Reviews with content warning for Child death - Florence Adler Swims Forever

"...he knew the ocean - both what it could give a swimmer who was paying attention and what it could take away."

This looks at loss and grief in a really interesting, unique way, and also explores 1930s life, customs, and expectations and has a lot to say about wealth and religion and family. It's very well-written and hugely evocative and immersive, painting a vivid picture of 1930s Atlantic City, and there are many truly beautiful and bittersweet moments.

However, I found that I didn't love the direction the story ended up going in, and the ending felt, to me, pretty rushed and unsatisfying. Additionally, the fact that we get the perspectives of so many different characters meant that some feel underdeveloped and that it did feel like a lot was missing both plot-wise and character-exploration-wise. I admire the author's ambition in structuring the story in this way, but it just ultimately didn't quite work for me. It also bothered me that I found Esther's and Joseph's characters read as much older than they actually are, and this meant I struggled to get into their heads and to connect with them.

To me, this was an unfortunate case of exciting and worthy idea, but slightly poor execution.

Content Warnings

lcg527's review against another edition

Go to review page

sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.25

Content Warnings

rachelkreadsbookz's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

nothingforpomegranted's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

In 1934, nineteen-year-old Florence Adler is home in Atlantic City for the summer, preparing to swim the English Channel, when she drowns during an unaccompanied practice swim, in view of her parents, her young niece, the non-Jewish lifeguard who trains her and maybe loves her, and the German college student her parents have brought across the Atlantic out of fear of the rising Nazi power.

Missing from the scene is Florence's sister, Fannie. Sequestered in the hospital to monitor her high-risk pregnancy, Fannie is central to the rest of the plot; Esther, her mother, decides to keep Florence's death from her sister, hoping to avoid early labor and other pregnancy complications. The book whirls through seven different character perspectives as they grieve and keep secrets until the birth.

I loved this story and its unapologetically Jewish identity, particularly as a historical fiction novel that isn't set firmly in the world of the Holocaust. The characters were complex, human, and lovable, and despite the slow pace of the book, I kept turning pages, craving whatever would happen next. Admittedly, the vast array of perspectives was, while intriguing, a weakness of the novel: Beanland's writing wasn't quite sophisticated enough to distinguish among so many different voices, and some of the storylines suffered thusly.

Spoiler

I was also disappointed by the ending. The entire book built suspense to the reveal of Florence's death to Fannie, and while I recognize that the book was about so much more--the nature of love, sisterhood, and loss--this moment was integral to understanding so many of the relationships that enlivened the rest of the story, and I was sorry not to have the opportunity to process and mourn with Fannie.

Content Warnings