I adore Florence Adler Swims Forever. The book is based on a true story of the author's family and there is a postscript that describes the differences from real life and the book. The story is filled with such sadness over the few months it takes place because someone very special dies suddenly and the family is keeping the death a secret from Fanny, who is in her seventh month of a very risky pregnancy. Fanny lost a premature baby boy the summer before and she is at risk of losing this baby too, so she is on bed rest, in the local hospital. Fanny's mother, Ester, has asked everyone who knows of the disaster, to not say anything about it, in order to prevent Fanny finding out, getting upset, and going into premature labor again. 

The story takes place in the summer of 1934 and concerns the Jewish Adler family, Esther, husband Joseph, and daughters Fanny and Florence. At the moment, they are living in their little apartment over their bakery, because they rent out their house, each summer. Living with them at this time, is their seven year old granddaughter, Gussie, and a nineteen year old emigrate from Nazi Germany, Anna. Ester doesn't understand why Joseph opened their home to this young lady, especially because she never even knew he'd grown up with the young lady's mother. Space is tight, money is tight, but the most important thing for the family is to not let anything upset Fanny, so that she will have a chance of carrying her baby to term. 

The story is narrated by seven characters, including little Gussie. What a smart, preceptive, but spoiled little girl...I just loved her. She knows that adults lie all the time, make things up, don't answer questions, pretend that they feel differently than they really do, and don't really pay attention to her. Through her eyes, we see so much and the adults have no idea how much they confuse her but also how much she really knows and understands. I enjoyed the viewpoints of all the characters and the author even allowed me to feel some sympathy for Fanny's almost worthless husband, Issac. 

The story is slow, as the family waits for the birth of Fanny's baby and the day when they must tell her the horrible news that they have been holding back. There is a sweet romance in the story too, and all the while we know the danger that looms across the ocean, for Anna's parents, if they can't get permission to emigrate to America, and for all those being persecuted by Hitler and his regime. For me, this was a very beautiful and satisfying story and I'm so glad to have gotten to read it. 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this ARC.

A story with historic parallels that is what you are given here. A mother determined to keep her family protected. Two daughters , very different and vulnerable. Determination plays a prominent role on both daughters lives. It is a summer no family member will ever forget. What looks like an act of good will, offering shelter from the tides that are turning in Nazi Germany and a mysterious stranger turn family members to re-evaluate their lives. It offers a moment of sorrow and maybe personal redemption.

Though the story itself is a work of fiction, Florence Adler's character is based on a real girl who grew up in Atlantic City, and is obvious by the care and love the author put into telling the story.

The greatest thing about historical fiction is I always learn something about the time period. This story is set in 1930's Atlantic City, when certain hotels refused to welcome Jewish guests, where premature babies, in incubators, were a boardwalk sideshow (the babies were receiving excellent medical care that traditional hospitals could not provide).

Florence Adler Swims Forever, an excellent debut novel, offers a little bit of everything and I'm really glad I had the opportunity to read it. I look forward to the author's future novels.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I sat down to read "Florence Adler Swims Forever" and a very quick 24 hours later I had finished it. This is one of those books that you can't flip the pages fast enough and you don't want to flip them too fast because the book will end.

Rachel Beanland took a story from her family and developed characters, setting, and a storyline that are so descriptive you truly feel like you are in Atlantic City in 1934. While there are many parallel "secrets" underway, it is not too hard to believe that without the 24-hour news cycle and a smart phone attached to all their hands that this family was able to protect each other from heartbreak and imagine a future with hope.

Thank you to Ms. Beanland and Simon & Schuster for the advanced reader copy - I truly enjoyed every minute. I can't wait to read what Ms. Beanland writes next.

This is the book I have been looking for! A true family saga based on a true story of Esther and Joseph Adler and their two daughters, Florence and Fannie. This novel takes place in 1934 Atlantic City. During the summer the Adlers rent their house and move back into their small apartment above their shop. Florence is home from college and is in training to swim the English Channel. Fannie, married to Isaac, lost her first baby and is pregnant again Added to the mix, Joseph takes in a young woman from Nazi Germany. Soon after the book begins, there is a tragedy. Rachel Beanland’s debut novel is so poignant. The character development is amazing. This novel deserves and commands the reader’s attention. It is a book that will stick with me and will be read again this winter. Thank you Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 that I’m rounding up.

I don't quite know what is holding me back from giving this five stars, but I suspect with some time I will come back and adjust it up. This was a beautifully written and executed book and will be in my top books of the year post for sure. I loved the family saga aspect, I loved the characters (even the jerks), I loved the time period and most of all, I loved how this one felt. It was a story that got me right there. I don't even want to put anything regarding the summary in here because I went in blind and I felt like that worked well for me.

If you're looking for one of those books that you feel a hangover from after reading it - this is it. I cannot urge you enough to read it and find out for yourself what a talented writer and storyteller, Rachel Beanland is.

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster and Rachel Beanland for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review.

Review Date: 07/08/2020
Publication Date: 07/07/2020

I'd heard some good buzz about this one, so I decided to see what the fuss was about and...wow. This was really impressive!

It's the summer of 1934 in Atlantic City, NJ and a tragedy strikes a Jewish family. The rest of the book happens in the aftermath of this incident and we see how the news is kept from one of the daughters who is on bedrest for the final two months of her risky pregnancy. Meanwhile, a young German woman is staying with the family, trying to find a way to get her Jewish parents out of an increasingly hostile country. The book takes place over three months and we hear from seven characters - all either members of this family or directly adjacent to it - exactly three times - once for every month of the summer.

Not only is this book expertly organized (the order in which we hear from the seven characters is EXACTLY the same in all three sections - that's no easy feat), but the author took what would have been the climax in any other novel and put it in the very first chapter. It felt like a comedian starting their set with their best joke - you screw yourself over to see if you can rise to the challenge. Rachel Beanland really did that in this book. It is tender as it is sorrowful and the feeling of the beach is really there with you. Plus, the interesting link between all the characters in their feelings of being beholden to someone else made them all feel part of the same story even when they all were choosing radically different paths. The author took elements of her own family's story and morphed it into a beachy read with an ocean's worth of depth.

There seems to be a trend this season with books set on a coast in early 1900s. I have most definitely been enjoying titles like SUMMER DARLINGS, 28 SUMMERS and now this one.

While I didn't break down and sob at the end of this story, it did tug on my heartstrings.
This novel makes you think about what you would do to protect the ones you love. Keeping secrets to protect your family's health and well-being is a running theme through this book.
We have Esther protecting Fannie from losing another baby.
Anna trying to protect her parents from the Nazis.
Joseph protecting his family from his abysmal son in law, Issac.
And the entire family is keeping the news of Florence's drowning from Fannie to prevent her from going into early labor. The pressure of keeping such a massive secret slowly takes its toll on each character.

This secrets snowball one after the other until each member of the family must face their fears. They all realize how precious life is and that there is no time to waste being unhappy and sweeping problems under the rug.

I was a bit disappointed that we never got to read how Esther and the rest of the family disclosed the secret of Florence' death to Fannie, but that is left to your imagination.
Be sure to read the Author's Note at the end of this book. My biggest question was if a family has actually had to go to such lengths to save a baby and the mother before. Rachel Beanland shares how both Florence and Fannie are based on very real people from her ancestry.

Overall, this was a relaxing change of pace from some of the suspense/thrillers novels that people tend to grab over the summer. Be sure to snag it and take your time watching this family's secrets surface.

A heartbreaking yet hopeful family history of loss and secrets around the tragedy that hits this family: the loss of a daughter/sister/friends/sister-in-law.

I had no idea where this book was going to take me after the death of Florence Adler in the beginning of the book. It was a pleasant, yet deep read about the complexity of human relationships. The very present Jewish terminology and culture throughout the book scared me a bit as I am unfamiliar with that religion but it did not prevent me from understanding the circumstances and choices that each character had to make.

Rachel Beanland did an exceptional job developing all characters. You know there is complexity to one when you go from loving them to hate them to love them again. I had a soft spot for the father, Joseph Adler who has a heart as big as Atlantic City. That man was ready to throw himself under a train for his family and those close to him. He reminded me a bit of my father.

Make sure you read the author's note at the end, everything will fall into place.

Thank you so much Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review
Florence Adler Swims Forever
By: Rachel Beanland
…
Happy Publication Day!
…
“How far would you go to protect the people you love the most?”
…
Florence Adler Swims Forever is a stunning historical fiction debut novel that will transport you back to a sunny summer day in 1934 in Atlantic City. I was seriously blown away that this was a debut novel. The writing was so polished and complete, flawless, lyrically; There really aren’t enough adjectives or praise.
…
I won’t spoil it, but this books opens up with a family tragedy. It was like a sad melody in a beautiful song. But the show must go on. This book has heartbreak, romance, and so many family secrets. It’s a character driven novel, every character narrating a different chapter. Even if character driven novels aren’t your thing, I beg you to give this one a chance!
…
The Adler family is Jewish and consists of Father Joseph, Mother Esther, and daughters Fannie & Florence. Fannie is married too Issac. They have a daughter Gussie and are excepting another baby. Fannie has to go on bedrest at the hospital because she lost their second child, Hyman, prematurely. Florence is seven years younger than her sister and goes to Wesley college on a swimming scholarship. While she is home from college for the summer she is training to swim across the English Channel. Stuart is a lifeguard and is helping Florence train. Anna is a family friend and has arrived from Germany on a student visa. She wants to help her parents come to America as Germany is Nazi occupied. And I can’t leave out that they all live in a small apartment above their family bakery!
…
I hope you will invite the Adler family to join you this Summer! I can’t recommend this book enough! I rating this one 5 ⭐️’s.
…

This is a slow burn and definitely more character driven than most summer reading I do, but I LOVED this book. You could connect with all narrators and truly feel their grief. I also enjoyed the secrets coming out. Pick this up ASAP!

Florence Adler will swim forever, or at least live forever in the memories of her loved ones. The story deals with how a family reacts to the loss of a member while trying to hold everything else together. Across the space of a summer, the Adlers help support each other in somewhat odd ways while they also discover new things about each other. The plot to keep Florence's death from her older sister seems almost comic in retrospect and Fannie's husband is the perfect caricature of the horrible husband. But throughout the story, the strong ties of the family, including their close friends, feels genuine and makes for an enjoyable and uplifting book, despite its tragic beginning.

A very character driven family drama, Florence Adler Swims Forever, this title was based on a true story about one swimmers desire to swim the English Channel, and how it impacts everyone around her. How far would you go to protect someone in your own family?

From the lies that felt necessary to keep everyone safe, to the emotions of the sisters who have grown apart, each character in this novel was full of great details -from the tragedy that touches their lives to their own personal growth.

An interesting read that was a bit outside of my normal comfort zone, I thought Beanland did a great job of writing this historical fiction into a well done summer read.

Florence Adler Swims Forever is such a beautiful, poignant book. Especially since it is based on the author’s great, great aunt and is a lovely tribute to her memory. At times sad, and others funny, this is a truly heart-warming story.

Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland. How much to tell? How much will spoil the story? Florence Adler lived to swim. It was the summer she was twenty and soon she would sail to France to finish up her training, which would culminate with her swimming the English Channel. Everyone she knew was confident she could do it. Her parents didn't understand her need, but her father, at least, supported her in her quest. It was 1934, Atlantic City. A day like any other day when Florence tucked her hair under her red swim cap and ventured out into the ocean for a swim. When she returned, it was lifeguards who brought her ... lifeguards who labored to save her life ... lifeguards who had to let her go. This story is about all the people around her, her family mostly, and what their lives were like after losing her.

Written from multiple points of view, eventually we learn the secrets of all those who loved Florence, and some who did not. It is a compelling story, based loosely on real life and totally reveals secrets, which must be kept, and some that shouldn't have been kept. Some characters are at their best, and some at their worst. Hard to describe without giving up secrets prematurely. The story was interesting and understandable. It was a terrible time in history with Hitler coming to power and atrocities just beginning. A time, when even in the United States, prejudice was rampant, on both sides of the situation. Beanland did these people justice, making them both lovable and despicable. It wasn't always easy to know for whom to cheer, but it all worked out, I guess. An enjoyable read. I recommend it.

I was invited to read an ARC of Florence Adler Swims Forever by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #florenceadlerswimsforever

This is a wonderful book that weaves together different characters' points of view in the aftermath of a sudden, heartbreaking tragedy. Beanland is a great storyteller in that she addresses pain, loss, and generational trauma, while ultimately telling a story about love, hope, and family. Each chapter is told from the limited perspective of a different character, and I enjoyed each POV thoroughly. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and stories that you can fly through in one day (because they're so good)!

A summer beach read unlike any other I've read this summer. Florence Adler is a wonderful story that stands on great storytelling alone and shines. The Adler family comes to life around you and you just feel swept into their world. While the novel is set in the 1930s and Beanland does a wonderful job with the setting, it is also timeless and could almost be happening today.
The writing is talented, clear and easy to read without being pedestrian. The facts are well researched without being over stated, and while there is no glib happy Endings you still get the sense that everything is going to be okay. I loved that she wrote her own families story and I think there's a lot of potential for a generational series maybe Gussie's coming of age next? Either way I'll be first in line to read more from Beanland and will definitely be recommending this book to everyone.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Based upon the author's own family history, this book is a sure hit as a summer read. Set in Atlantic City, in prewar, a Jewish family struggles to understand the times as they take on the daughter of a family friend from Germany, navigate the insidious Nazi system of visas and immigration; all the while watching over their daughters and grand daughter. Deeply moving tale of hope and losses, family ties and fresh perspective.
Highly recommended for book clubs.

This book was beautifully written. I enjoyed the scene of Atlantic City 1934 and the Adler family. Tragedy strikes early in the book and through alternating POV you get to see how each person copes with the death. The older sister who can't be told due to a complicated pregnancy and bedrest broke my heart as she felt her sister just didn't want to see her. The parents coping in their own heartbreaking ways. A young girl being made to keep such a huge secret had me conflicted. As a mother, I am not sure what I would have done in Esthers place but I can't imagine keeping one daughters death a secret from the other daughter. I really enjoyed reading this lovely story about family, loss, grief and even some romance. I loved that it was based on a true story. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Atlantic City, 1934- The Adlers are a Jewish family who own a bakery, their daughter Florence is an accomplished swimmer and their other daughter Frannie is on bedrest in the hospital due to a high risk pregnancy. When Florence tragically drowns, the Adlers choose to keep her death a secret to protect Frannie’s pregnancy.

The family dynamic in this book is excellent. Esther & Joseph are strong and determined to protect their remaining daughter. Additionally they have the added stressors of a less than ideal son-in-law, a granddaughter to care for, and a family friend living with them to escape Nazi Germany. The family is dealing with their own tragic loss while attempting to hold it together for everyone else. I loved the Adlers and thought that they were so resilient.

Additionally, I felt that the book really transported me to summer in the Atlantic City. I loved reading descriptions of the beach and businesses at the time.

Lastly, upon reading the afterword and learning that this book was based on an actual event from the author’s family, I felt that the author did such justice to the story. I loved seeing how she changed names in the story but also used family names throughout. This is a good book all around, but for a debut it is excellent! I look forward to reading whatever she writes next.