Summer Sisters by
Judy Blume

Nominated by:

In the summer of 1977, Victoria Leonard's world changed forever - when Caitlin Somers chose her as a friend. Dazzling, reckless Caitlin welcomed Vix into the heart of her sprawling, eccentric family, opening doors to a world of unimaginable privilege,sweeping her away to vacations on Martha's Vineyard, a magical , wind-blown island where two friends became summer sisters .... Now, years later, Vix is working in New York City, Caitlin is getting married on the Vineyard, and the early magic of their long, and complicated friendship has faded. But Caitlin has begged Vix to come to her wedding, to be her maid of honour and Vix knows that she will go - for the friend whose casual betrayals she remembers all too well. Because Vix wants to understand what happened during that last shattering summer. And, after all these years, she needs to know why her best friend - her summer sister - still has the power to break her heart.
Judy Blume's twenty-two books, including the New York Times bestsellers Wifey and Smart Women, have sold over sixty-five million copies worldwide and have been translated into twenty languages. She spends summers on Martha's Vineyard with her family.

Here's what the members of the Reading Group based at our Raheny branch library think of Summer Sisters:

This book would fit into the category of a 'Coming of Age' book. It concerns the relationship of two girls growing up. The main character called Vix (short for Victoria) a girl from a poor working class family in New Mexico, is chosen by her friend Caitlin to share her long summer holidays with Caitlin and her rich family in Martha's Vineyard, hence Summer Sisters. At twelve the girls become sexually aware, later there are boyfriends and sex. Occasionally there are dark undertones. Caitlin's family practically adopt Vix, while Vix's own family breaks up. With the support of Caitlin's father and stepmother Vix goes to Harvard (where else), while Caitlin spends her adult years drifting around the world. It is a story of betrayal. Vix returns for Caitlin's wedding to her ex-lover. Caitlin abandons her husband and daughter, and her parents willingly bring up the child. For her thirtieth birthday Vix is invited by Caitlin to Italy - it seems to explain her actions. Vix is ever forgiving. Within days Caitlin disappears - presumed dead. I found this a tiresome book. With the material I felt Maeve Binchy could write a very fine novel. The author had an annoying habit of writing separate sections on some characters. This was to give the reader the character's background and his or her thoughts on what was happening. A good writer could incorporate that into the story. The most interesting character was Caitlin. You felt that Vix was so good she had to end up happy. Most of the other characters were very wooden. Caitlin's father Lamb, an ex-hippie and her new stepmother Abby were the perfect parents. Caitlin's mother Phoebe was an exotic creature. Her brother Sharkey seems almost plausible. There were other supporting characters, with little personality, including the other teenage boys in the house and boyfriends. At first I thought this book was aimed at the young adult market, but there was too much sex for that. The story was very predictable - even the girl's experiences, sexual and other seemed to happen on cue. Occasionally you felt that the author wanted to make some point about Vix's life being controlled by Caitlin's family, but it never really happened. I read this book to review it. Otherwise I felt I would not continue to read it.
(Member of Raheny Library Reading Group)