I really enjoyed this book, it was quite laid back, and nearly all about the renovation of an old house, but just had a lovely feeling throughout it all.

Alex lives with her young daughter and has been divorced from her husband, Matt, for 4 years but still has lingering feelings for him, even after they divorced because she caught him cheating. After the divorce Alex decided to renovate old houses, her passion, to make ends meet. She still sees quite a bit of Matt in passing as they share custody of their daughter.

The book is mainly about the trials and tribulations of renovating an old house, and poor Alex really did have a lot of hassle with it, but it was so worth it finally. During the course of the renovation she meets and makes friends with her lovely elderly neighbour, Elsie, and finds out more about the house she is renovating and it's previous occupants as Elsie has lived next door all her life. There is also a side story of Elsie trying to find a baby she had given up for adoption when she was very young, which Alex helps her with, which is so lovely.

The cicadas of the title weren't in the story very much as such, but were really interesting. They have a seventeen year cycle, so every seventeen years they come out of hibernation, completely cover everything for about six weeks, then hibernate for another seventeen years. Absolutely fascinating little bugs! So the story really revolves around the theme of this and involves the characters of the book going through certain cycles and hard times, but moving on eventually, and coming out the other side stronger and happier.

The house was renovated eventually, and sounded absolutely gorgeous, well worth all the trouble it took to get there. I really admire people who make the extra effort to renovate old houses and keep their history and character, instead of going the easier route of just ripping everything out and replacing with new.

Lovely story that just flowed really easily and was an absolute pleasure to read.

Alex Proctor has made her living flipping houses since her divorce, but she’s not one of those flashy TV show type flippers. She takes pride into making each house a home for its new owners. Her newest acquisition is an old house near Geneva Lake, Washington, and it’s seen better days. It’s most recent residents were squirrels and raccoons, but Alex can see beyond the trash and rats to the home this once was and could become again. Of course, as anyone who has ever renovated a home knows, there are always surprises, most of them not happy ones. But Alex makes some lovely discoveries, like beautiful architectural features, and proof of a long ago love affair involving her now elderly neighbor. I loved this story about second chances – for a marriage, for a home. Just imagine all the people old houses have sheltered, the births, the deaths, marriages, wars, celebrations – there’s magic in that and there’s magic in this lovely story

I think that “Cicada Summer” by Maureen Leurck is a novel about hope, love, perseverance, starting over, and second chances at life. In more ways than one, Ms. Leurck gives the reader a glimpse at obstacles that can be overcome and the endurance to find other ways to succeed.

Alex Proctor is a single mom, sharing her daughter with the father, Matt on every other weekend and designated custody days. She is providing for her daughter by renovating old houses into homes anyone would love to live in. This last home that she purchased has no limit on problems and unseen structural disintegration. I love to watch the reno shows that are so prevalent now and found that this book capitalized on this popular theme of these shows. This house comes alive as we find out more and more about past inhabitants. Can she use this same stubbornness to make her life right again? Can she begin to start a new life without constantly thinking of her ex-husband?

Of course, the title has something to do with the theme of the novel. Cicadas lives are in a seventeen year cycle. Every seventeen years cicadas come out of their hibernating grounds, cover the area with their sounds and bodies until they mate, lay the eggs and die. The eggs hatch and the nymphs burrow underground to feed on plant roots. They re-emerge after another seventeen year to start the cycle all over again. I would say that the comparison to
Alex’s life is the stubbornness, hope and renewal that the cicada experience brings to the dedication to starting over again.

I thought the characters were very real and that Ms. Leurck did a wonderful job of tying up all the threads that ran through the novel. I would recommend this book highly.