Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the ARC of this book! I was finishing a library book when I received it, so it took me longer than normal to finish it. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Florence Adler Swims Forever. In the beginning I was caught off guard that Florence dies so fast (it happens in the first few pages so I feel fine in sharing this in my review). There’s no anticipation or nerve that I had while reading it because it came and went in a couple pages. With that said, the further I got into the book, the more I wished I had gotten to know Florence better.

I liked Anna’s story the most. She’s a Jewish woman from Germany that is sponsored by the Adlers (Florence’s family), and is able to espace the awful parts of WWII she would have endured being in Germany.

Stuart was one of my favorite characters. I liked his attitude and his love for Florence and swimming - and other things ;).

Overall, this was a very heartwarming novel about love, loss and binding together as a family. I give it 4 stars.

Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland is quite honestly one of the best books I have read this year. It is absolutely stunning. This historical fiction novel is the first novel to be written by this author, and if this is any indication of her talent, there will be many more gems to come.

This is such a unique and fascinating plot that focusses on the Adler family during the summer of 1934 in Atlantic City. It is in 3 parts, each part covering a summer month, and each chapter alternating between the viewpoints of the main characters (which is ingenious by the way): Gussie, Esther, Joseph, Fannie, Issac, Stuart, and Anna.

The story starts out with a tragic loss of the Adler’s youngest of two daughters: Florence. The drama unfolds not just of reacting and coping with the sudden loss, but also with the idea to keep the news of the death away from Fannie whom has 2 months left of a difficult pregnancy, as the fear from Esther (the women’s mother) is that the news could jeopardize the safety of mom and baby (especially after their infant loss the year before). What ensues is nothing short of breathtaking.

The landscape descriptions, the literary translation of the depth of the loss, sadness, grieving, anger, frustration, helplessness and finally hope, acceptance, and love that the author was able to give the reader is nothing short of amazing. I felt as if I was actually part of the family. My heart rate increased when I was worried, fearful, and tears spilled alongside the family during this time of loss and also awakening. The development and change of each character throughout this summer is mesmerizing.

The plot is fantastic, the pace perfect, the characters were complex yet relatable, and the ending perfect.

It was also even more memorable to read the author note at the end and to know that this is actually based on her own family. She describes what is a reflection of true events and people, and what was added and changed for the story.

I even loved the author’s thanks to her friends and family at the end.

This is an amazing book, the top 3 that I have had the honor to read this year, and I implore everyone to please read this.

5/5 stars enthusiastically

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

This book pulled me in from the beginning, and I didn't want to stop reading until I reached the end.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I finished this book a couple days ago and have been debating over what to rate it. On one hand, it was well written and I found the individual stories to be interesting. I quite liked that three of the main characters were based on the author's ancestors. There really was a Florence who was a strong, talented swimmer yet surprisingly drowned at 19. Florence really did have an older sister who was pregnant with her third baby at the time of the drowning. Her sister really had lost her last baby and was therefore kept from knowing about her Florence's death until after giving birth in hopes of protecting this pregnancy. That's interesting. I liked Anna's story best of all, an immigrant student from Germany sponsored by the Adlers to escape to America during World War II. .
However, on the other hand, I found myself tired with the novel half way through and anxious for it to all wrap up. I liked the idea of the book, I liked the ending, I just didn't enjoy the journey in between. I think it is totally based on personal taste however, not on the author's merit or the story. Overall, I think I'll give this three stars.

A truly enjoyable story with unforgettable characters and a great weekend read. Based on a true story of the author’s family.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC for an honest review.
Florence Adler Swims Forever is a portrayal of how grief unsettles the delicate foundation of a family. At the core of the story is a mother’s misguided attempt to protect those she loves. Freshly reeling from the shocking death of her youngest daughter, the family matriarch, Esther, devises an elaborate deception to insulate her oldest daughter from perceived harm. She engages multiple people in her deception, and the result is a story with largely unlikable main characters and mildly irritating peripheral characters. Esther, in particular, is a nettlesome character who inspired weak sympathetic feelings despite her tragic situation.

This disconnect greatly impacted my enjoyment of the novel. Rachel Beanland produced a well-written narrative, but it was not a story that I felt compelled to finish. My feelings were tepid at best and I found it difficult to care about the characters. I also abhorred the deception at the heart of the story and could not appreciate how the family members allowed themselves to participate in it.