A review by ncrabb
The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach by Pam Jenoff
2.0
Essentially, (and I've grossly distilled this), this is the account of the fictional Addie Montforte who left her parents behind at their insistence and came to the United States from Italy in 1941. She lives with an aunt and uncle in Philadelphia, but their relationship always seemed distant and lukewarm at best. Not long after her arrival, Addie visits the Jersey shore with her aunt and uncle where she is introduced to the Connally family--two parents and a houseful of fun-loving Irish-Catholic boys.
It doesn't take long for a clandestine romance to sprout between Addie and Charlie Connally, the boy with all the promise and potential--a Georgetown scholarship and the opportunity to be a big-time football player.
Addie is also intrigued by troubled William, and it is he who quietly comes to her defense from time to time.
But America's entry into World War II and a family tragedy forces Addie and Charlie to put things on hold for a time. The remainder of the book unfolds Addie's adventures in London and an ending that makes sense, I guess.
I rated this low because Adie always seemed distant and cold to me for some reason. She seemed rather insular Granted, I admired her pluck and courage, but she just seemed distant somehow.
It doesn't take long for a clandestine romance to sprout between Addie and Charlie Connally, the boy with all the promise and potential--a Georgetown scholarship and the opportunity to be a big-time football player.
Addie is also intrigued by troubled William, and it is he who quietly comes to her defense from time to time.
But America's entry into World War II and a family tragedy forces Addie and Charlie to put things on hold for a time. The remainder of the book unfolds Addie's adventures in London and an ending that makes sense, I guess.
I rated this low because Adie always seemed distant and cold to me for some reason. She seemed rather insular Granted, I admired her pluck and courage, but she just seemed distant somehow.