"Under a Dark Summer Sky" is a historical fiction novel by Vanessa Lafaye. Set in the 1930s in the Florida Keys, the story revolves around a community grappling with racial tensions and a devastating hurricane. The book explores themes of love, resilience, and the human spirit as it weaves together the lives of its diverse characters against the backdrop of a natural disaster and social upheaval.

Did not receive/read in time due to technical error on kindle/tablet. Not having left feedback has due to error has impacted my shelves. Leaving 4 stars.

The description and historical context of this novel were really interesting but my interest started to slip come chapter 5 and I did not want to continue.

WHY DID I LISTEN TO UNDER A DARK SUMMER SKY BY VANESSA LAFAYE?
It kind of seems fitting that during summertime I would read a book with “summer” in the title. However, in all reality, I went for Under A Dark Summer Sky by Vanessa Lafaye on Scribd because I hadn’t read a historical fiction in a while. And yes, the fact that it is on my Netgalley queue is a huge motivator. The comparisons to The Help and to The Perfect Storm also appeal to me.

WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
So, I seem to be getting sucked into stories with multiple main characters over and over lately. Under A Dark Summer Sky follows the residents of Huron Key which is in Florida (part of the keys) during 1935 when one of the most major hurricanes ever hits. The book opens on this wild note. Missy, a nanny who is African American, nearly loses the infant in her care to an alligator but then he’s saved by a blast from her past, Henry.

This sort of sets a number of events into motion. Namely, the mother of the infant, Hilda, is beaten very very badly at this Fourth of July party. No one knows who did it. However, the people in town blame Henry who is an African American veteran. Meanwhile, there’s this cop, Dwayne who is married with a wife and son. Only, Dwayne is white, his wife is white, but his son is biracial.

Anyways, amid these tensions, comes the hurricane. OH and also, the town has a camp of veterans who are doing work. The locals aren’t huge fans of the veterans because they’re kind of rowdy. So, yeah, a whole lot of compelling story is about to go down. And well, Lafaye handles all of this deftly.

HOW DID I LIKE UNDER A DARK SUMMER SKY?
Ya know what? I was TOTALLY absorbed and under the spell of Under A Dark Summer Sky. It was so different from what I’ve been listening to. I feel like I am really valuing that right now – variety. Anyways, there’s a big cast of characters and I felt like I got a good sense of those characters. I know in another review I was complaining about a book with a lot of main characters. However, it turns out, it works well for Lafaye. It seems like there’s a lot of ground and perspectives we are able to cover.

Also, you guys I was invested and on edge. Especially for the parts with Nathan, the baby. FYI he lives and makes it to the end. I say that spoiler because if you’re like me you’ll want to know that going in.

HOW’S THE NARRATION?
The audiobook is narrated by Karen Chilton. She’s a new to me narrator. However, her voice is perfect for this Florida-set book. I never was zoned out or bored by her. Heck, I was HANGING on edge. I think for sure Under A Dark Summer Sky by Vanessa Lafaye is an under the radar audiobook you need to read – especially those of you who like historical fiction about weather with intersectional elements.