Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Scribner for gifting me a digital ARC of the new novel by a favorite, Ethan Joella. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!
Told over two summers in 1974-1975, we meet siblings Maggie and Chip Bishop. Chip is only 18 and has been diagnosed with terminal leukemia, prompting him to leave home for a few months to try and live a little before he dies. The next summer, Maggie has just graduated but stuck in grief for Chip. Maggie's search for where he spent his last months leads her to a resort in the Poconos. She travels there to learn about her brother's final days.
I am always so honored to read Joella's latest book, knowing that it will push all my emotional buttons in the best of ways. While this book is heartbreaking, it's also beautifully hopeful. It's that reminder we all need that personal connection is what makes us the best humans. This was also nostalgic in the best of ways. I remember as a teenager seeing the ads for the heart-shaped tubs in the Poconos, thinking that to be the epitome of romance. If you lived through these times, this book will take you back to a time where you could escape and no one would know where you were. Once again, Joella writes about grief, loss, family, found family, and hope in the most beautiful of ways. Highly recommended.
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