When it comes to true love there are second chances in Susan Wiggs' novel Summer by the Sea.From the moment Rosa Capoletti met Alexander Montgomery when she was nine and he ten, they shared an instant connection, one that would create memories of a magical summer. That fateful summer paved the way for several more magical summers shared by Rosa and Alex, oblivious to their differences and circumstances.For a few summer weeks Alex is a part of Rosa's world but she is never part of his when summer ends. Alex is one of the "summer people", a group of wealthy, affluent people or families who escape to the small-town resort for leisure. For Rosa, the resort-town is her hometown surrounded by the people she love and whose town residents in large part work to accommodate the leisure of the "summer people". When it comes to culture, perspectives, and family values, Rosa and Alex are a world apart, but they are connected by a friendship and a mutual understanding of each other. As the weeks of summer and summers past accumulate the bond between Rosa and Alex deepen and a love created by friendship transform into something more intimate. As teenagers during one summer, Rosa and Alex explore their new-placed love, not as friends but as a couple. Then tragedy happens forever affecting them with Alex abruptly disappearing from Rosa's life.As Rosa picks up the pieces of a life gone amiss and settles into a more secure, safe, if not lonely life, Alex re-enters her life a decade later. Together Rosa and Alex must regain the trust and love they once shared in order to create a future for themselves.A heartwarming story that is executed wonderfully. Susan Wiggs does not rely solely on the characters' memories to take readers into Rosa and Alex's love story, but devotes parts of the story to a tangible past. The story progress with transitions between the past and present, a young Rosa and Alex to an older Rosa and Alex. Their differing perspectives are found as well as the mutual love they have both never forgotten. The visit to earlier years reveal more than a simple love, but explore the clash of Rosa and Alex's different worlds and the people who influenced past decisions, in which have affected their lives and brought the characters to their present state.As a companion to the significant aspects and turning points of the story are recipes that characterize Rosa. They represent everything from childhood memories to memories of happiness, sadness, families and love. They create a delicious opening to what the ensuing parts have in store next.
Voici un roman idéal pour l'été !A travers 6 parties, l'auteure nous narre l'histoire de Rosa et Alex. On alterne entre le passé où on découvre la rencontre des deux protagonistes durant leur enfance, avec le présent où Alex est de retour dans la vie de Rosa après plusieurs années et une rupture difficile. Le tout se déroulant la plupart du temps lors des vacances estivales.Par cette alternance, l'auteure entretient le suspens puisque se pose aux lecteurs deux questions tout au long du roman : que s'est-il passé entre Alex et Rosa ? Est-ce qu'il va se passer à nouveau quelque chose ?Rosa et Alex sont différents par bien des points, notamment l'héritage familiale. En effet, alors qu'Alex vient d'une famille riche et importante, Rosa est la fille de leur jardinier. Il est facile d'imaginer les obstacles qu'ils ont du rencontrer.Rosa, bien qu'elle ne comprend plus le comportement d'Alex depuis bien longtemps, reste nostalgique de leur été et ne parvient pas à lui tourner définitivement le dos. Quant à Alex, il commence à se rendre compte que la vie qu'il mène, non seulement n'est pas celle qu'il aurait voulu mais aussi est vraiment très loin de lui convenir.Lorsqu'on en arrive au moment où le passé rejoint le présent, l'auteure ne ménage pas son lecteur, en lui offrant rebondissements sur rebondissements !Une romance estivale très sympathique sur fond de différences sociales.
What do You think about Summer By The Sea (2004)?
Susan Wigg's Summer by the Sea is a charming beach read. Second chances, found opportunities and first love are themes explored as readers dive into the summer adventure. Rosa's life is far different than she imagined. As a girl, she dreamed of going to college and seeing the world but tragic circumstances kept her chained to her hometown. She made the best of her dilemma and turned a run-down restaurant into a popular tourist destination. Although her life has moved on, part of her heart has remained closed due to a failed romance. An unexpected turn of events brings her childhood love/friend back home but will she be brave enough to take another shot at happiness.
—Amy
Empecé este libro con muchas reservas, al principio me parecía la típica historia que se ha visto en muchas pelis de serie B de esas de sobremesa en la que un hombre que hace años se largó del pueblo buscando una vida mejor vuelve y se reencuentra con el que consideraba el gran amor de su vida pero que no tuvo reparos en dejar, pero conforme iban pasando las paginas me he ido dando cuenta de que no era así, es una historia sí de dos personas que estuvieron y aún están enamoradas pero que se sepa
—Natalia
A very nice romance novel. Not as sexually explicit as some. However, when the teenager takes his girlfriend out after dark with his telescope to see the 'transit of Mercury' and it wasn't a boondoggle, I thought "What's wrong with this picture?" A transit of Mercury takes place when the planet Mercury comes between the Sun and the Earth, and Mercury is seen as a small black dot moving across the face of the Sun. How are you going to see that at night?? Huh? Anyway you don't just point your telescope at the sun and look throught it, unprotected.
—Carol
