June 28, 2021

Part historical fiction, part coming-of age, part family mystery, this book had a lot going on. Most of it was successful, making it a great beach read.

Told in dual timelines, the narrative belongs to Jackie in both 1979 (as a teenager) and 1999 (as the inheritor of her uncle’s old estate, The Sandcastle. It was effective to have a singular character be the focal point because the memories and impact of events were consistent.

I guess in a way it could be considered a dual historical timeline, since the contemporary line is set 22 years ago.

Anyway, the Jackie of now has a lot of unfinished business from her time at The Sandcastle. That’s where the family mystery comes in.

I thought the author did a fantastic job of recreating a summer full of idyllic memories. As the flashbacks occurred, it was easy to relate to Jackie. We all have those fond memories of a summer where the littlest things seemed important while nothing was really important at all.

She also captured the 70s vibe so well that I felt like I could see the tie dye and smell the patchouli and neroli oils mixed in with the seaside air. Those parts of the book really took flight for me.

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I thought the parallels between the summer Jackie remembers (when everything changed) and what occurs in 1999 were interesting. It made me wonder if the present was influencing Jackie’s memories of the past.

Turns out I was sort of right.

There weren’t a whole lot of big moments in this book, more like important or pivotal moments that you don’t realize the importance of until you read Jackie’s reactions. I know that sounds convoluted, but I don’t know how else to describe it.

The writing just lulled me into the swing of the story, sort of hazy and blurry, just like memories often are. The parts capturing the 70s music scene were reminiscent of some rockumentaries I have seen, especially the one of the group Chicago. The author did some great research here.

It wasn’t a bad way to spend a few lazy summer afternoons.

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About the Author:AMY MASON DOAN is the author of The Summer List and Summer Hours. She earned a BA in English from UC Berkeley and an MA in journalism from Stanford University, and has written for The Oregonian, San Francisco Chronicle, and Forbes, among other publications. She grew up in Danville, California, and now lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and daughter.