I knew I'd love it!
Summerland is a beautiful post-war time survival and love story. Lucy Arlington writes evocatively, and with a natural charm. Summerland is more than it first appears: I was reminded of scandals and the humour of Downton Abbey. Adlington writes with a similar, subtle, humour: she vividly describes England as seen through the eyes of a young Austrian teenager. The queerness of out language, our phrases and mannerisms.
But, by far, what is particularly special about this book is that it's not only gripping. (After page 60, I was swept away! And if you saw that final plot twist coming, you're lying!) But it is also incredibly honest. Brigitta is like any other teenager, and her eventual friends are the same: ready to move on from the long shadows cast by the war. They're thinking about boys, school, growing up and embracing their youth. A story with unforgettable characters!
Ultimately this is not a miserable war story. It's achingly complex, Adlington delicately writes a narrative of hidden children forced to go extreme lengths in order to survive.
Summerland is a beautiful post-war time survival and love story. Lucy Arlington writes evocatively, and with a natural charm. Summerland is more than it first appears: I was reminded of scandals and the humour of Downton Abbey. Adlington writes with a similar, subtle, humour: she vividly describes England as seen through the eyes of a young Austrian teenager. The queerness of out language, our phrases and mannerisms.
But, by far, what is particularly special about this book is that it's not only gripping. (After page 60, I was swept away! And if you saw that final plot twist coming, you're lying!) But it is also incredibly honest. Brigitta is like any other teenager, and her eventual friends are the same: ready to move on from the long shadows cast by the war. They're thinking about boys, school, growing up and embracing their youth. A story with unforgettable characters!
Ultimately this is not a miserable war story. It's achingly complex, Adlington delicately writes a narrative of hidden children forced to go extreme lengths in order to survive.