The Summer Book

Sophia spends her summers with her grandmother on a very secluded island.  There isn’t much contact with the mainland – no phone or television and hardly any visitors.  But this slower pace allows the pair to explore their connections with each other and the world around them.  They explore the island, tell stories, and talk about life.  They also explore their loss – Sophia’s mother – and learn how to lean on each other to move forward.

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson is a masterpiece of situational and relational narratives.  The simple storyline lends itself to relatable situations and topics.  Written in a way that gives readers an intimate peek into the lives of both main characters, this book is an ode to the love of family and the passing of knowledge from older generations to younger ones.  Originally written in Swedish with the title Sommerboken, this book is a must read for grandparents who care for their children throughout the off-school seasons.

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I give The Summer Book 4 out of 5 stars. Some areas of this book were slow moving and I struggled to stop trying to skip ahead.  I also found a few of the additional characters outside our core pair needed additional development to fully understand their place in the book and why they were important to our leads.  However, I was surprised at how many memories this book brought forward for me.  I spent every summer and school holiday with my grandparents at their farm – my grandfather teaching me his craft and my grandmother sharing stories.  While we weren’t quite as disconnected as Sophia and her grandmother, my family didn’t focus on television or having people over as much as experiencing the days together.  I enjoyed the trip down memory lane and told my daughter almost immediately that this book is one she needs to read, too – she experienced the same upbringing with her great-grandparents!

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This book would be great for any readers who spent their summers with older family members like we did, but also for those older family members who are currently helping to raise younger generations.  With some light discussions of death and loss, this might not be suitable for younger audiences under 13.  I also think this would be a great companion read for siblings or others who grew up in similar situations – there is an opportunity for comparison and discussion about the value of your upbringing here.

I chose The Summer Book in honor of Grandparents’ Day on September 10^th.  While my grandparents have been gone for several years now, it was nice to reflect on my time spent with them through reading this book.  Also – I discovered after reading the novel that this may become a movie in the next year or so!  Filming had begun but was put on hold due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes.  I hear Glenn Close may be staring in the film – I can’t wait to see her take on the character!

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What I’m Reading

• Current print book: Eligible, Curtis Sittenfeld
• Current audio book: Code Talker, Joseph Bruchac
• Book I’m most looking forward to: Triptych, Karen Slaughter