The Last Summer (of You and Me)

Thank goodness the Gaffer and I are alone at the cottage and that I had a mother’s helper this morning and that I locked my keys in the car in Bracebridge and had to wait for CAA to come and save me.  Because of all of these events, I had time the opportunity to keep my nose in

ANN BRASHARES‘ first adult novel most of the day.  I started it yesterday and finished it today….aaaah the luxury of summer.

Brashares is the author to the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants series, and although they are written for teens, I found all four of them difficult to put down. I loved their intimate friendship, the struggles they had with themselves, their parents and each other, and how ultimately, the four friends were strongest when they relied on each other.

THE LAST SUMMER OF (YOU AND ME) has similar themes of loyalty, love and friendship, but at its core are three beautiful stories of love between sisters, friends and lovers. Most of the story takes place during the summers on Fire Island which makes it a great beach read. The book evokes smiles and tears. The ending is slightly predictable but the story unfolds so naturally that the reader can forgive this. This time, it is a triangle of three, older sister Riley, her best friend Paul and the younger sister Alice. Their trio is just as tight and devoted as the four girls of the sisterhood.  Their enviable friendship is unique in their depth of understanding of one another and at the same time, their inability to share their deepest fears.

I was a bit concerned when I turned the first page of The Last Summer of You and Me, because although I did enjoy Judy Blume’s adult fiction Summer Sisters, I didn’t think she really made the leap to adult stories. I would not say the same for Brashares, and I am eagerly looking forward to her next venture into adult fiction.