Thank you NetGalley and publishers for an egalley.
This was a beautiful story of family and dreams. Tragedy strikes and its up to the family to hold it together while keeping secrets. I really enjoyed Beanland's writing and how idyllic the setting was.

This was a fantastic look at how a family in a different time and a different place handles death and how it affects them each in starkly different ways.

This book is nothing like I thought it would be based on the title. The first part of the book starts in with a tragedy that the rest of the book works on working through. I found the writing to be beautifully done and I was really drawn into the characters and their issues. When I found out at the end that this was based on a true story, I was amazed at what this author has created. This was a book that I could not put down and I enjoyed every moment. I would love to read more from this author in the future. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Thanks for the review copy. I enjoyed reading about the three generations of the Adler family. I look forward to reading more books by Beanland.

Rating: 4/5

The secrets we keep to protect our loved ones; the depths of sacrifice we will go to, to ensure someone else’s
good fortune. In Florence Adler Swims Forever, it’s 1934 and summer in Atlantic City. Author Rachel Beanland’s
debut novel paints a vivid picture of life on the shore. The Adler family have rented out their home and made their annual trek to the beach for the summer.

Esther and Joseph have raised two daughters – Fannie and Florence – who are at different points in their lives but both have their eyes fixed on the future, to their goals.

Fannie is on bed rest in the local hospital, pregnant with her third child, after tragedy struck her second. Her daughter Gussie, staying with her grandparents and aunt. Florence is preparing to swim the English Channel toward the end of summer. She is out training one morning when the unthinkable happens – Florence has drowned. Not a spoiler, I promise. One would find this out reading the book jacket.

As one of my favorite podcast’s says – this book was a breath of fresh! The family secrets were intoxicating yet still light enough to not feel burdened while reading. You want to find out how everyone is going to react. The characters are well-written, and I just flew through this book. The ending left a bit to be desired for me, but I like all my ends tied up in a bow. I don’t think I was quite ready to be done with the Adler family!

3.5 stars.
This was a book that reminded me of my childhood, when people still whispered the word "cancer", and sometimes, the person suffering from the disease did not even know. Beanland takes a tragedy from her family's past and tries to come to terms with it. The writing is moving and compelling, despite the sometimes uncomfortable plot. As a mother, I can certainly appreciate the desire to protect a child in precarious health from experiencing a tragedy, no matter how inevitable. Beanland's gift here is in delivering the context. If the same thing were to happen today, it likely would have played out differently, but Beanland shows compassion to her family for their story, and we readers, then, are able to share in her empathy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While faced with a tragedy, three generations of the Adler family deal with the loss, love, family strength and relationships and courage to protect each other while dealing with it all. It's impossible not to fall in love with Gussie, the youngest family member who is simply a joy. Her perspective was a favorite for me.

This was a wonderfully written book.

Florence and Fanny have a tense relationship but they love each other. They are as different as sisters can be. Florence's only love is swimming. Fanny wants to have a husband and family. When the unthinkable happens, the family has to keep it a secret from Fanny who is in a fragile state.

The story has the family dealing with loss and grief while also trying to be excited for a new life. At the same time, the other story lines were really interesting and a great addition to the story.

I highly recommend this book.

I was not expecting to fall in love with this one, but I was immediately drawn to the stunning cover. Luckily for me, I fell head over heels for this book and its cast of wonderfully flawed characters (with the exception of Isaac - he deserves an award for being the absolute worst). Tragedy, family, loss, love, grief, friendship, summer breezes, and more - this one is so moving, so endearing, and, honestly - just sweet, with a touch of summer boardwalk nostalgia that strikes exactly the right note. Will be reading anything Rachel Beanland writes from here on out!

This family epic was tragic and twisty. When a family means well, and tells secrets with good intentions, it can really impact everyone in ways that no one expects. I really empathized with the characters of this story. They were well written and felt real, and I found myself thinking about them when I wasn't reading the book. If you're interested in loving the characters of a book, but spending a lot of time thinking about the validity of their choices, this book would be a lovely read for you.

The stated plot of Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland is that Florence dies, and her family decides to keep the death a secret to protect her sister. The actual plot of the book casts a broader net with the stories of each of the people in Florence's life. In some ways, there is a lot going on in this book. Yet, somehow, it works, and the characters and this family feel real. Even at the end, I want to turn the page and keep the story going.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2021/11/florence-adler-swims-forever.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

This is a delightful book that takes the reader on a remarkable family journey. I love stories that immerse the reader in a family with love and sadness and joy, all the feels, and this one does just that. It is a beautifully written family saga that draws you straight into the lives of Florence and her family at a difficult time.
Highly recommend!

#FlorenceAdlerSwimsForever #NetGalley #SimonandSchuster

This is a rough review for me to write because I think this book was written well, but I had a hard time being interested in it. It was an OK read overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC of Florence Adler Swims Forever. I enjoyed this novel which is based on a real person, although much of the family story is fictionalized. I appreciated the historical portions of this novel and focus on the events of the time: the rise of the Third Reich, the Great Depression, the birth of the Dionne quintuplets, concerns over intermarriage between religions. It is the summer of 1934 and Florence has her heart set on swimming the English Channel. Florence trains off Atlantic City NJ in the ocean. Her older sister, Fannie is in the hospital with a high-risk pregnancy. When Florence dies while on a training swim, her mother makes the decision not to tell Fannie until after the baby is born, as to not endanger the pregnancy. There is a secondary story discussing the plight of Jews trying to flee Europe, so the daughter of a former flame of Florence’s father is staying with the family for the summer, causing tension between Florence’s parents. Anna (immigrant) is worried about how to get her parents to the US. Anna and Florence’s swim coach, Stuart, start seeing each other. Finally, there is another story surrounding Fannie’s husband, Isaac, and his financial issues. Their daughter, Gussie, 9, is trying to understand all of the family dynamics. This story relates the lengths people will go to protect their loved ones. #FlorenceAdlerSwimsForever #NetGalley

3.9 - vibrant characters, a unique (and memorable) tale of family drama and secrets and love; appreciate that it's a local author

Florence Adler Swims Forever is such a human story, based on the author's own family history -
starting with a death and a bad decision. An excellent historical fiction novel, likable characters, and great tension building.

I usually don't go for books with multiple narrators since it tends to throw off the pacing, but the way this book unfolded made it work. The slow, drawn-out conflict wasn't anything the reader had to rush into. It was slow and inevitable.
A great book, highly recommended.

I absolutely loved this book and devoured it in a day! This book was well-written and the story was captivating and full of interesting characters. I felt like I had been transported to Atlantic City in the 1930's. I highly recommend and look forward to more from Mrs. Beanland!

Thank you, Simon & Schuster, for a digital ARC!

"What did anyone ever know about a relationship that could look as transparent as a Coke bottle one moment and as milky as sea glass the next?"

--------------------------

I picked this book up expecting a fun summer story about a strong woman in history doing something amazing, but boy was I shaken by the turn this book took. I don't want to give too many specifics without giving spoilers but essentially it's the story about the real lives of a Jewish family in the 1930's. This family love each other fiercely that they go to unimaginable lengths to protect one another. Joseph and Esther are the parents any one of us could want they are successful and kind and want the best for their daughters. Stuart was also a great character with morals beyond his age and background.

For much of the story I was really annoyed by Fannie and Isaac's selfish behavior. I was happy to see that their daughter Gussie had the great influence of her grandparents in her life. I appreciated that the author's note clarified the real story as that bumped it up a half a star for me, knowing that those were story devices to add tension rather than real actions of real people.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this novel. All opinions above are my own.

This novel is beautifully written and conveys so many emotions. This novel is told from several points of view and it was that technique that allowed me to really feel what each of these characters were thinking and what they were going through to cope with this tragedy. Absolutely beautiful!