Summer of '69 - Opinion and Review

I read Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand after it spent a very long time on my TBR. It was a historical fiction book that was told during a time that I had never read about previously.

I've always found the way Elin Hilderbarnd's books are written to be a bit off. I don't like that there are no definite chapters, having the story continue at different parts of the page, but that's just a writing-style flaw that I don't love. The stories though, they're all great! Summer of '69 was no exception. Obviously, the book takes place during the summer of 1969. It takes place in Nantucket, where the Levin family spends their summers with their grandmother. During this time one sister is pregnant with twins, another works at the local hotel, and another is trying to navigate life as a teenage, who wants to be older than she actually is.

What I loved about this story is the portrayal of how family is stronger than anything else. Despite the fact that everyone has their flaws, family will always stick together. This book also touched on both religious issues during that time, as well as race. Both themes are very much pertinent to today's climate, and despite how far we think we may have come, things are sadly not much different than they were 52 years ago. Something that I've been thinking about since I finished the book a couple weeks ago.

I enjoyed this story by Elin Hilderbrand, and look forward to reading more of her books in the future. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Dates read: May 29, 2021 - May 31, 2021