Still Summer - Jacquelyn Mitchard
Deep End of the Ocean Author Returns with Story from the Sea
Oprah Book Club author's novel features four women who must overcome both themselves and each other to survive when a luxury vacation cruise goes awry
In high school, they were inseparable. Olivia was the queen, Holly the care taker, and Tracy the athlete. Known as "the Godmothers," the threesome was the group everyone wanted to know. After high school, their bond remained strong even as they went in their own directions and started their adult lives. Twenty years later, the glamorous and newly widowed Olivia suggests they take a luxury cruise together on the Caribbean, and they are reunited.
Relationships Tested
The three women, plus Tracy's nineteen year old daughter Camille and a two man crew, set sail on a ten day cruise on a luxury yacht. But when a sudden storm rolls in, the boat is heavily damaged and the crew thrown overboard, leaving the women adrift with no working engine, sail or means of communication. They scramble to put up a makeshift sail and steer the boat back on track, but their lack of experience leaves them vulnerable. As their food and water supply begins to dwindle, the women begin to struggle for survival. Their true personalities emerge -- Olivia, always the queen, hides protein bars from the others and chooses to sleep in her cabin rather than help out; Tracy becomes a hero; teenaged Camille finds a strength within that she didn't know she had; and Holly shows her courage.
A Quick Summer Read
The women not only have to face the blazing sunshine, but also their own demons. The luxury cruise they had anticipated turns into a nightmare, and a test of relationships. The bonds of a mother and her daughter, and of life long friends, are tested, and relationships are both broken and renewed. A deep family secret is revealed as well; unfortunately it is easy for the reader to anticipate and anti-climatic when it is brought out. Still Summer is a quick summer read, albeit an unmemorable and sometimes unbelievable one. For example, one of the women is described as an experienced sailor, yet she doesn't have the knowledge to take down the sail prior to the storm and is surprised when she finds it ripped to shreds. The plot itself is interesting, and the book is a good summer read.
About the Author
Jacquelyn Mitchard’s first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, was named by USA Today as one of the 10 most influential books of the past 25 years. The novel launched Oprah's Book Club and became a huge international bestseller, hitting #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and selling over three million combined copies.
She also has embarked on four novels for young adults.
Author Updates
Visit Jacquelyn Mitchard's website for updates on author appearance dates, podcasts, blog posts and more.
Still Summer
Mitchard, Jacquelyn
New York, Grand Central Publishing, August 23, 2007
