Atlantic City in 1934 is an important part of this story. The Adler family lives there where Joseph, the father owns a popular bakery. Esther, his dutiful wife is involved in the bakery and in her daughters’ lives. The oldest is in hospital expecting a baby. Although Fannie has an older daughter, she recently lost another baby. Esther will do anything to avoid upsetting Fannie and jeopardizing her this unborn grandchild.

Esther’s younger daughter is Florence who is a more modern daughter. She goes to college, not interested in being married and has hopes to swim the English Channel like her hero Ederle.

But tragedy strikes unexpectedly in the first few pages forcing Esther to take decisive action and make all those around her complicit in plans to shield Frannie from emotional upheaval.

All the characters shine in this book. There is the precocious granddaughter Gussie, who sees and feels things that the adults are trying to hide. Anna is the daughter of Joseph’s friends from the old country. She is boarding with the Adlers while trying to obtain a permanent visa and get her parents out of Europe before Hitler takes over. Stuart is Florence’s swimming coach and the son of a well-to-do boardwalk hotel owner. He has dreams that do not include following in his father’s footsteps. Isaac is Frannie’s husband. He imagines himself as a player in Florida real estate and not beholding to his father-in-law who employs him in the bakery. Lastly there is Joseph, Esther’s husband, who provides for all but may be harboring secrets of his own.

Chapters are told from the characters viewpoints. The reader waits to see if the whole scheme will unravel and who will be the one to pull the thread that unveils the hidden truths. Will the family fragment or reach a new type of acceptance and redemption? There are many aspects to discover and discuss for book clubs, and for readers to ponder. There are issues of religion, family obligations, immigration, and feminism. Highly recommended.

Florence Adler Swims Forever begins in tragedy and reveals the repercussions as they ripple through the Adler family one summer. The events of the story are told in chronological order, but through alternating points of view, allowing the reader to understand each character's coping mechanisms and driving forces. The writing flows well and is gripping, but the ending felt abrupt and left me feeling unfulfilled.

I felt easily pulled into the story of the Adler family. But, the author is so honest in her telling of events that I expected a rawer resolution, where I could properly grieve Florence myself, through Fannie. The entire book is building up not only to the birth of Ruby, but to the moment where Fannie is finally told the truth. A nice ending where everyone is at peace is expected for an easy, beach read, but after getting to know these characters so deeply, I thought the author would have given us more than that.

I received a free ebook of Florence Adler Swims Forever from Simon & Schuster through NetGalley to facilitate my review.
This is my favorite book of 2020! Rachel Beanland's characters and story telling are perfect - I was completely drawn into the Adler family's life in 1934 Atlantic City. There are great losses in this novel, but ultimately the characters show their strengths in drawing closer to protect each other. I highly recommend this book!

what a marvelous book. i was lucky enough to get a free kindle copy from the publisher and i'm so grateful i did. beanland is a terrific storyteller. her 7 main characters narrate alternate chapters so we get their different points of view. each voice is distinctive. i particularly loved gussie, a 7 year old girl. the novel is about family relationships, the good and the bad. while there exists tragedy in this book, it also shows us hope and resilience as individuals struggle to find the life they were meant to live. (less)

Atlantic City, 1934 is an interesting setting for this novel. The story explores the family dynamics of a Jewish family that routinely rents their beach house out for the summer, and moves to an apartment. Esther and Joseph own a bakery, and this apartment is above the bakery. They have two grown daughters, Fannie and Florence. Fannie is on bedrest in the hospital due to a high risk pregnancy. She has a 7 year old daughter, Gussie, who is staying with her grandparents because her father, Isaac has to work at the bakery. Florence has just finished college, and is training to swim the English Channel which is her lifelong dream. Stuart is her coach. When tragedy strikes, this family reacts in a way that is not uncommon, and the ensuing story is both interesting and very realistic. This book is written in a refreshing style that reminded me of books that I read many years ago. Ms. Beanland weaves a tight story with no loose ends that held my interest from start to finish. I highly recommend this book and would like to thank #Netgalley and #Simonandshusterpublishing for the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of Florence Adler Swims Forever from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Overall, this WAS a good book. Parts of it were very slow and it wasn't as exciting as I had hoped. However, with that being said, it was based loosely on a true story/true events, near and dear to the author's heart, so in keeping with the reality of the circumstances, I don't know that it could have been done any other way. I will say, however, that if Rachel Beanland writes anything else, I will be extremely interested because of what she achieved with the minimal storyline of this novel. She created very real characters, with believable emotions in credible situations. I would very much like to see what she is capable of writing in the future.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

My rating hovers between 3.5 and 4 stars. The latter half of my review is what pushes the review closer to 4 stars. It’s really hard to write a review for this book without spoilers, but here goes. Florence Adler Swims Forever takes place during the summer of 1934 and centers around a young woman named Florence Adler. Florence was training to swim the English Channel. The story is told from the perspective of her parents (Esther and Joseph), sister (Fannie), 7-year-old niece (Gussie), brother in-law (Isaac), Florence’s swim coach (Stuart) and young woman (Anna) living with the Adler family for the summer. The big event/twist of the story happens in the first chapter and all the above-mentioned characters are forced to keep secrets. Since the book takes place in 1934, the ability to keep such a big secret for almost two months is plausible, it would never work in the current digital age. While l enjoy a story told from multiple characters and perspectives, I felt like there were too many characters telling this story. The 7-year-old niece and brother in-law’s story lines could have easily been absorbed into the sister Fannie’s story. I wished there was a stronger connection between the characters across the chapters. After managing to pull of the big secret, the reveal and ending were a bit of a letdown for me. I wished there was at least a chapter or two wrapping up what happened after. I was invested in the story of Anna, the young woman spending the summer with the Adlers and Fannie, the sister.

This book did manage to pique my curiosity about certain events taking place during the 1930’s which always makes me enjoy a book. The author manages to do a good job weaving events of the time into the book. I always read the book to the very last page and in this case reading the author’s note gave me a greater appreciation for the entire book. I would recommend Florence Adler Swims Forever and look forward to more books by the Rachel Beanland. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Parents are always making decisions to protect their children. Most of these decisions are simple things. Make sure the child wears a warm coat on winter days. Make sure the child doesn't fall down and get hurt. But sometimes the decisions are about life-changing things for both the child and the whole family. And sometimes these decisions are made even after the child has grown into an adult and has left the nest. This was the case with several of the decisions made by the parents in this book. I'm not sure I would have made the same decisions but it did made me think about what I would have done if my family had faced the same traumas in similar circumstances. This is a story about a family with grown children when a tragedy strikes. The decision the parents make pulls the whole family into keeping some pretty intense secrets and shows how various members of the extended family cope with interacting when they can't divulge the truth of what happened. Does keeping this terrible secret ultimately pull the family closer together or break it apart or result in some of each? I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

I am IN LOVE with this book.

It is great historical fiction as it describes Atlantic City in 1934. The writing is so perfect that I thought I was there. I also learned some things about Florida in the 1920’s. I lived in NJ for 20 years and am now living in FL. I cannot get enough of this type of story. Rachel, I encourage you to write more. I'll be there to read and review them!!

There is love and tragedy in this book. The people are human. They do not handle everything well. But I have a soft spot in my heart for most of them.

The story retells 3 months of the lives of the Adler family and is told from their viewpoint. I love stories told this way. The reader shares in the thoughts of 7 people in June, July and August of 1934. I found it interesting that in each of the months, the 7 talked in exactly the same order. Note that they are not all Adlers; one is a friend of the family; but you know what I mean!!

I plan to recommend this book to all my reading friends and book clubs. If any of my book clubs decide to select it, I WILL read it again.

5 stars (6 if I could)

I loved this historical fiction novel about three generations of a Jewish family in Atlantic City in 1934. The little girl in the novel, Gussie, reminded me of some of the wise-beyond-their-years children in J.D. Salinger’s short stories. I wanted to know everything about Gussie and what she thought. The characters in the novel and the dilemmas they faced were all fascinating, especially when they had to cope with a secret kept from a pregnant mother on bed rest . I went into this novel without knowing about what happens early on in the book, which I recommend. Don’t read reviews that tell you what happens! The only dislikable character, Isaac, was meant to be that way and I was happy with the way the author handled him toward the end of the book. It is hard to believe that this wonderful novel is a debut and based on a true story. I love historical fiction as a rule but this novel took me to another time period not often written about. I will be excited to see whatever Rachel Beanland writes next! I thank the publisher and author for this advanced reader copy offered through NetGalley and will share this review on Goodreads, Instagram and Amazon.

In the Summer of 1934 the Jewish Addler family has a lot going on. Florence Addler returns home from college to practice for a swim across the English Channel. Her sister Fannie is on strict bed rest in the hospital during a pregnancy. Florence and Fannie’s parents Joseph and Esther are looking after Gussie, Fannie’s 7-year-old daughter while Fannie is in the hospital. They also have another house guest for the summer, a young woman named Anna from Germany, who is the daughter of one of Joseph’s childhood friends.

Told through alternating view points of each family member and some of their dearest friends, this family saga is a brilliant debut showcasing how far family will go to protect each other, and how we can survive and thrive after experiencing trauma.

WOW! This book was not at all what I expected! I have read books about family secrets, but never a secret like this one. I loved that this story is based on the author's own family. That made reading about the Adler family feel all the more special.

I absolutely loved that the story was told from each family member's point of view. I feel like this gave the story a very well rounded experience of the Adler family.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster and Rachel Beanland for the advanced copy of Florence Adler Swims Forever in exchange for my honest review.

This story starts out with deceit and as we read along, we find out how far a family would go to protect one of its own. The books is set in the summer of 1934 wherein Florence Adler is training to swim the English Channel. However, as tragedy strikes it is the family's decision to keep this secret from her sister who is on bedrest for the remainder of her pregnancy. Reading this book, you have to wonder what you would do in their place. How would you handle the situation? There is more than enough "food for thought" as you follow along. There are many themes in this novel, not just family issues. Set in the 30's we navigate dealing with death, anti-semitism and the rise of Nazi power in Germany. These are definitely heavy issues, beautifully told. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start out by saying, I absolutely LOVED this book. It is historical fiction in the vein of Beatriz Williams and reads smoothly with great character and plot development. The story takes place in the summer of 1934 in Atlantic City and follows the Adler family as they deal with an unexpected tragedy that dictates how they deal with the other people in their lives and each other. The novel goes on to give a bit of “history” of the area, the sights and amusements of the Atlantic City Boardwalk, some surrounding towns, and global events such as Hitler’s influence in Europe.
What I especially liked was the depth of the characters and how they interacted with each other. The relationships are overlapping and even friends and acquaintances feel the effects of the Adler’s family’s losses. The story also involves a lot of secret keeping amongst the characters, both out of love, and in some cases, shame and greed. Florence Adler Swims Forever will “forever” stay with the reader for the rich, wonderful story that it is. Put this on your Wish List as it comes out in July 2020!

This book is a beautiful family saga woven into a historical fiction novel set in 1934 Atlantic City. The characters are wonderful, the story is compelling, and the writing is quite lovely. The book is a perfect diversion for anyone looking to spend some enjoyable hours with a flawed family that will stay with you long after the story ends.

In 1934 Atlantic City, a vibrant young woman has publicly announced her intention to swim the English Channel. From the very first introduction to Florence Adler, she struck me as the type of woman I would want to know or at least talk with at a cocktail party. Florence is confident, charming, and seemingly driven to accomplish great things, bringing to mind other great women of the early 20th century (women like Amelia Earhart). Unfortunately, just as soon as she captivates the reader, she dies in a tragic accident leaving us to wonder what she truly would have been able to accomplish had she lived to pursue her goals. The introduction to Florence and her tragic death all happens in the first few pages of the story, so it is what her family does after the accident that makes for a great story. Florence's mother, Esther, decides for the entire family that it would be best to keep the news of Florence's death from Fannie, Florence's sister, as Fannie is experiencing a difficult pregnancy and is hospitalized to protect her health as well as the health of the unborn baby. The supporting cast of characters includes a Fannie and Esther, of course, but also Florence's father (Joseph), Fannie's daughter (Gussie), Isaac (Fannie's husband), Stuart (Florence's friend and one time swim coach), and Anna (house guest of Joseph and Esther). The story is told against the backdrop of summer on the Jersey Shore in a time of rising anti-Semitism in Europe and it is completely engrossing.

The author wrote about each character's perspective for each month of that summer and I loved that she did. That perspective allows the reader to really know each character and decide which ones to root for and which ones to dislike. Although this is a beautiful family story, not all of the characters are as wonderful as others. The story is very compelling and hard to put down. I can easily imagine reading this while sitting on the porch this summer, while spending a day at the beach, or on summer vacation. It is a very satisfying read and highly recommended to be included on summer reading lists everywhere!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC of Rachel Beanland's debut novel, Florence Adler Swims Forever.

I received Florence Adler Swims Forever as an ARC from NetGalley. The novel is set on the Jersey Shore in 1934. Esther and Joseph Adler run a bakery. Their older daughter, Fannie, is on bedrest with a difficult pregnancy and their younger daughter, Florence, is training to swim the English Channel. A tragic event occurs at the beginning of the novel and the story shows how a family comes together to deal with the loss. I was drawn into the Adler family and was impressed that this is Rachel Beanland's debut novel. I found the characters very relatable and didn't realize that this is based on an actual event in the author's family. Highly recommend.

Florence Adler Swims Forever is a hauntingly beautiful debut by author Rachel Beanland. It tells the story of a family who’s youngest daughter dreams of swimming the English Chanel but unfortunately drowns in a freak accident. The older sister is in hospital on bed rest after losing a baby the summer before so their mother decides to keep it from her as to not make her go into early labor again. It tells of an unrequited love, a friendship that turns into love and the love of family.

This novel is beautifully written and conveys so many emotions that I could relate to. As a mother, I could relate to Esther, Florence’s mother, and all of the decisions that she made during the course of the story to protect her family. Her decisions are not easy ones to make and I wondered what I would do in this tragic situation.

This novel is told from several points of view and it was that technique that allowed me to really feel what each of these characters were thinking and what they were going through to cope with this tragedy.

Fannie is Florence’s sister who has been on bedrest in hospital because she had lost a baby the year before and is at high risk. She is unhappy that Florence hasn’t visited her and has trouble accepting the excuses that the rest of her family give her. She also misses her 7 year old daughter, Gussie, who was staying with her grandparents.

Gussie is wise beyond her years. She had watched the beginning of summer unfold, after her sister Florence returned from college. She had some doubts when Anna, a refugee from Germany, was brought into the family by her father. It was said that he and the girl’s mother grew up together, but Gussie felt that there was a missing piece of Anna’s story that she wasn’t being told. Gussie adored Florence and wanted to be with her as much as she could.

Gussie also had strong feelings for Stuart, a lifeguard at the beach where Florence often swam. He was a likable, sociable young man whom some were jealous of because his father is a very wealthy man. What they don’t know is that Stuart had been determined not to work for his family but to make a life on his own.

Joseph, Florence’s father, loves his family and is very supportive of Florence and her goals. He is devastated when a tragedy takes place. He is determined, however, to keep this secret from Fannie, as he is sure that it will devastate her and endanger the pregnancy. He is very unhappy with Fannie’s husband, Isacc, who has been very much absent in the care of his daughter Gussie and has not really been visiting his wife in hospital often. Joseph and Esther have never liked him and are sure that he is up to another scheme to make money, even though he has a good job working with Joseph.

Isaac is a very easy person to dislike. He seems to have little moral compass and shows little emotion towards Gussie and his wife. He is always dreaming up another plan that will make him a rich man, whether or not his wife wants any part of it. He is quite often absent during the turmoil that encompasses the family and offers no support to anyone.

Joseph’s decision to bring Anna to the United States does stem from a desire to rescue her from Hitler’s closing attacks on Jewish people, but we know that there is something else behind his support of her. Was he closer to her mother than he admits?

Anna herself is a hard person to understand. She can be kind but is also self serving and some of her actions I felt to be questionable. She was my least favorite character and one that I thought could have used more description for her actions, particularly at the end of the novel.

What kept this from being a 5 star book for me was the ending. I felt that it was too easily wrapped up and “happily ever after”, which is seldom true in real life.

This is a highly character driven family drama which, I was surprised to learn, is based on a real woman. In the author’s notes I read: “The character of Florence Adler is based on a real girl who grew up in Atlantic City. Her name was Florence Lowenthal and she was my great-great-aunt.” There are many other characters who were real people and many of the events did take place. It is probably this fact that shows through in the strength of this novel’s family dynamics. This is a book not to be rushed as there are many emotions and events to ponder over.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
This novel is set to publish on July 7, 2020.

I will post to Amazon upon publication

Atlantic City 1934
“Every summer Esther and Joseph Adler rent their house out to vacationers escaping to America’s playground and move into the small apartment above their bakery. Despite the cramped quarters, this is the apartment where they raise their two daughters, Fannie and Florence, and it always feels like home”.

“Florence has returned home from college, determined to spend the summer training to swim the English Channel.
Fannie, Pregnant again after recently losing a baby, is on bed rest for the duration of her pregnancy. After Joseph insist they take in a mysterious young woman who he recently helped immigrate from Nazi Germany, the apartment is bursting at the seams”.

“Based on a true story....a family saga about how far we would go to protect our loved ones — and an uplifting portrayal of how the human spirit can endure—and even thrive—after tragedy”.

I deeply connect to this next excerpt. It brings up many thoughts, memories of love, loss, death, and grief in my own immediate family)....
and sadness for several of my friends who have recently lost their mothers, and husbands just this month:
“Abe began to chant the words as Esther sobbed into the wet silk of Florence’s bathing suit. She imagined the Hebrew letters knitting together as they floated through the air, forming an invisible blanket that, when wrapped around Florence, would keep her safe”.
When Abe began the Shema, Joseph joined in, “Shema Yisrael, Adonai Elohenu Adonai Echad. Here O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. How many times has Esther heard this prayer? A thousand times? More? Had she even considered what it meant? It was Joseph who was more connected to the old ways, Joseph who had grown up in a small shtetl of Lackenbach, where opportunities were scarce but Jewish law abounded”.

Fannie, Florence’s sister, had been at the Atlantic City hospital for two weeks.... expecting a baby ( on bed rest). She lost a baby the year before; carried to nearly full term.

Esther and Joseph had just lost their twenty-year-old daughter, Florence, in the ocean on a normal average day - out for a normal swim.
They didn’t want to risk telling Fannie. The grief and stress might cause losing another baby. They didn’t want to risk giving devastating news to Fannie with her fragile pregnancy.
Wow....it was a time of pause and personal contemplation.
I kept asking myself... “what might I have done?”
Perhaps I might have made a different choice?/!/? 🤔

This book taught me about love from others ‘loving perspectives’.

Once I started reading this book, knowing next to ‘nothing’.....I couldn’t stop reading.

I’m such a water person!!!
I admit my instant ‘desire attraction’ to this book was
both the ‘feelings’ of the book cover, and the title itself.

Have I mentioned that I swam a mile a day - 7 days a week during two pregnancies? including the ‘same day’ of giving birth. Twice, with daughters four years apart in age.....
a morning mile swim; middle of the night births. (easy births).
I love swimming!
That said.... I had NO IDEA OF ANYTHING when I started this book!

This was the ‘perfect-fit-read’ at the perfect time.
The sadness matched my own -connecting me authentically to another family.... dealing with loss, death, and grief.

Did everyone make the right choices every step of the way?
Well, who does???
Did I like every character? It’s besides the point!

Responding to sudden tragic circumstances—does not come with a manual of instructions.
Reminding me to be forgiving of others and myself.

Life is filled with grief and pleasures. The Adler family in this novel is no different— but they are special - in the same way every family is special.

AN INTIMATE ENGAGING READING EXPERIENCE!!!
WONDERFUL!!!

Themes deal with family issues, dealings with death, anti-semitism, and the rise of Nazi Germany in the 1930s in Altantic City.

The prose shines with love!
Tender, poignant, and courageous!!!

Thank you Netgalley, Simon and Schuster Publishing and Rachel Beanland ( beautiful debut)

The Adler family lives in Atlantic City - Joseph, the patriarch, his wife Esther, and their two daughters, Florence and Fannie. Florence attends college but has dreams of swimming.
Fannie is married to Isaac. She is in the hospital on bed rest due to a precarious second pregnancy.

Florence dreams of swimming the English Channel. She practices in the Atlantic ocean, but one tragic day, she drowns. The Adlers make a decision to keep Florence's death a secret from their other daughter, Fannie.

Everyone, including Fannie's young daughter and husband Isaac, hide Florence's death from Fannie.

The characters were unique and believable. This is a story about the length a family will go to protect the ones they love, and how secrets can be destructive.

This is a unique and fascinating book. It focused on the Adler family during the summer of 1934 in Atlantic City, NJ. The story was told in 3 parts- each covering a Summer month and alternating viewpoints between several characters.

The story starts with a bang- a tragic loss of the Adler's youngest two daughters. Drama unfolds from this tragedy.

This book deals with loss, sadness, grief, anger along with love and hope. The author stated the book was based on true events and people which I feel added to the story.

I really enjoyed this one.

Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy.