Review: The Summer That Made Us by: Robyn Carr

Title: The Summer That Made Us
Author: Robyn Carr
Publisher: Mira Books
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
Source: Library

Description:

Mothers and daughters, sisters and cousins--they lived for summers at the lake house until a tragic accident changed everything. The Summer That Made Us is an unforgettable story about a family learning to accept the past, to forgive and to love each other again. 

That was then... For the Hempsteads, two sisters who married two brothers and had three daughters each, summers were idyllic. The women would escape the city the moment school was out to gather at the family house on Lake Waseka. The lake was a magical place, a haven where they were happy and carefree. All of their problems drifted away as the days passed in sun-dappled contentment. Until the summer that changed everything. This is now... After an accidental drowning turned the lake house into a site of tragedy and grief, it was closed up. For good. Torn apart, none of the Hempstead women speak of what happened that summer, and relationships between them are uneasy at best to hurtful at worst. But in the face of new challenges, one woman is determined to draw her family together again, and the only way that can happen is to return to the lake and face the truth. 

Robyn Carr has crafted a beautifully woven story about the complexities of family dynamics and the value of strong female relationships. 

My Thoughts: 

This book weaves the story of sisters and cousins, mothers and daughters and is told with Robyn Carr's incredible brilliance to weave a wonderful story together of secrets and healing.  The Hempstead sisters Lou and Jo have married brothers Carl and Roy and spend their summers with their daughters at the Lake House which has been in their family for a very long time.  At the lake house things were carefree and fun.  When one summer everything changes and it's sister against sister.  No one goes to the Lake house now.

Meg has decided that she wants to open up the Lake house and Charly her sister will do anything even if it means upsetting their mother Lou.  No one has been to the Lake House since their sister Bunny died.  Meg is determined to fix her family as no one knows if her Cancer is gone or going to get worse.

Jo is unwilling to go to the Lake House unless Lou gives her the okay.  They were at odds with each other over some secrets from summers long past. Krista is the first to arrive and she has dealt with her own issues after just getting out of jail.  

Charly has the Lake House open and is learning more about what Krista has been up to.  In Charly's own way she helps Krista make a way for herself.  Charly having lost her job and at a cross roads with her boyfriend Michael who wants to marry her but Charly is scared of what no one really knows. 

Hope Krista's sister is living in some fantasy world that her family life is perfect that she is still married and has her girls with her and living a lie instead of facing reality.  Which gets more and more troubling as the book progresses.  

Beverly Krista's other sister was devistated over Bunny's death ended up living with a foster family as her own family was a bad train wreck.  

But these women come together to piece together their lives and reconnect with their families.  This was such a good book I couldn't put down it was captivating and pulled me in until I closed the book it was a great story and written with a style only Robyn Carr can produce.  Can't wait to see what she writes next!