I enjoyed this book, always interested in picking it back up again to see what happens next. Truly not the usual beach read. It takes place in a New Jersey beach town and is the story of a Jewish family and friends on the eve of WW II. There is tragedy, secrets, and quiet strength. Told from different POV, which I love, it is based on a true story. It is not your usual WW II story either. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity.

Synopsis: [Atlantic City, New Jersey, summer of 1934] - Three generations of the Adler family deal with a tragic loss, the possibility of new life, and hope for their respective futures. ⁣
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Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the eARC! ⁣
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You guys, I really, really loved this book. If you're looking for the perfect blend of family drama and romance in the form of a beach read that is not at all overly light and fluffy, this book is perfect for you. I was always eager to pick it back up and see what happens next. It's also based largely off of the TRUE story of the author's relatives, which I didn't find out until after I finished but really sweetened the entire story for me. ⁣
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This seemed like a story that doesn't get told too often. The WWII fiction genre often feels oversaturated and leans heavily on what is, in my opinion, gratuitous violence. To follow instead a Jewish family living in a beach town in New Jersey on the eve of war in Europe was refreshing and beautiful. ⁣
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Beanland also pulls off the multiple POV seamlessly. I loved hearing the personalities of every single character, even while not being able to stand some of them (looking at you, Isaac). I never felt like I was missing something by switching perspectives, and that's one of my biggest pet peeves in multiple POV stories, so I'm glad that wasn't the case here. Beanland's narrative voice is one that I've come to associate with Khaled Hosseini, which IMO is a huge compliment as he's the king of multiple POV stories. ⁣
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This one comes out July 7th and I can't wait to pick up a copy to gift to my nana and aunt! 😋⁣
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CW: death by drowning, death of an infant, intense discussions of and focus on fertility and at-risk pregnancies, absent father, brief fear of a runaway child, references to and discussion of the Holocaust, anti-Semitic policies in Germany

An easy read but you should probably have some knowledge of those devout in the Jewish faith and traditions. It isn't clear on the cover that this is the case. It centers on a Jewish family and events surrounding an un - timely death and viewpoints from all parties involved . It is based loosely on true events and people. Except for the single event and a few schemes and interactions between characters there isn't much else going on. Since its based on reality it is more semi biographical with mini stories/ _ viewpoints tossed in the mix. Not really a beach read.
I was provided an Advanced reader copy of the book and was under no obligation to provide a review.The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher,and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I loved this book. It isn’t what I thought it was going to be at all. I must have read the description much too quickly. So, when I began reading I was disappointed that it wasn’t what I had envisioned. However, I kept on and was so glad I did. I go to Cape May every summer down the Garden State. It was fun to read about the towns I pass and visit in present day and what they were like almost one hundred years ago. I have always been fascinated by Atlantic City in its heyday, so I loved time and place of this book. The main characters are: Joseph and Ester Adler, their adult children Fannie and Florence, Fannie’s husband Isaac and their daughter Gussie, the visiting German lady Anna, and close family friend Stuart. The book is written from an omniscient point of view, where we are allowed to know what each character is thinking and feeling. I grew to love the quiet strength of the Adlers, and their do the right thing mentality in the face of tragedy and adversity. If you love a historical fiction family story, set in a fascinating place and time- read this book!

I’ve heard rave reviews about this book and was struggling to find something that would grab my interest after finishing a previous 5 star book.... THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THIS BOOK!!! OMG!! I was instantly hooked. I read this book in one sitting. I loved the characters! I loved the story lines! I love the wording! Everything! I forgot it was based on a true story until the end and my mind was blown once again. Rachel Beanland you wrote a phenomenal book!! It was the perfect mixture of every emotion. I’m going to miss these characters. I can’t wait to share my review with my Reading Crew.

Florence Adler Swims Forever // by Rachel Beanland

"What did she want?" - "To swim forever."

Florence Adler Swims Forever is a family-focused novel by Rachel Beanland. Florence and Fannie Adler may be sisters but their lives so far have turned out rather differently. While one is focused on family life and is expecting a new baby, the other has dedicated her life to competitive swimming. With everybody together for the summer, life in the small apartment above the family-owned bakery is already tight but their father agrees to take in a mysterious girl from Germany, adding even more stress to the equation. When tragedy strikes and their mother's biggest priority becomes protecting Fannie from losing another baby, everyone shows how far they are willing to go to protect those they love, even at the risk of more heartbreak and loss.

For a reason that I cannot explain, I have avoided reading this book for a while. I could not put my finger on it but I just always felt that the time was not right yet and that I had to wait. A couple of days ago, I finally decided to dive in and I have not been able to stop thinking about it until I finished a few minutes ago. I was surprised when something very defining already happened at the beginning of the book and was not sure what other big finale could be worked towards, but it almost is the lack of a dramatic buildup that kept me so captivated the entire time. The events of this book are based on a true story and Beanland did a fantastic job of writing this story in a way that made you feel like the entire story could be happening right here, right now. It almost felt like I was following along with the happenings in my own community. I am obviously struggling for the correct words but if you are a fan of novels that keep you wondering what happened to the characters after the book is finished, then this is the right read for you. I honestly cannot believe that this is the author's first novel!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Florence Adler Swims Forever," set in Atlantic City in the summer of 1934, manages to tell several interesting stories at once. There's the bold college student with her heart set on swimming the English Channel. There's her older sister, struggling through the last months of a difficult pregnancy. Then there's the mysterious young German woman who recently moved in with the sisters' family. These women are tied together by the sisters' hardworking Jewish parents. Rachel Beanland based this novel on a couple of real-life stories from her own family. The tragedy and the sweetness here are vivid. I suspect many Jewish readers will recognize elements of their own grandparents and great-grandparents' lives in the lives of the Adlers. Other moments, including a stolen kiss between two women and a man's struggle to own up to his financial blunders, feel entirely modern. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

This was in no way what I was expecting, and I wasn't always sure how I felt about it throughout, but I honestly just couldn't put it down once I started. (Especially because this book hits the rising action REAL quick!)

I really enjoyed the way that Beanland used the multiple POVs throughout the novel, and how distinct each was - even without the header at the top of each chapter I would've known who was who pretty quickly. The intricacies of the relationships and push & pull between the characters was also really well done.

I loved how much history we were given about the area of New Jersey during this time period, and how we were shown how insidious and rampant antisemitism could be - even far, far away from the Rhine.

And then, of course, there's the big thing. The whole big thing that happened, and all the repercussions of said big thing. Honestly I think I spent most of the book deciding how I felt about The Decision re: The Big Thing, and even after finishing I'm still going back on forth on it. (Which, in my opinion, is a big marker of quality storytelling!)

This one moves a bit slower, and it's introspective in lots of ways, and I would recommend it. Also, it evokes such a swelteringly perfect summer vibe that I highly recommend bringing it with you to a beach or pool!!

I kept seeing this book in upcoming titles to be released.

DEBUT AUTHOR, sounded interesting
Then I received email with question - "How far would you go to protect the people you love most?"
and I knew it was a must read!

Based on a true story
Atlantic City June 1934
Travel back in time to a simpler period in Atlantic City.
Three generations of emigrants, one summer, dealing with a family loss

This is a debut not to miss!!

This is an incredible book! An absolute must read! Great for book clubs.

There is not a lot of action in this book. Instead, it focuses on relationships, how they are created, altered and even destroyed by a secret. Their internal and external struggle in silently grieving takes its toll. Everyone is changed by heartache but most also grow in the awareness of what’s important in their life.

I didn’t know if I would enjoy this book when tragedy struck so early in the story. To the contrary, I Loved It! I didn’t discover that it was based on a true story until I finished as I had downloaded some time ago. That just made it so profound. It is still affecting me weeks later.


I received an ARC from Simon and Schuster through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

Despite a traumatic event at the beginning, this one started very slowly for me.
But then I began to invest in the story and the characters started to come to life. Then I could not put it down.
Atlantic City, New Jersey 1934.
As usual Esther and Joseph Adler rent out their home to vacationers over the summer, while they live in the small apartment over the bakery they own.
Their daughter Florence is home from school, set on training to swim the English Channel.
Lifeguard Stuart, whose affluent, antisemitic family owns the large local hotel, is coaching her and has feelings for Florence.
Anna, a refugee from Germany, is staying with the family. Her mother was a friend of Joseph growing up.
Granddaughter Gussie is also with them, while her pregnant mother Frannie is in the hospital on strict bed rest due to her high risk complications.
Fannie's husband Isaac works for her father, he desperately wants to be rich and is always scheming of ways to make money.
When a shocking catastrophe hits the family, Esther's first instinct is to shield Fannie until the baby is born. Secrets and lies build up. Will the family ever be able to recover from them?
Part family saga, part historical fiction, this emotionally powerful and wonderfully written story was spellbinding.
It was such a beautiful and heartbreaking story, I loved it.
Thank you Simon & Schuster for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

Florence Adler Swims Forever is a winner. It’s not a noisy, boisterous book, but rather a quiet look at one summer - 1934 - in the lives of the Adler family of Atlantic City. The title character - Florence Adler - is not present (or alive) in most of the book. She dies in the first chapter and the book is really a micro-look at those she left behind as they struggle to deal with her death.

The Adler family members are at sixes and sevens that summer. Florence, at age 20, was in training to do what Trude Ederle had done a few years earlier - swim across the English Channe. Her older sister, Fannie, has been hospitalized for a difficult pregnancy. Fannie already has a daughter, 7 year old Gussie, who is sort of the conscience of book. Fannie’s husband, Isaac, drifts in and out of the family and the story. But it is Joseph and Esther Adler who have the toughest row to hoe. To avoid upsetting their daughter Fannie, they decide to hide Florence’s accidental death til Fannie has given birth. All this being played out in Atlantic City in the Depression and the beginning of Germany’s Third Reich.

Isaac is sponsoring a young woman from Germany. Anna hopes to go to college and make a new life in America. Ester is not thrilled with this addition for the summer. The family rents out thier house to summer vacationeers who have come for the summer to Atlantic City. The family lives above the family bakery in a small apartment during the summer season. Anna helps to care for Gussie and to also keep the secret of Fannie's death. She is also interested in Fannie's swim coach, Stewart. A sweet romance blossoms between them.

There are many characters in the book, but Rachel Beanland does a marvelous job of in giving each one their individuality. As readers, we leave Atlantic City at the end of a very important summer. Hoping for a sequel.

3 generations in Atlantic City during the 1930s. Death, love, secrets, marriage, anti-semitism, and more. I’m not really a historical fiction fan but this book hooked me from the beginning and kept my attention throughout.

Florence Adler Swims Forever. A must-read book, based loosely on a true story. Hard to put down! Definitely want to re-read this book!

Based on true events, this one sneakily packs a bit of a punch. Full of interesting and compelling characters, we get chapters from each’s perspective and the ways in which they mourned the loss of Florence. My heart broke for Gussie, grieved with Esther, ached with Anna, skipped a beat with Stuart, steadily thumped along with Joseph, and raged at Isaac (he is utterly unforgivable). Worth picking up and an easy read with a little extra something special.

What intrigued me about Rachel Beanland's Florence Adler Swims Forever was 1) the setting - Atlantic City, NJ and 2) it's based on a true story. The author took a family story and embellished it to create a novel about truth and lies, dreams, family, and what it was like to be Jewish in the 1930s.

The Adler family is tested over the course of the summer of 1934. Beloved daughter and avid swimmer Florence drowns in the ocean. But her mother, Esther, doesn't want Florence's older sister Fannie to know because Fannie is bedridden in the hospital with a high-risk pregnancy. So the Adlers, the hospital staff, and even the newspapers keep the news a secret. But keeping this secret ends up uncovering other secrets.

Compounding the drama of the death is the arrival of Anna, the daughter of Joseph Adler's long-lost friend from Hungary. And Fannie's husband Isaac, not content with what he has, tries to get rich quick in a risky Florida real estate scheme.

The story is told through alternative points of view so that all the characters get a say about the events of that summer. But I was a little disappointed at the end because it seemed like one character got cheated. I suppose the story had to end somewhere. No spoilers, so please do read this book and tell me what you thought!

Who else loves historical fiction novels based on true events? This book takes you to Atlantic City during the summer of 1934. The shocking first chapter of the book really sets up with rest of the storyline, and you are immediately drawn into the Adler family’s world. My favorite elements were the rotating perspectives of the family and the vivid imagery of Atlantic City and the beaches. It also wasn’t as sad as it could have been at all, for people who are afraid of that going in. I really recommend if you are looking for a non-war related historical fiction book. ⁣

This was a great read, I wasn't expecting this emotional ride but I love it, I did enjoy every page and every dialog between characters.

Florence Adler Swims Forever it's the story of a swimmer who had a very tragic accident, her family doesn't know how to handle this situation as there are many things at stake if the news travel far and reach the ear of Fanni everything could be terrible not only a life, it's a stake but also the whole family who is walking on the verge of a disaster.

Esther is doing everything she can to maintain her family together, but life and situations keep making this almost impossible, many of the family members have a lot of stuff to hide and are not even willing to keep these lies. Esther was a complicated character at least that's how I felt, at times I felt like she was very cold and she was only following her traditions but not her heart, that change so drastically at the end of the novel, when I finally understood why Esther kept showing as a cold mother and character.

Joseph somehow was the glue that kept them all together, he was kind and very reasonable always, he was the one who balanced the chaos especially when Esther was immersed in her own mind and decisions. He also had a story, a past that will not make any easier the situation at home especially with Esther, but sooner or later things will stay in place for them to be able to keep growing and surviving this life.

a lot of great characters made this book and story possible, Issac was a very quiet man, he was very insecure and at all times he felt like he didn't belong in the Adlers family. Gussie, Anna, Stuart all of them were having a difficult time understanding Esther's desitions but still, they were always supporting the family and each other, they only wanted to have a normal life but situations and scenarios were making that impossible for all of them.

Florence Adler Swims Forever it's a real story, heartbreaking, heart-swelling but must of all it is a story of a family surviving a tragedy and trying to hold all of its members and pieces together.

Be ready to have your emotions all over the place, to cry, to feel, and to enjoy this amazing story.

Florence Adler Swims Forever is an emotional and heart-wrenching novel that explores the lengths we'll go in order to keep our family safe. What I loved about this was that it is based on a true story. The author is actually related to the real Florence who did die during a training swim in the ocean while preparing to conquer the treacherous Channel.

I really enjoyed the alternate perspectives. Each character was given a definitive voice which added to the complexity of this novel. It shows us how different we all cope with grief and how we channel that grief elsewhere. Esther's devotion to her surviving daughter is inspiring and I continually got chills throughout this book with the events that occurred and especially the ending. I also enjoyed Stuart and his unwavering kindness and little Gussie. I always applaud authors who can give such a realistic voice to children because they really are just so pure and that is how Gussie is portrayed, definitely making her my favorite character.

Through love and strength, the Adler family endures the unthinkable. An important read and one that I will definitely be recommending.

This is a memorable book. The characters are distinct and we get to know all of them. Hard-working and well-meaning Esther and Joseph, adventurous and tragic Florence, traditional and sad Fannie, despicable Issac, quiet and determined Anna, upstanding golden boy Stuart, and sweet, feisty Gussie. The writing depicts very well the times and how this family deals with a tragic event. The story seems to move slowly during much of the book only to speed up and seem a bit rushed in the ending.

This is an enjoyable summer read. It was interesting to learn in the author's notes that the story is based on a true event from the author's own family background.