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taralpittman's review
5.0
As a native of the Gulf coast (Southeast Texas), I was totally drawn in by this tale of an impending hurricane disaster (historically accurate) and the author's buildup, metaphorically similar to that of the storm, is captivating. Full review to come!
mslourens's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
ncrabb's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t read a great deal of historical fiction, but I’m glad I downloaded this. Of course, I knew nothing about a Labor Day hurricane in 1935 that obliterated pieces of Florida and killed a significant number of people. That storm was the perfect backdrop for this book. Lafaye’s writing style is stellar, and even if you are sick to death of books that focus on racism in the South during the depression, you need to push aside those personal strictures and read this.
Missy Douglas is a young black woman in a small Florida town in 1935. She is a maid and nanny to Nelson and Hilda Kincaid. The Kincaid marriage is an unhappy one indeed. He feels trapped by the fact that she became pregnant with their son prior to the marriage, and she has replaced his physical ardor with an intense love for food. Consequently, the beauty queen is now a plus-sized woman with a son and a philandering husband. Missy has long had feelings for Henry Roberts, who is a few years older than is she. He served in France in World War I, and he has come home a broken and changed man. He didn’t immediately return home after the war. Instead, he rattled around the country never feeling like he belonged anywhere. So different had the world been in an unsegregated France that coming home to a nation still impacted by the racist leadership of Woodrow Wilson—a nation that seemed to want to forget its returning veterans rather than pay them the bonuses they had earned in combat, was a huge adjustment for Henry and veterans in general. At length, Henry learns of actual work back in his hometown, and he sees that as a sign that it’s time to go home.
Henry and Missy are awkwardly reunited on the night of a Independence Day barbecue traditionally held in the community. There will inevitably be fights among the town’s black and white residents, and they will all carefully stay on their particular beaches. But the presence of more than 200 veterans who have come to build a bridge essentially at the behest of the Roosevelt administration significantly alter the dynamic of the town. When bad things happen or when things occur that are out of the ordinary, local residents are far too eager to blame the veterans. It doesn’t matter that Henry is someone native to the community. He has become one of the veterans held in suspicion by the town, and he will pay a price that should never be exacted of him. Lots of people at that party would love to bring Henry down a few pegs. He was an officer in the war, and now he’s working with disgruntled veterans who would rather be anywhere but where they are. Though the war is long over, the white enlisted men resent even the memory that a black officer would be in charge of them at any time. Worse still is a rampant rumor that Henry has fathered a child with a white woman—the wife of a local sheriff’s deputy. Naturally, the deputy wants to find a reason to get at Henry as well.
It is while the storms of racism brew and increase in intensity that another storm is born hundreds of miles out to sea. Racial tensions peak in the community when Hilda, deeply unhappy about the conduct of her husband at the Independence Day barbecue, determines to walk home without him. Later that evening, her battered and broken body is found alongside a road. It’s up to the town doctor to see whether he can patch her up or even keep her alive.
You will be immediately caught up in the lives of these people. The supporting characters are as compelling as the main characters, and like that deputy, you’ll wonder throughout the book who the real father of his child is, and some part of you won’t care.
The horrors of the hurricane, when it strikes, are grippingly told here, and there is another horror of equal or worse intensity that gets highlighted as well. I was sickened to read about the substandard housing the veterans were forced to live in while building that bridge. The rotting tents would in no way withstand even a moderate storm, let alone one of the most violent in the 20th century.
amysbrittain's review against another edition
3.0
The settling was incredibly vivid, and became the star of the book for me. It took a while for me to be drawn in by the story, and there was a soap opera quality to the exchanges at times that threw me out of the intensity of what was happening. But what I keep thinking of is that setting. Whew.
aprilbooksandwine's review against another edition
5.0
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. Read my full review here
gretchen_p's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting historical fiction. Takes place in 1935 in the FL Keys and involves racial divides, horrible treatment of WWI vets and a hurricane. There were too many characters overall but the main ones really drew me in.
arinnash's review against another edition
4.0
Heart wrenching story that felt like it would be predictable even though it absolutely was not. Made me reflect on the way we view other humans and the way that still shapes us today.
cyndin's review against another edition
3.0
The author started off wanting to write about this hurricane then built the story around it. It's not a bad story, just not particularly realistic or more than solid.
momadvice's review against another edition
5.0
I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts & opinions. It is hard to believe that this was a debut novel- it was so perfectly executed. I love when I am transported into time in a historical fiction novel and learn something I have never known before and that was the case in this one. This well-researched book perfectly combines fact and fiction into an incredible story about a hurricane that ripped through the Florida Keys. The racial tensions of the people combined with a camp of disturbed war veterans creates an incredible conflict within the town when all of their safety is at risk as a hurricane approaches. If you are a fan of THE HELP, you will fall in love with this perfectly woven story (and learn a lot about the 1930's in the process!
maria1085's review against another edition
4.0
This was a gripping story of race relations and a devastating hurricane in 1935. While some of it was fiction it was based on real events. I got wrapped up in the characters and the accounts of the hurricane were haunting. If you like historical fiction this is definitely worth reading.