Once Upon a Gulf Coast Summer

By Susan Oliver

Book Overview

Susan Oliver says, "It takes very little for a mother and daughter to turn on each other. So much lies below the surface--hurts held for decades in clinched fists, extravagant expectations never met, and ties that bind." Once Upon a Gulf Coast Summer is about the complex relationship between Josephine Green and her grown daughter, Katy. Issues bear down from Josephine's troubled and rigid childhood and the enigmatic mother who was preoccupied with her own secret disappointments. Jo and Katy continue to war with each other, especially after Jo is diagnosed with lung cancer. Jo struggles to communicate her faith with her daughter and receives help from her housekeeper, Adele, who is a devout lady of faith. Jo and Katy work to find their redemption, both together and individually, even as flood waters threaten their home one Gulf Coast summer.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805427775
• ISBN13: 9780805427776
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: B&H Fiction
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.9" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Wonderfully complex characters!

An involving tale about the challenges of modern family relationships and the powers of redemption. Oliver has created complex characters that seem so real, at times you almost forget you're reading fiction. The mother, Josephine, is particularly memorable as she struggles through life's bittersweet moments, honestly and often painfully, sharing her secrets and disappointments. I found the ending both believable and satisfying. I'll be keeping an eye out for future books by this new author!

Compelling!

I was thoroughly engrossed in this book. The characters are very real, and their problems recognizable, though the characters themselves are not your ordinary people. Family relationships are always delicate, needing a lot of tlc. I wanted to shake some of them at times to make them see truth. They were so wrapped up in themselves that they missed many opportunities for happiness. There were lots of surprises in these lives. I would like to read a sequel to see how what progress was made after some eye opening events. I recommend this book heartily.