What a heartwarming, bittersweet book, based on the true story of the author's family.

In the first chapter of the book, we learn about two sisters, Fanny, 27, and Florence, 20, daughters of Joseph and Esther . Fanny is 7-months pregnant and on bedrest after an earlier too premature delivery with her previous pregnancy. Florence is training to swim across the English channel. Unfortunately, there is a freak accident and Florence drowns, and their mother decides that no one can tell Fanny about the tragedy, just in case it sends her into premature labor again.

Also staying with the family is Gossie, Florence's 7-year-old daughter, a girl who understands a lot more than anyone gives her credit for, and Anna, a young woman who has fled Germany as the Nazis moved in, and is desperate to bring her parents to the US.

There are a lot of things going on in this book, but it all comes down to doing whatever you need to do to protect your loved ones, which is a sweet message. Each character has their own opinion of how to do it, but I liked that they were each, in their own way, willing to sacrifice something of themselves to try to make life better for someone else.

I also liked how this book explored the relationships between gentiles and Jews, and how especially Esther might have loosened her opinions a bit, even as she remembers not blinking an eye previously at the family that sat shiva for their daughter who had married outside of the faith. I thought it was an interesting look at the ways morals can be shaped and maybe even changed. It really brought home the idea of when you know better, you do better, which seems especially relevant in the world today.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this book. It has not influenced my opinion.

This incredible family saga follows multiple characters through a life changing summer, documenting the intricacies a family goes through while suffering loss. I really enjoyed the different perspectives as we followed the changing narrators, dealing with family relationships, death and antisemitism during the 1930s. The author, Rachel Beanland, typically uses Jewish themes and characters in her books and I really enjoyed the culture included throughout the novel. I always enjoy expanding my knowledge of other religions and practices and this added another element to the book. Though I felt it took me a while to warm up to the characters and get into the novel, once the plot really picked up I was hooked. I fell in love with the characters and was very invested in the story. I always enjoy a good family saga and this did not disappoint. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER This story pulled me in right from the beginning! I felt as though I was living in 1930’s Atlantic City, in and amongst the characters. I was also intrigued by the description of many Jewish traditions and customs. Told in multiple POV’s, the story flowed easily to reveal how each character struggled with keeping a secret in an effort to protect a loved one. It touches on a reflection of regrets. And as I’ve learned with other books, always read the Authors Note at the end! The events and characters are based on true happenings and people. A tremendous debut and must read for this summer!

Based on the real life of the author's great-great aunt Florence Lowenthal, this was a lovely and moving story of a family coming to terms with the loss of their young daughter.

Set in the early 1930's in Atlantic City, New Jersey, young Florence Adler has dreams to swim the English Channel as famed swimmer Gertrude Ederle did in 1926. While Training at the beach with her coach Stuart and in the presence of her 7-year old niece Gussie, and family friend Anna, Florence drowns leaving behind her parents Joseph and Esther Adler to grieve in secret as they decide to hide the truth of Florence's death to her high-risk pregnant sister Fannie, who has already suffered a recent miscarriage. As the story unfolds this close knit Jewish family will face secrets long held, dealing with a scheming son in law, resentments, grief and the pain of having lost a young daughter who held so much promise for the future. This was a lovely and captivating read.

Thank you to NetGalley for a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

What an interesting debut from Rachel Beanland! Florence Adler Swims Forever is more than a title; it's the theme for the Adler family on a much deeper level. Told from the perspective of multiple members of the Adler family and acquaintances, readers are taken back to the 1930s in Atlantic City. Florence, the well-known champion collegiate swimmer, is home for the summer prepping to swim the English Channel. Her sister Fannie is spending the next two months on bed rest at the local hospital due to a high risk pregnancy. When an idyllic day at the beach turns tragic the Adlers are determined to keep it quiet so that Fannie doesn't find out and risk her pregnancy. In turn, Florence swimming forever becomes a metaphor for this family's journey over an unforgettable summer.

Based on true events, Beanland weaves a story where Atlantic City serves as an unspoken character. Fresh out of the prohibition era, people flock to the shore every summer. For locals like the Adler family, owners of a popular bakery, they are well known in the area-especially in the Jewish community. Stuart, Florence's coach, is the son of a wealthy hotelier that doesn't permit Jewish families to stay as guests. With the tensions in Europe mounting, the Adlers take in Anna, the daughter of Josef Adler's old friend in Hungary. Anna figures prominently into the story-both as a witness to the tragic events as well as a love interest for Stuart. While the summer progresses and secrets are revealed what is at the heart of this story is family and the lengths we go for the people we love. A great debut!

Thank you to the writer, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This book! First of all, I love the time period and the place, New York in the early 1900's. I love that Rachel Beanland gives her descriptively rich characters yiddish to speak and Jewish traditions to be. The love of parents is so overwhelming in this story, Florence Adler Swims Forever, that it literally sent a catch to my throat in every chapter . Based on a lie, the characters in this story have to live around it. Every person in this story is fully developed; I felt like I was reading a true story full of life, real situations and true reactions. And...then to read in the Author's Note, that this is in fact based on her true story. My heart broke throughout this entire book, it was just so real! What. a display of humanity! Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the epub of this wonderful, amazing and inspirational story. I loved it! and highly recommend it to your reading list! Ms. Beanland is an incredible author who writes with passion and emotions that bring a story to its full fruition!

Reminiscent of Anita Diamant's The Boston Girl, Beanland's debut novel is perfect for fans of literary historical fiction. While training to swim across the English Channel in 1934, Florence Adler drowns off the coast of Atlantic City. After the tragedy, her mother makes a fateful decision - to keep Florence's death a secret from her other daughter Fannie, on bed rest for an extremely high-risk pregnancy. Rachel Beanland knocks it out of the park with this debut novel based on a true story from her family's history. With an insightful look at the intricacies of family life, Florence Adler Swims Forever has one itself a spot among the best books of 2020.

Florence Adler Swims Forever showcases how far you will go to protect your family. In this case, a Jewish family protects a family member from hearing the news of her sister's untimely demise in order to save her unborn child's life. Other characters also harbor secrets that could effect the lives of those around them. This based on a true story tale is heartbreaking and engrossing.

First, thank you to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for this advanced copy of Florence Adler Swims Forever for review.

Overall, I was really surprised by the emotions this novel evoked from me as I read Beanland's words. Florence Adler is told from multiple voices and the family connections that are established provide a rich description that adds to the plot. This is a wonderful historical piece that has family drama woven straight through.

I love this book I love the characters so many books I read I don’t find the characters appealing. I really cared about Florence and her sister and it was a smooth easy read

I knew Florence died based on the book description, but was shocked when it happened early in the book. I liked the writing style and the book kept me engaged. There was so many different things going on, but was easy to keep up. The only negatives, the ending left me wanting more about Fannie and I wish there had been more on Florence's life.

This book throws its first loop at you within pages. A tragedy sets in motion a string of events, attempts to keep Fannie, Florence’s sister and on pregnancy bedrest, from finding out what happened.
This family saga is all about the characters. Everyone is suffering, from a variety of losses, not just the most recent. We, the readers, also become privy to each character’s secrets.
But for some reason, it took me a long time to connect with any of the characters. The book alternates between their POVs. In the beginning, they felt flat, despite all their various problems. I pitied them, but found it difficult to think of them as real people, despite the book being based in a true story. As the book goes on, Beanland gets more things right, like how often sadness and grief get expressed as anger towards others. The characters began to grow on me. I know all too well what it’s like to have a disappointment for a son-in-law, so I appreciated what Joseph was going through. While I didn’t care for Esther, she had the one thought that hit me the hardest. “This, she realized, was what it felt like to grow old. Eventually people felt so weighed down by the yoke of their own bad decisions that they could scarcely move.”
Beanland does a better job of presenting us with a complete picture of the place and times. The cavalier prejudice of the times is seen on both the personal and political level. And to think that babies in incubators were treated like circus attractions and put on display!
As others have mentioned, the ending is just a little too neat. But it makes for a good decent summer read. In the end, I’m assigning this a 3.5 star rating, rounded up.
My thanks to netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this book.

This was a fantastic first novel by this author. Sometimes you read reviews of books and they portray the book as something that has way surpassed what the book actually turns out to be, however it was not the case with this book. It surely did not disappoint, and it left me thinking after the conclusion of the story, what would I do in a similar situation?
The book goes back and forth between all the main characters in the family, and shows their handling of a tragedy that had to be hidden from someone they loved and cared for. The beginning starts out with a drowning of Florence, and shows how her parents, neice, good friends, and brother in law handle the tragedy and keeping it a secret from Florence's sister Fannie. At the time of the drowning Fannie remains in the hospital on bedrest, waiting to give birth to her third child. Her second child was premature and lived less then 30 days, until he succumbed to.complications from the premature delivery. It's very important for her to remain as calm as possible so it is decided everyone must be quiet about things until after a safe delivery.
One of the things I love most about this book is that it is based on the true story of a family member of the author. I find it unbelievable that something like this was actually pulled off. I can't begin to imagine the stress that secret caused in the family. To hold something like that in takes great strength and determination. It makes me wonder if I would have the strength to let Florence swim.......

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It’s a family saga in 1934 Atlantic City. Joseph and Esther rent out their house during the summer to tourists, while they live in a small apartment above their bakery. One of their daughter Florence is a swimmer training to swim the English Channel that summer. Fannie, married to Isaac is in the hospital on bed rest to prevent repeat of premature labor, that resulted in her baby’s death before. Gussie is their 7 year old daughter being bounced around the family during her mother’s bed rest. Anna, recently arrived from Nazi Germany with a student visa which she obtained with Joseph’s help, who knew Anna’s mother while they were young.
The book is well written, the characters well developed in alternating chapters exploring each of their thoughts. How far would you go to protect those you love from bad news? What is the right decision? What would I do? These were the questions in my mind reading the novel. I felt for Gussie mature beyond her 7 years , no one had the the time or energy to give her the love she needed.
Overall,this book is well worth 4 stars. I took off one star for two reasons. The ending is abrupt and somewhat unrealistic. There were some loose ends that were introduced but not developed, especially as it related to Isaac.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.

I loved this book. Having been to Atlantic City as a child, I was fascinated by the atmospheric details that serve as a backdrop for the complex Adler family's eventful 1934 summer. Every family history has some "did that really happen" moments, but Rachel Beanland has crafted a saga that is ( at the very least) plausible. She's crafted together a network of heroes, heroines, wise-beyond-their-years younger sisters and controlling parents. Did I forget to mention a rotter of a husband? Add to the mixture tensions from Hitler's rise in Eastern Europe, Atlantic City as a rising tourist destination and a nice Jewish Girl who goes off to a Seven Sister college. I jumped in and stuck around to the end - as the Adler entourage emerged. Beanland has provided us a swimmingly good novel. Thanks Rachel and S & S for the ARC!

This lovely book starts off with some rough events, and frankly I had a little bit of a time coping with them because I’d already become attached to the characters.

The Atlantic City setting just before WWII, with giant hotels, piers, and general hubbub, is the backdrop for the story of a few summer months in the life of an extended Jewish family, including a stolid patriarch and matriarch, a free-spirited daughter, a spunky and fantastic granddaughter Gussie, a daughter with another grandchild on the way, a deadbeat son-in-law, and family friends to round out the group. There’s an undercurrent of concern about Hitler and his increasingly punitive behavior toward Jewish families’ businesses and emigration in Germany.

I loved watching the book’s events unfold—even if I could predict some of them. Anything that was wrapped up a little too neatly didn’t bother me at all; I was all in and satisfied.

Beanland based some of the basic events on her ancestors’ experiences, which was fascinating to realize at the end.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and Simon and Schuster in exchange for a review.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Publishers Summary:
Over the course of one summer that begins with a shocking tragedy, three generations of the Adler family grapple with heartbreak, romance, and the weight of family secrets in this stunning debut novel that’s perfect for fans of Manhattan Beach and The Dollhouse.

This book takes place in 1934 Atlantic City, New Jersey (my home state), so I was immediately intrigued. Following a family tragedy at the very beginning of the book- we follow how the Alder family deals with the consequences of how they handle the aftermath of the tragedy. The chapters jumped between the perspective of the Adler extended family - about 7 different characters. While this seems like a lot - the author does a good job of keeping the plot flowing seamlessly. The only drawback is that we never hear from Florence who the book is named for. I would have really liked to get her perspective/more back story surrounding the character. The book also touches on a few historical happenings during this time period - the rise of Hitler in Germany, the immigration of Jews to America as well as various attempts by competitive swimmers to swim the English channel. The book also touched on the Infant Incubators Exhibit on the Atlantic City boardwalk - a history fact I was never aware of. I would have liked if the author went into a little bit more detail about this but even the little tidbits she gave were great. I didn't give this a full 5 stars because I felt like the book ended without much closure to some big developments that happened at the end. An epilogue that tied up some lose ends for the characters would have put this at a 5 for me. It is definitely a solid summer beach read that will pull you all the way and take you to another time and place.

Florence Adler Swims Forever is a wonderful story of Florence who is very close to fulfilling her dream of swimming the English Channel. Set in the 1930's, this is a historical fiction novel. What I appreciated about this book is that the history didn't overtake the novel. This felt like a story about the Adler family and wasn't weighted down with the details of the time but rather historical facts were sprinkled into the story to create a better picture for the reader.

When there are multiple characters things can sometimes gets choppy but Rachel Beanland did an amazing job with character development. My favorite character has to be Gussie. I feel like so much of the story was moved forward through Gussie. Being that she is only 6-7 years old she says things that others are probably thinking but are too polite to say.

The story did leave me wanting more information about Anna and what happens with her parents and the fall out between Esther and Joseph.

I thoroughly enjoyed Florence Adler Swims Forever and would recommend it.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of #FlorenceAdlerSwimsForever in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loved the setting, the characters, and the plot. Beanland does a great job weaving in Jewish customs without overhwhelming the reader. (I've struggled with that balance in my own writing so I know firsthand it's tricky.) I haven't read a historical novel in a while, and I'm glad I chose this one.

I love historical fiction and this one really takes the cake. Author Rachel Beanland creates a magical beachside view of a tragedy witnessed by a young girl. It was her aunt involved in the tragedy and it changes her life, and her family's life, forever. I felt connected to the book the entire time and with the smooth style that author imposed, it was an easy read.