THE FOREVER SUMMER
The discovery of long-buried secrets brings three generations of women together to Cape Cod for the summer homecoming of a lifetime.
Marin Bishop has always played by the rules, and it’s paid off: on the cusp of thirty she has a handsome fiancé, a prestigious Manhattan legal career, and her father’s hard-won admiration. But with one careless mistake at work, Marin suddenly finds herself unemployed and alone. Before she can summon the courage to tell her parents, a young woman appears, claiming to be Marin’s half-sister. Seeking answers, Marin agrees to join her on a soul-searching journey to Cape Cod,
The discovery of long-buried secrets brings three generations of women together to Cape Cod for the summer homecoming of a lifetime.
Marin Bishop has always played by the rules, and it’s paid off: on the cusp of thirty she has a handsome fiancé, a prestigious Manhattan legal career, and her father’s hard-won admiration. But with one careless mistake at work, Marin suddenly finds herself unemployed and alone. Before she can summon the courage to tell her parents, a young woman appears, claiming to be Marin’s half-sister. Seeking answers, Marin agrees to join her on a soul-searching journey to Cape Cod, to meet the family she didn’t even know she had.
As the summer unfolds at her grandmother’s beachside B&B, it becomes clear that her half-sister’s existence is just the first in a series of truths that will shake Marin’s beliefs—in love, and in her own identity—to the core. Filled with shocking revelations, heartfelt romance, and resilient women banding together against the most unexpected twists of fate, The Forever Summer is an emotionally resonant page-turner, and a delicious escape for any season.
- Little, Brown & Company
- Hardcover
- April 2017
- 368 Pages
- 9780316394871
Buy the Book
$26.00
About Jamie Brenner
Jamie Brenner grew up in suburban Philadelphia, where her regular Saturday routine of brunch and a visit to the local bookstore with her father lead to a lifelong love of reading. After studying literature at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Jamie set out for New York City where she started her career at HarperCollins Publishers, then later Barnes&Noble.com and Vogue.com before returning to books as a literary agent. Now a full-time writer, her next novel, The Forever Summer, is coming April 2017 from Little, Brown. Jamie still lives in New York with her husband and children, whom she takes to the bookstore every chance she gets.
Praise
“Secrets revealed, love lost and found, and the abiding strength of family fill these pages with a particular wisdom and humor. Put your feet up, sip a cocktail and let Jamie Brenner surprise and delight you with the first great read of summer.” — Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of All the Stars in the Heavens
“An engaging and emotional read with characters who stay with you, this is a good fit for fans of Elin Hilderbrand, beach reads, and women’s stories.” — Booklist
“An emotional roller coaster ride that will have you addicted and wanting to read more. This book is truly the perfect literary escape for any season.” — Redbook
“This novel is the perfect recipe for a captivating summer read, mixing together equal parts of an emotional core and suspenseful plot development, adding a dash of heart-wrenching tears and topping it off with dynamically crafted characters.” — Romantic Times Magazine
Discussion Questions
1. In the beginning of The Forever Summer, Marin feels her life is falling apart and looks for escape in a spontaneous road trip with her mother and half-sister. Is it sometimes okay to escape your problems? How did Marin’s decision to run away shape her family by the end of the summer?
2. What role does truth versus secrets play in this story? Is the truth always better, or does it depend on the circumstance? Is it understandable that Blythe kept the truth from her daughter?
3. In what ways does the intimate, seaside Provincetown shape the family reunion? How might the story have been different in another setting?
4. Would Blythe’s marriage to Kip have been better or worse if she hadn’t met Nick Cabral? If her transgression did ultimately save her marriage, does the ends justify the means?
5. Blythe loves gardening because “there is a solution for everything.” Over the course of the summer, the women find solutions to life’s challenges. What are some examples of their resiliency?
6. Amelia takes great pride in her Portuguese cooking, telling Rachel that food connects us to the past. What role does food play in this story? In families in general?
7. Amelia’s daughter is threatened by the arrival of new family members, particularly when it comes to the future of the ancestral home. Does she have a right to feel this way?
8. Forgiveness is a major theme in The Forever Summer. Does Blythe deserve Marin’s forgiveness? Her husband’s? Does Amelia deserve her daughter’s forgiveness?
9. Was Kelly’s decision at the end selfish or selfless?
10. Considering the increasing popularity of DNA testing and non-traditional family relationships, what does The Forever Summer say about the families we make versus the biological relations we are born with? Is nature or nurture more important? And what does it mean to be a family (a parent, a sibling, or grandparent) in this evolving definition of family?