It has very serious moments, to be sure, but overall it feels more like a woman finding herself after losing her way a bit. She reconnects with the woman she was while trying to live as the woman is she post-pandemic. I found myself nodding so many times as Sutton grappled with her many challenges.
I fell in love with the fashion and the small, resort town atmosphere of The Edge of Summer. Between the buttons, fabrics, and designs, my imagination absolutely soared.
Conclusion
The Edge of Summer is an emotional journey of grief and discovery sewn into the fabric of a fictional summer read.
*Special thanks to Viola Shipman and Graydon House for providing a copy of The Edge of Summer in exchange for an honest review.
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