Susan Crandall is a master of tales of the south, dysfunctional families, heroic children, and satisfying endings. Her previous two books, Whistling Past the Graveyard and The Flying Circus, were some of my favorites, and her latest is a worthy member of her collection of Southern stories. This time around we are introduced to the James family, living in Mississippi in the 1960's: the father, a history professor who suffers from bi-polar disorder; the mother, completely uninterested in being a mother; Gran, who wants to believe in the old elegance of the south and her aristocratic family; Griff, the oldest boy trying hard to outrun his embarrassing family; the twins, Dharma who is desperate for attention, and Warner, who just wants to be loved; and Tallulah, the narrator, a smart, compassionate, courageous, independent young cuss of a girl. The story moves from California in the hippie era, back in time to Tallulah as she tries to repair the broken threads of her family, and forward to 1972 as the family tries to save one of its own. My one complaint is the ending is a bit saccharine, but then again, we all need hope, especially in the face of tragedy. This book will make you cringe, remind us of hard times past, and eventually warm your heart. Thanks to Net Galley for a free book in exchange for an honest review.

I was disappointed with this novel after reading Whistling Past the Graveyard. The James family has a history the south during the 1960’s. The James family parents are so focused on themselves that they leave their children to fend for themselves. I just could never like any of the characters, and did not care what happened to them. I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I didn’t know how much I needed to read this book until I read it to the end, tears streaming down my face. Due to my own personal history this book probably touches me more than it might others, but I doubt anyone will be able to get through it without crying at least once.

The Myth of Perpetual Summer is the story of Tallulah and her family, set in two periods: the early-mid 1960’s and the early 1970’s. They own a pretty rundown plantation on the outskirts of a small town in Mississippi, and are often the brunt of town gossip. Thanks (or no thanks) to her unconventional parents Tallulah has to grow up fast, and constantly feels responsible for her family. When a tragic event happens the rift that grows in the family seems both inevitable but heartbreaking all at the same time, and sets Tallulah off on a journey of isolation but also of revelation. I don’t want to say more because I think spoiling this beautiful novel would be an injustice to those who haven’t read it.

The Myth of Perpetual Summer is a story of coming of age amidst chaos, of tragedy, but also of mental illness and what people will do to preserve the reputation and honor of a family. I recognized a lot of the signs that Susan Crandall points to in her narrative and feel that The Myth of Perpetual Summer is a great portrayal of how important mental health awareness is. While the story takes place quite a few decades ago the narrative is very much relevant today still.

I personally loved this book. It’s beautifully written and the characters are all wonderfully flawed and human. I loved Tallulah so much, she reminds me a lot of myself. I will now be checking out more of Susan Crandall works!

The Myth of Perpetual Summer will be published by Gallery Books on June 19th. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

In a small Mississippi town in the 1960’s, Tallulah James’s parents stand out. Their passion for each over far outweighs their concern for their children, giving Tallulah the opportunity to run wild and for the neighbors to gossip about the family behind their backs. Tallulah gets by with help from her older brother and her conventional grandmother, but she dreams of escaping to the golden shores of California. When she finally does make her dream a reality, she finds that her dreams far exceeded the reality. She returns home to Mississippi when her brother needs her help, and uncovers things about her family that help explain why the James family is as dysfunctional as it is

A book with all the rift ingredients to please many. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2379193325

Susan Crandall's latest novel is a coming of age story set in the sixties, following the James family through small town gossip and dangerous accusations.  Tallulah James's parents have a passionate but unpredictable relationship that often takes precedence over their children.  Her father suffers from erratic behavior and whispers around town suggests he inherited this trait from his uncle George who disappeared years ago and has since been erased from the family.  Her mother's parenting could be construed as raising "free range" children but her obvious lack of apathy leaves Tallulah responsible for her younger siblings, twins Dharma and Walden.  The only stability in her life seems to come from her grandmother and older brother Griffin.

When Griffin is accused of a violent crime, the family begins to crumble under the weight of rumors and soon another tragedy breaks the tenuous bond that held them together.

Tallulah leaves behind the wake of tragedy in Lamoyne, Mississippi for sunny California and its myth of perpetual summer.  The emotional scars from her parent's dysfunctional relationship carries in to her own relationships in the years that she's gone but she manages to create a life for herself without any contact with her family who has no idea where she is.  

Several years after she left them behind, she's called home when younger brother Walden is accused of murder.
After arriving back in Lamoyne, Tallulah realizes the lives she imagined for the people she left behind didn't follow the courses she expected.  She relies on her brother Griffin's best friend Ross to fill in the parts of the story she's missed in an attempt to figure out what has gone wrong and to save Walden from a certain fate in a culture still reeling from the Manson cult.

The Myth of Perpetual Summer is the tale of a young woman carrying a burden of memories of her dysfunctional family and the mental illness that was never allowed to be discussed or confronted.  Major events of the time, including civil rights most notably, provide an undercurrent of emotion and affect Tallulah in several ways throughout the novel.

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.  The Myth of Perpetual Summer is scheduled for release on June 19, 2018.

Truly could not put this one down. A deep look into the lives of a troubled family with past secrets keep coming back to haunt them. Memorable characters and a setting so realistically described that I could feel the heat of the summer days. The perfect book for the beach, pool, or comfortable chair at home.

Somedays I just crave something different from my usual genre and it was in that vein that I picked up The Myth of Perpetual Summer. A departure from my usual romance fare, it’s a woman’s fiction that sends me into the south in the 60s and 70s. First off, the cover just invokes pictures of lazy summer days at Grandma’s house. It’s gorgeous. The next thing I noticed was the descriptive, almost lyrical quality of Susan Crandall’s words. It was easy for me to picture Pearl River Plantation, Hamilton House, and the surrounds. It was almost as if I could feel the oppressive, humid air.

The Myth of Perpetual Summer is a story of family, forgiveness, and self-discovery. It’s about learning what you can control and letting go of what you can’t. Tallulah is strong, compassionate, and troubled. Her childhood was ripe with misunderstandings, wrongdoings, and confusion. As she journeys home to deal with a family emergency, the truth begins to be revealed.

Yes, there is a hint of romance in the story but it’s definitely not the driving factor of the plot. The story is focused on Tallulah and her feelings about her family. There is plenty of drama and conflict but while intense it’s not the over-the-top drama you find in a romance novel. This is a book that makes you think. It made me wonder about what misconceptions I may be harboring about my own family. And it made me want to delve even deeper into my family roots. I just wish I had a longer epilogue. It ends with a happily for now but I was so rooting for Tallulah to have a happily ever after.

If you’re a chick lit fan or if you just need something different, I’d definitely pick this up. I’ll definitely be picking up more of Crandall’s books in the future.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader's copy of this book.

The Myth of Perpetual Summer is a coming of age story rife with trauma and tragedy while focusing on the bonds of family and how much it means to have a core group supporting you no matter what.

The novel has dual-narration, with one part focusing on Tallulah growing up, and then the other part focusing on present-day, when she's returning home. While I liked this style overall, I wish some of the characters that were introduced present-day could have waited to show up until they were introduced in the past, since Tallulah's history with them gave them so much more importance, which is completely missed when you don't really know who they are.

Tallulah is a compelling character and I enjoyed this story on the whole. While the plot itself seemed to meander at times, I found enough to keep me interested. Crandall kept a nice balance between showing traumatic moments and regular growing-up moments that everyone is sure to relate to. The moments that shone the most for me was when Tallulah had to stop relying on her brother and decided to take her life into her own hands; this meant that she had to learn what it was to have a job and pay her own way, and I liked those moments where she realized she had a lot of freedom, but also, a lot of responsibility for herself.

What was most interesting about Tallulah's return to her hometown is her having to deal with the guilt of her past mistakes, and wondering how life could have been different/better for her siblings if she had made different choices. I think any adult can relate to that sort of feeling of "what if," and wishing mistakes hadn't been made. Throughout the revelations of Tallulah's family secrets, this theme of guilt for past mistakes comes up a lot and brings the characters together in mutually understanding that feeling.  I could have done without a couple of the resolutions, since some of those felt forced and too "tie-this-up-with-a-pretty-bow," but that's just a personal preference.

Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable read. Lots of intrigue and drama mixed with sweet moments that shows how we learn from our mistakes and become the people we are.

I love stories like this. Historical, epic, tales of families and their pasts & presents. And of course, all families have secrets. Those secrets play a big role in this latest book from Susan Crandall.
Tallulah had a very unusual childhood. Growing up in a small town means being part of the gossip. And her family offered up much to gossip about. Her parents' erratic, volatile relationship meant that she and her siblings were left to their own devices much of the time. It fell upon her shoulders to raise her younger siblings during the many times her mom was off saving the world.
So when Tallulah escapes and goes off to build her own life, she has little intention of ever returning. But she can't stay away when her brother is accused of murder. And this family reunion of sorts will expose all kinds of secrets from her childhood.
Great story, wonderful characters, and beautifully written!

What a captivating novel! The Myth of Perpetual Summer takes us on Tallulah James’s emotional journey through her childhood. Tallulah is wise beyond her years and forced to grow up early due to the neglect of the people who should love her the most. With exception of her grandmother and her older brother, Tallulah didn’t have family she could count on, which in turn effected her decisions in life. We time hop between the past (1960’s) and present day (1970’s) to understand what exactly happened all those years ago and why some things were kept secret for so long—wow!

I connected with Susan Crandall’s writing style immediately. The storyline was well thought out and flowed amazingly. This book was so well written that it played out like a movie in my mind so therefore I have mentally already picked out the entire cast lol! Being that this is the first novel that I’ve read from Susan Crandall, I am excited to dive into her prior novels asap!

Good southern novel - seemed to be pretty accurate to time and place. Tied up fine at end with no surprises, not even much of a surprise to Gran’s “secret” ... but it was easy reading and held my attention. Thanks to NetGalley for supplying this early copy for me to read!

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for providing an ARC of this novel. I really enjoyed Susan Crandall's Whistling Past the Graveyard and was really looking forward to reading her latest work. Although overall I enjoyed this book, I found it a little uneven. The story is set in the south in the 70s with flashbacks to the 60s. In my opinion, the novel is at its best when Tallulah, the narrator, is a child. Unfortunately, I found the chapters where she is a young adult not near as compelling, and felt they often took bird-walks down paths that led no where. Overall, this is a worthwhile read (probably 3.5 stars would be more accurate), but it left me wanting more of some parts, and less of others.