20191018_151217.jpgWelcome to my stop on the Floating in the Neversink blog tour and a big thank you to Over the River PR for the invitation. Please read all the way to the bottom for a chance to win a copy in a fun giveaway!

My Thoughts:

My parents grew up in the 40s and 50s, and I LOVE that time period so I can imagine their childhoods. Floating in the Neversink is set during the summer of 1955, and Amanda Gerber is nine years old when she has to leave her best friend, Francine, along with her home in Flatbush,  Brooklyn.

Amanda’s family is headed to her grandmother’s home in the Catskills to an area known as the Borscht Belt. There Amanda joins her extended family and spends the summer with her dear cousin, Laura.

More summers come to pass, and Amanda grows up while she faces all that life has to offer, good and bad.

Floating in the Neversink is, at its heart, a story of friendship. It made me nostalgic for childhood friendships and immediately grabbed me with the authenticity in how that special bond was depicted.

It’s also Amanda’s story, and she’s a survivor. I found her relatable and endearing. There are some dark themes here with abuse, and Amanda is determined to come out on top. I also appreciated how mental illness was addressed. Overall, Floating in the Neversink impressed me with its truth and heart.

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

About the Book:

In the summer of 1955, nine-year-old Amanda Gerber tearfully leaves her best friend, Francine, and their adventurous life on her block in Brooklyn’s Flatbush. She joins her cantankerous family on the long, hot drive to her grandmother’s home in the Catskill Mountains among the city’s Jews who flock to countless hotels and bungalow colonies in the heyday of the Borscht Belt. In the idyllic mountains, Amanda becomes ensconced in the tumult of her extended family and their friends, often seeking solace in the woods with her beloved cousin Laura.

Through the following summers, interspersed with the heightened drama of her emotionally charged city life, Amanda faces severe tests to her survival mechanisms, including the pain of loss, abuse, and betrayal, while family secrets threaten to disrupt her life even further. A novel-in-stories, Floating in the Neversink is a testament to the power of survival, friendship, and love.

~GIVEAWAY~

I’m excited to have a copy of Floating in the Neversink, along with Simon’s other award- winning historical fiction novel, Esfir is Alive, to give away to one lucky winner in the US! Please just comment below for your entry and make sure you are following my blog.

For more chances to win a copy, please make sure to visit the other tour stops you can find HERE.

Have you read Floating in the Neversink, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR