‘Florence Adler Swims Forever’ is based on the author’s true family story and set in Atlantic City in the 1930’s. It follows a very traditional Jewish family through an unexpected tragedy after which, Ester (the matriarch), decides to keep this secret from her daughter, Fannie, until her baby is born (due to a history of miscarriages). The book dives into multiple character POV’s and how they personally navigate the family secrets, lies and heartbreak that follow. I personally enjoyed the character, 7 year old Gussie, who is a very intelligent 7yr old that pieces together the family dramas by eavesdropping on the adult conversations. I found some of the medical practices at the time interesting and humorous, like the pregnant woman on bedrest being given cigarettes by the hospital nurses who smoked with her!

I honestly didn't think I was going to like this as much as I did until I got to the middle of the book and the family secrets started to come out and then I became more interested in the characters. I only wish we had more time to connect with Florence prior to her death, I think if the reader had more time to get to know her, we would care more about her. I also wish we know more at the end of the book. It ended without really wrapping up Fannie's reaction to everything that had happened while she was in the hospital.

The underlying theme of the story is a family struggling to deal with one death while simultaneously trying to prevent another.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book for an honest review- publishing date will be 06/02/20

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. I really enjoyed this book. I have always enjoyed the historical background for books that focus on families and this one did not disappoint. I particularly enjoyed that this book was based on a true person in the author's history. It was great getting to know the many featured characters individually as the chapters focused on what they were all going through. My only hesitation in giving it 5 stars is that it ended a little abruptly for me and I would have liked to know more about what happened after Florence's sister gave birth and how she felt regarding her sister's death. But definitely a great debut!

A famil saga a story about a Jewish Family about Atlantic City.An emotional moving read based on a true story.#netgalley#sio&schuster

This is a story about "Beanland’s family saga ... of just how far we will go to in order to protect our loved ones." The novel just didn't deliver on the "breathtaking" or the "uplifting portrayal of how the human spirit can endure—and even thrive—after tragedy."

The book started out great. From the shocking event that marks the book, we learn more about Florence and her family and Atlantic City. More characters unfold and we see how each in their own lives has taken actions to protect their loved ones. Once the story unfolds and each chapter was written from a character's perspective -- Fannie and Isaac, Stuart and Anna, Joseph and Esther, and Gussie -- the story slowed down to give way to character voices.

I enjoyed getting to know Esther and Gussie, but the others aren't worth noting. What annoyed me was that Anna and Stuart seemed to be supporting characters, but a lot of time was spent on them. I'd like to think Esther as the main character, but the story veers away to Anna and Stuart, Isaac and Fannie, and lost steam.

The original event in the story was based on the author's family event (true story), I can see why the first part of the book was a strong start. Outside of the true event and characters in it, the other characters are fictional or composite, their backstories were written to serve the "protect your family" theme. These fictionalized characters became a slog to read through.

It's still a good read, and you can see what she's trying to do with every side of the story to stay on theme. It became too crowded and didn't need to be that much.

Many thanks to Netgalley.com and Simon & Schuster for the ebook ARC version.

I absolutely loved this book! It is a debut novel, and so so enjoyable and easy to get immersed in. I was absorbed quickly and loved the characters, story development, and setting. I can't wait to read what Rachel Beanland does next!
Highly recommend for fans of historical fiction, family stories, drama, and just well done literary work.
Thank you for the ARC!

Jewish family in Atlantic City with a lot of family drama. Thanks for the ARC , this was a bit historical fiction and a story of a hard working family man with lots of secrets. Enjoyed reading , but it was a bit slow at times.

Such an interesting snapshot of Atlantic City's past and of the plight of Jews here and in Europe on the cusp of Hitler's rise. This was a really nuanced portrait of a family, I loved the shifting perspectives.

Because piece of historical fiction! Beautifully written and based on a true story. I loved Gussie and her innoence, and the Florence Adler Swims Forever club. It was a lovely story.

Based on the first third, I really thought I'd love this book. However, it quickly devolved into a long-winded bunch of stories, all of which were boring and just went nowhere. I think Ms. Beanland has talent and promise, but needs to write complete characters and a cohesive, interesting storyline.

I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

Based on the author's true family story, this family saga "explores how far we will go to in order to protect our loved ones".

Started out strong but lost some steam in the middle of the story with a nearly predictable feel-good ending.

2.75☆

A sweet and poignant family story based on actual events and people.
I will definitely recommend this as a beach read!

Florence Adler Swims Forever was a historical fiction gem that focuses on family, loss and love. As I started this review, the word “thoughtful” kept popping into my head. This book offered a sympathetic and sensitive look into family; I suppose that encompasses the word “thoughtful”.

The beginning starts with the loss of the Adler’s daughter Florence, a long-distance swimmer, who disappears during a training swim. I imagined the plot would be wrapped around the circumstances of her death and the reader would solving why she died. Was is drugs, suicide or something even more sinister? Turns out, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Really, this book does one thing; it gets inside of the heads of all who loved Florence and how they manage during the three months following her death.

Each character: mother, father, young niece, brother-in-law, potential boyfriend and a refugee from Nazi Germany, who was under the Adler’s care, dealt with this loss in entirely different ways. That’s not unusual at all; what is unusual was that the family keeps Florence’s death a secret from her older sister so she remains unaffected while pregnant and on bed rest. This causes so much additional distress on the family members, which simultaneously makes for good reading.

The book covers immigration, life-long secrets, lies, post-depression life, marriage, divorce, love, romance, anti-Semitism and grief. I loved the Atlantic City setting as I spent many weekend getaways there as a kid. It brought back a lot of memories. The author shares in her notes that this story is based on her great, great aunt’s life, who died at nineteen during an ocean swim and as happened in the story, the news of her death was withheld from her great, great grandmother until her baby was born. I’m so glad the author wrote and shared this story with the world. It’s personal, yet very relatable.

Florence Adler is a champion swimmer headed for an English Channel challenge. Her prospects seem excellent until one day during g a routine practice swim she stops breathing, leaving Gussie, her seven year old niece, and Anna, a young German refugee, waiting on the shore. Her sudden death must be kept hidden from her sister, Fannie, on bed rest in a local hospital during a high-risk pregnancy. Fannie has already suffered the loss of her baby son and the inattentiveness of a husband who feels cheated by life. This decision for silence is made by her mother and carried out by the immediate family, Anna, and the swimming coach friend of her deceased daughter, along with a team of doctors and nurses. A bond of grief and secrecy unite this little group and Rachel Beanland through chapters devoted to each character reveals their suffering and individual desires. Played out against a pre-World War II Jersey shore, their stories provide the reader with a fast-paced, page -turning experience.

enjoyed this book! great read. loved the story. good book club selection. will recommend to all! thanks

I am very appreciative to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to receive an ARC of this novel to review it for my honest opinion. This story is told from the perspective of a handful of characters and I liked that change of view. However, sometimes some of the chapters dragged on and I skimmed them. At the end you find out the story is based on a true story, I wish that was something I had read in a preface, it would of kept me more engaged I think as I read.

Florence Adler is a strong swimmer training to swim the English Channel. While on a training swim in the Atlantic Ocean Florence drowns. At the same time her sister, Fannie, is pregnant and in the hospital on bed rest. Esther, their mother, makes the decision that she will not tell Fannie her sister is dead afraid that the news will bring on premature labor. Florence obviously is not a prominent character in the book. Most of the focus is on Fannie, her daughter, Gussie, and Anna, a young woman from Germany staying with the family.

I didn't like Esther much. She is grieving Florence but in deciding not to tell Fannie she is causing more damage by trying to keep the secret especially with Gussie. She won't bring her to see her mother over a whole summer in case she slips up. The others cannot mourn Florence because they can't tell anyone in case it gets back to Fannie. I also didn't care for the way she treated Anna. I wish more of the characters were developed. Some issues that were brought up like a fight Fannie had with Florence the last time she saw her was only mentioned in passing but it seemed important to know what the argument was about.

I thought the book was well written and once I found that it was based on the author's great-great aunt. I really enjoyed the setting of Atlantic City in the summer and learned a bit of history of the area. Anna's struggle getting out of Germany and trying to bring her parents here was interesting and add in a bit of a love story and I give it 4 stars.

I tried, but I just couldn't get into this one. There was just too much exposition, which really slowed the book down.

This is a story of love and loss and the lies that bind a family together. Good premise but I lost interest in the middle of the story.

This is a novel about a family, and how one decision can affect so many lives. The story is told from the point of view of each character, so that you are able to have a true understanding of the motivations behind the decisions and actions. The character development is impressive, and Beanland’s prose draws you into the story immediately. You will find yourself completely engrossed in the story of one summer in the lives of the members of the Adler family. It is a book you will want to finish in one sitting, but then you will be disappointed that you can’t spend more time with the characters. I look forward to reading more by Rachel Beanland in the future.

This book wasn’t as good as I was hoping it would be. It had a great concept and plot with a good character development but it wasn’t that engaging to me. I just couldn’t get into this book which is why I am giving it only 2 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book for my honest review