Florence Adler Swims Forever

The Barnes & Noble Book Club selection for this month was Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland. It is actually based, in part, on a true story about the author's family and that really piqued my interest in wanting to read this novel. Every summer the Adler family rents out their house in Atlantic City to tourists and moves to the apartment above their bakery. The summer of 1934 begins tragically when Florence Adler drowns while training to swim the English Channel. Her devastated mother, Esther, makes the decision to keep this information from her other daughter Fannie because she is nearing the end of a high-risk pregnancy after losing a baby a year ago and the entire family, as well as other people in the community, is complicit in this deception. This dramatically impacts her husband Joseph, Florence's swimming coach Stuart, Fannie's husband Isaac, Fannie's seven year old daughter Gussie, and Anna, a Jewish refugee brought to the U.S. by Joseph. The narrative alternates between the perspectives of all of these characters and their secrets and motivations are eventually revealed. I was particularly struck by Fannie's POV because she is so upset by the fact that Florence has not visited her in the hospital that her blood pressure becomes dangerously high, thus causing this elaborate plan to almost backfire. I also really enjoyed the character of Gussie because she is a bit of a pill (with a crush on Stuart) and she is so confused by the fact that all of the adults in her life are lying. After reading the description of the story I was really surprised that Florence's death happens within the first few pages but, in retrospect, the novel isn't really about Florence.  Her death sets off a chain of events that take the characters on a journey of discovery and this technique works really well. The period details are absolutely brilliant, particularly the descriptions of the opulent hotels along the boardwalk, and I was drawn into Anna's plight as a Jew trying to escape from Nazi Germany. It is a sensitive exploration of the lengths people will go to protect the ones they love but I was a bit disappointed in the abrupt ending. A scene that I was anticipating throughout the entire novel didn't even take place! This omission was the subject of the virtual discussion with the author last night and, to some extent, I understand Beanland's reasoning. She asserts that the reader already knows how that scene will play out and she wanted to end the book with a more hopeful resolution between Esther and Anna. The discussion last night was fantastic and I really enjoyed hearing a perspective about Joseph that I had not considered before. I really miss the members of my local book club but I have to admit that interacting with the authors during the virtual discussions has been quite enlightening and enjoyable! This compelling novel is a great summer read and I highly recommend it.

Note: The next selection in the Barnes & Noble Book Club is The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue.  This book was announced much earlier than usual and I have already started reading it!  There will be another virtual discussion with the author on Facebook and YouTube on September 8 (go here for more information).