âThe perfect summer readâ (USA TODAY) begins with a shocking tragedy that results in three generations of the Adler family grappling with heartbreak, romance, and the weight of family secrets over the course of one summer.
*A New York Times Book Review Editorsâ Choice * One of USA TODAYâs âBest Books of 2020â * One of Good Morning Americaâs â25 Novels You'll Want to Read This Summerâ * One of Paradeâs â26 Best Books to Read This Summerâ
Atlantic City, 1934. Every summer, Esther and Joseph Adler rent their house out to vacationers escaping to âAmericaâs Playgroundâ and move into the small apartment above their bakery. Despite the cramped quarters, this is the apartment where they raised their two daughters, Fannie and Florence, and it always feels like home.
Now, Florence has returned from college, determined to spend the summer training to swim the English Channel, and Fannie, pregnant again after recently losing a baby, is on bedrest for the duration of her pregnancy. After Joseph insists they take in a mysterious young woman whom he recently helped emigrate from Nazi Germany, the apartment is bursting at the seams.
Esther only wants to keep her daughters close and safe but some matters are beyond her control: thereâs Fannieâs risky pregnancyânot to mention her always-scheming husband, Isaacâand the fact that the handsome heir of a hotel notorious for its anti-Semitic policies, seems to be in love with Florence.
When tragedy strikes, Esther makes the shocking decision to hide the truthâat least until Fannieâs baby is bornâand pulls the family into an elaborate web of secret-keeping and lies, bringing long-buried tensions to the surface that reveal how quickly the act of protecting those we love can turn into betrayal.
âReaders of Emma Straub and Curtis Sittenfeld will devour this richly drawn debut family sagaâ (Library Journal) thatâs based on a true story and is a breathtaking portrayal of how the human spirit can endureâand even thriveâafter tragedy.