Diane Zinna’s debut novel, The All-Night Sun, captures the bright, dreamy quality of the long days of Sweden’s summers, a quality at times at odd with the main character, Lauren Cress. Lauren, an only child, lost both her parents when their car skidded off a bridge. Without any other family or friends, at eighteen, she was thrust into adulthood with responsibility for the funerals, the financial commitments, and the family’s house.

Ten years later, Lauren hasn’t overcome the loneliness, though job as a composition instructor at a small college’s International Program finally gives her a sense of purpose. However, she begins to understand how much she has missed human connection when vivacious Siri Bergström joins her class. The two develop a close friendship, and when Siri asks Lauren to visit Sweden for Midsommar, Lauren eagerly agrees. Siri’s elder sister, Brigit, embraces Lauren, but Mangus, Siri’s brother, is a dark, distant presence in the house. Siri warns Lauren to keep away from him, but she is unwillingly drawn to him, inciting an uncomfortable tension. Jealous and angry, Siri withdraws, igniting Lauren’s insecurities.

On Lauren’s last day in the country, they travel to the island of Öland for Midsommar, and there, the simmering tension expands into a fractious rift. Even months after Lauren returns home, she struggles to understand the grasp the events of her final evening and to adjust to her live after the momentous and tragic summer.

Beautifully written, The All-Night Sun fabulously explores the consequences of grief and loneliness, the possibilities of friendship, and the limits of memory. As a character study of Lauren, and the effect of her parents’ death, it is a fascinating novel. I often found myself frustrated with her decisions but curious about her state of mind. Seeing Sweden through her eyes made me feel like I was visiting myself, which I loved, although at times I though the description of attractions bogged down the narrative. Siri and Mangus and their responses to grief, too, were interesting, although since the descriptions were from Lauren’s perspective, they probably revealed as much about her as them.

Until Lauren returned from Sweden, she controlled her own story and how she was perceived. On her arrival, she lost that control, and watching it unravel is painful but some of the best parts of the book.

I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about this book. At times I liked it, other times I didn't. I really really loved the story line. As a portrait of grief and loneliness, it was beautiful. The characters were unlikable (from the author's acknowledgments, that was on purpose) but I don't always mind that. What I did mind was certain conversations and actions felt unrealistic. I found myself constantly asking 'who would actually do/say that in real life?' It was also such a struggle to get through. It was slow. At times it felt repetitive. I liked it enough to finish, though about halfway through I found myself skimming just to get through it. It definitely will not be a re-read and I don't think I would recommend it to friends.

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my...*wipes tears from eyes*

Imagine being an 18 year old young woman when tragically both of your parents, your only family, are killed in a car accident? You are now alone in the world trying to navigate a life for yourself with no one to help and no one to answer questions.

That happened to Lauren Cress who now teaches writing at a small college. She grapples with depression and loneliness since the loss of her parents when in walks Siri. She is a student from Sweden and she brings such light to Lauren's life that they begin a friendship that definitely tests the boundaries of comfort. Siri invites Lauren to spend the summer with her in Sweden and Lauren accepts but there will be devastating consequences.

"Lying had become second nature in my adult life. It was a way to spare strangers difficult conversations. The lies only ever pertained to my own information, and nothing I said was ever that important; the lies only served to keep me smiling, to keep the conversation from going off the cliff of sympathy, and to keep me from breaking down."

The writing in this book is is awe-inspiring and exquisite. I was absolutely moved by Lauren's story. I wanted to reach into the pages to hug her. Her pain and anguish is palpable and my stomach was in knots and tears streamed down my face on more than one occasion. A very poignant story on grief and acceptance. Also, that cover is stunning. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for being so kind as to grant me my *wish* to read this ARC.

Thank you to #netgalley for the privilege of reading #TheAllNightSun. It was published on July 14. #RandomHouse

The All-Night Sun by Diane Zinna is replete with sun imagery and yes, beauty. The tone is dark and morose, but brilliantly so, and although it is dark, there is beauty in the darkness.

Diane Zinna’s writing reminds me of Anita Shreve, Barbara Kingsolver, and Lily King.

Please pick it up, and when you do, you too will be tossed like a boat at sea back to those years of your 20’s where the loneliness was suffocating, but the hope for the future kept you afloat.




Synopsis:

Lauren Cress teaches writing at a small college outside of Washington, DC. In the classroom, she is poised, smart, and kind, well liked by her students and colleagues. But in her personal life, Lauren is troubled and isolated, still grappling with the sudden death of her parents ten years earlier. She seems to exist at a remove from everyone around her until a new student joins her class: charming, magnetic Siri, who appears to be everything Lauren wishes she could be. They fall headlong into an all-consuming friendship that makes Lauren feel as though she is reclaiming her lost adolescence.

When Siri invites her on a trip home to Sweden for the summer, Lauren impulsively accepts, intrigued by how Siri describes it: green, fresh, and new, everything just thawing out. But once there, Lauren finds herself drawn to Siri’s enigmatic, brooding brother, Magnus. Siri is resentful, and Lauren starts to see a new side of her friend: selfish, reckless, self-destructive, even cruel. On their last night together, Lauren accompanies Siri and her friends on a seaside camping trip to celebrate Midsommar’s Eve, a night when no one sleeps, boundaries blur, and under the light of the unsetting sun, things take a dark turn.

Ultimately, Lauren must acknowledge the truth of what happened with Siri and come to terms with her own tragic past in this gorgeously written, deeply felt debut about the transformative relationships that often come to us when things feel darkest.







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I loved The All-Night Sun by Diane Zinna, mesmerized by the writing and propelled by the story line. It was the perfect read for my scattered and distracted brain, transporting me into another's story.

Only child Lauren lost her parents in a tragic accident when she was eighteen, leaving her alone in a baffling world. Her parents couldn't afford to send her to college but after their deaths she guiltily sold everything to raise the funds for her education. She learned how to survive in isolation, accustomed to lying about being orphaned.

At twenty-eight, she has her dream job teaching a writing class to international students at a small Catholic college, a popular teacher who loves her work. She understands her foreign student's experiences as outsiders, their homesickness, and admired their courage.

Art student Siri comes into her classroom and insinuates herself into Lauren's life, and for the first time Lauren felt understood, that she had a true friend. Siri was outgoing and sincere, but also a risk taker who charms her teacher out of her safety zone. Lauren is used to secrets, and knows she must keep their relationship under wraps from the other teachers and administration.

Siri asks Lauren to come to her home in Sweden for Midsommer and she impulsively accepts.

The gorgeous descriptive writing weaves visions of an enchanted land and time, maidens frolicing in meadows and woods, flowers woven in their hair, bathing in the cold water. Lauren allows Siri to transform her, and she feels what it is to be young--that fleeting time that passed her by with her parent's demise.

Siri has a complicated relationship with her siblings. The early deaths of their parents spurred older sister Birgit to take on the role of mother. Siri hates her artist brother Magnus, both blaming each other for their mother's death, and she warns Lauren to stay away from him. For Siri's sake, Lauren wants to resist the attraction between them.

The headiness of the all-night sun, being a part of a circle of teenage girls, comes to a crisis at a Midsommer party. Lauren retreats home determined to put Sweden and Siri and her family behind her. But there is no escape.

As her life spirals out of control, Lauren loses herself and her life, but in the end she discovers forgiveness and acceptance.

The All-Night Sun reads like a psychological thriller written by accomplished literary hands that spin a denouement of uplifting satisfaction.

I was given a free ebook by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

The All-Night Sun is a beautifully written novel of love, grief and the pain of intimacy. AND IT'S A DEBUT!!!
It is an essential addition to fiction on grief and a compelling story about female friendship, its limits and constraints, and the surprising ways it can make us whole😁

This book takes the reader through an intricate and literary journey as we witness arresting landscapes, visionary gems, and characters that are imperfect, flaws and all, and it was fascinating to take a front-row seat to take it all in

Absolutely dazzling. Riveting and exciting this book will have you riveted from the first page. Well written with a strong plot. If this debut author can write like this I am really looking forward to when she becomes seasoned.. if you enjoy discovering new authors like I do pick this up. Happy reading!

The All-Night Sun is a captivating debut novel by a talented author. Zinna’s writing is profound and beautiful. The novel is atmospheric and there is a mystique to it that not only drew me in but also filled me with a sense of uncertainty, unease, and chilled me to my core.

Ten years have passed since Lauren lost both of her parents in a car accident, leaving her completely alone to deal with the aftermath. Without any other family members, and friends who were going off to college and moving on with their lives, Lauren did what she had to in order to get through this unbearable loss.

Lauren was consumed by loneliness. Her loneliness and desperation for a connection seeped through the pages of this novel. She craved a feeling of belonging and love. I genuinely wanted her to be able to move on from her grief, to believe in herself, and to forge ahead in life. The only bright spot in her life was teaching a writing class at a small college. She was good at her job, likable, and passionate about engaging her students with thought-provoking assignments.

When Siri began her class, Lauren was captivated by her charisma, their shared grief, and they became fast friends. Lauren’s need for a human connection and a real friend mixed with Siri’s loneliness from being far away from home made their friendship invaluable to them both. An invitation back to Siri’s home in Sweden forced them to see different sides of their personalities, their friendship, and pushed their boundaries.

This novel was a kaleidoscope of emotions. I was never sure what I could believe. Were the events that were taking place truly happening or were they Lauren’s mind’s way of helping her cope and protecting her from her unrelenting grief? I definitely felt invested in Lauren’s life. She was enveloped in a heavy cloak of sadness. She was obsessed with her new student/friend, however, even though their friendship felt slightly odd at times, I felt for Lauren, as she was simply looking for companionship and camaraderie.

The All-Night Sun is a thought-provoking read. The author’s descriptions transport the reader to the various locations in the book. I could visualize everything as if I were right there along with the characters. With evocative prose, intriguing characters, complete with a twist, this book was an entertaining way to spend my time.

*4 Stars

Lauren bonds with Siri, a Swedish student at the small Catholic college where she teaches because they are both orphans- and this leads to a tragedy and upheaval. Lauren, who is 28, has been mourning her parents for 10 years, unable to move forward emotionally, until she meets Siri, who is 10 years younger and then, at Siri's invitation, travels to Sweden for Midsummer at Siri's home. This sends Lauren into a maelstrom (well, a quite contained one) of emotions as she discovers Siri is different at home and, more importantly, Siri's brother Magnus. No spoilers from me as to what happens but this isn't a big dramatic book, rather almost a meditation on grief and friendship. My quibble is the total inappropriateness of the Lauren-Siri relationship (I kept thinking this would have a very different feel if one of the two were male). Regardless, the atmospherics in Sweden are marvelous and Zinna's writing precise and evocative. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of literary fiction.

This was an interesting but slow read, with a good creep factor thrown in. Lauren is a professor at a small college who works with international students. She forms a somewhat inappropriate relationship with one girl who invites her to Sweden. Impulsively, she goes over and events become wild and dangerous very quickly. I enjoyed most the descriptions of Sweden, and of course I want to visit there, too. Grieving and extremely lonely, Lauren makes some senseless decisions with lasting ramifications. Midsommar madness indeed. This isn’t as creepy as the movie “Midsommar” was but isn’t too far off, either. I found all of the characters unlikable and suspect. While not the greatest read for me, it was written beautifully and descriptively and I believe it will be quite popular.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐈’𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫- 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝, 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬. 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.

Lauren Cress is a twenty-eight year old, lonely woman teaching English Composition in an international program at a small Catholic College outside Washing D.C. An adjunct popular with the foreign students and disliked by the professors, she finds herself connecting with the struggles and loneliness her pupils face. It is when Siri Bergström, a sprite of a girl from Sweden, captures her attention that she begins to see the person she could have become, had not tragedy struck down her youth. The two share unbearable grief and this bond ensnares them both in a friendship that surpasses the boundaries of student and teacher. Siri is irresistible, seemingly sure of herself, rooted in ways Lauren envies. Siri, like a rising sun, chasing away the shadows and ghosts of the past, returning Lauren’s spent youth back to her. She has an audience now to share her most intimate memories with, a friend in her corner, at long last! If the age difference gives her pause… well…

When Siri asks her “Come with me to Sweden this summer,” for Midsommar and it’s midnight sun, it is a chance for her to be carefree and alive for the first time since her parent’s death. What feels like salvation will come at a heavy price. Lauren enters a home that is anything but domestic bliss. Siri’s older siblings understand parts of her that exist outside the sun. The tension between Siri and her brother Magnus is impossible to feel, evaporating the lightness and joy that defines their days together. Yet there is an allure to his coldness despite Siri’s warning to stay away from him. Jealousies arise when Lauren lets her curiosity get the better of her in trying to understand Magnus. Siri’s friends too drive a wedge between them, resentful of this older intruder stealing their friend away from them, inserting herself in their Midsommar traditions. It is with questioning gazes they observe her presence, discomfited by the relationship of teacher, student, friend. Lauren is becoming aware that Siri isn’t always the pleasant sprite and that her beauty isn’t without bite. She can punish her dearest friends and family by denying her attention as easy as she gives it and it is cold in the absence of her love. Lauren is trapped by the ‘in-betweeness’ of things- loyalty/desire, youth/maturity, Sweden/America and can’t seem to become unstuck. She is blind in her heart and mind.

It is a story of what we lose and what happens when we try to reclaim it. Lost chances are traces of what might have been, disintegrating paths we can see to places we can no longer go. By basking in the endless sunshine of another’s face, we are blinded by what lies beneath their surface, and fail to see them as a flawed, sometimes selfish person. What I found to be deeply engaging is how easy it is to fail someone in trying to define ourselves. How grief, if we let it, can feed on us like a parasite. The responsibility others put on themselves in the salvation of those dearest to them is like a world of sinking ships. Then there are the stories we tell ourselves in an attempt to deny reality. Lauren has to open her eyes, even if the ending is a painful one. The sun must set and darkness return. A solid, tender read.

Publication Date: July 14, 2020

Random House

This book was different. It was odd and disconcerting. Lauren has many issues. She gets close to as student, Siri, who invites her to Sweden for the summer. A tragedy occurs that summer. Laurie returns to her job and pretends nothing happened, but her life begins to fall apart. I had difficulty discerning what was truth and what was fantasy. I don't really care for any of the characters. This book was a miss for me.

Written in a beautiful, descriptive, and almost poetic style, this book explores the world of love, loss, grief, and possible implications of one’s inability to properly cope with the loss of a loved one(s). This slow moving tale of an adjunct teacher, who builds an unconventional and quite disturbing relationship with one of her students, while trying to cope with the loss of her parents, left me emotional and conflicted at times. The main characters are imperfect and unlikable at times, and yet I could not help myself but to root for them and hope for a happy ending, even though deep down I knew that their inappropriate relationship must end with devastating consequences. What made this book even more compelling for me was the stunning and vivid descriptions of Sweden’s landscapes. With her whimsical and immersive writing style, the author has an uncanny way of transporting the reader into the book’s pages.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a slow burn, character-driven, literary fiction.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House and the author for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Random House for the free book. Contrary to what a certain popular movie might have you believe, Diane Zinna's new novel shows that Swedish Midsommar celebrations are actually full of freaky drugs, devastating betrayals, and missionary sex.

The All-Night Sun by Diane Zinna is a great novel that gives a slow, descriptive, and visionary story regarding love, loss, and the repercussions and outcomes of the decisions that we make in life.

This book takes the reader through an intricate and literary journey as we witness arresting landscapes, visionary gems, and characters that are imperfect, flaws and all, and it was fascinating to take a front-row seat to take it all in.

It was at times hard to see events unfolding involving Lauren, Siri, and associated relations. Both were characters that were imperfect, and sometimes not likeable. However, as in life, most things are not black and white, and people are rarely all "good" or "bad".

What I most enjoyed were the visions created by the wonderful prose from the author in regards to Sweden. Landscapes and events throughout from that aspect is, what I feel, made this book remarkable and unforgettable.

4/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

"The All-Night Sun" is a well written novel but wasn't very memorable. I can't even recall basic plot points. I think the reason is because of the protagonist, Lauren. I found Lauren to be so insufferable. There's a lot of backstory about her parent's demise a decade before, which is fine, but Lauren dwells on it to the point where it was making me uncomfortable (especially during these uncertain times). Her inappropriate friendship with a female student was intriguing but once it got to the Midsommar celebration in Sweden, the plot kind of unraveled from there. Diane Zinna has a beautiful way with words, but I felt like this book was too draggy and melodramatic for my taste. I kept waiting for something big to happen and it never came. This book is worth it alone for that gorgeous cover though. Wow.

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House for the digital ARC.

Release date: July 14, 2020

This is a powerful and intense story of loneliness and grief . It has an unpredictable and compelling plot, it is slow moving at times though.

The All-Night Sun is that rare gem of a novel where the reader is treated to a propulsive narrative combined with lyrical reflection. From the beginning we know that the main character is making bad decisions and that things are not likely to turn out well. Zinna keeps us flipping the pages to find out what will happen. I really enjoyed the deep character development and the absorbing story. Recommended for fans of literary, character-driven fiction.

First off, isn't the cover just gorgeous? I absolutely allow covers to give me a first impression. The All-Night Sun is a meditation on grief and the things people do as a result of grief.

Lauren Cress teaches writing at a small school outside of DC, and she accepts a student's invitation to visit her home in Sweden for the Midsommar Festival, which was a bad idea, as off-campus interactions with students generally are.

What keeps this book from being just dark and predatory (though there are elements) is the beautiful writing by Zinna. It's not my favorite sort of plot, but it's still a captivating read.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

The All-Night Sun is a beautifully written novel of love, grief and the pain of intimacy.

Lauren, an adjunct professor of English for international students at Stella Maris College in Massachusetts makes most of her money via technical writing contracts. Even with these two jobs she makes barely enough to support herself. She loves teaching but with only a master's degree she doubts she can ever get a permanent tenured position at the college. She is very personable with the students, gives her all in feedback to assignments and tries to come up with creative ideas to stimulate the students' learning. During one semester she becomes close with a Swedish student named Siri and they begin a friendship.

Lauren appears to have things together but in reality she has little self-esteem and is very self-deprecatory. She has been living in a world of grief since her parents died in an automobile accident when she was a teenager. The grief has taken over her life and she can't find a way to recover - that is, until she meets Siri. Lauren is an accomplished liar. She finds that lying allows her to provide a mask of normalcy to others. When she finds out that Siri has also been orphaned at a young age, she feels a true kinship and closeness to her.

Stella Maris is a Christian school and, as such, has very particular rules and expectations about student-teacher relationships and boundaries. Siri invites Lauren to spend part of the summer with her in Sweden and on a whim, Lauren agrees even though she knows that this choice could get her in trouble with the college.

What follows during the summer is a desperate effort for Lauren to keep Siri close to her. Siri's family dynamics are conflicted and Siri's set of lifelong friends are put off by Lauren who is several years older than Siri and a newcomer to their established group. Siri is willful, adventurous and impulsive. Siri's sister wants Lauren to watch over her, a task that feels impossible to Lauren. The more Lauren takes on the role of 'protector', the more she loses her sense of self. Her attempts to connect to Siri, often unsuccessful, create a lack of balance in Lauren's worldview. She begins to lose herself and doubt her perceptions.

The writing is poetic and the inclusion of Swedish language and poetry make this book very special. I felt that I was in Sweden, part of its magic and mythology, enjoying the customs and beauty of a land I've never actually seen. This book is a gem and I highly recommend it.