The Summer I Dared: A Novel

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On Big Sawyer island, life is as steady as the routine of the lobstermen who leave with the tide each morning and return with their haul each night. But for forty-year-old New Yorker Julia Bechtel, life and what's important in it are about to be forever altered when she survives a terrible boat accident en route to the island. Now, in the company of her aunt and daughter, Julia finds herself feeling strangely connected to the tragedy's other survivors -- Noah, a divorced lobsterman, and Kim, a young woman rendered mute since her rescue -- and newly outraged at the state of her marriage to a domineering man. Seeing the world with new eyes, Julia vows to embrace life with all of its joys and uncertainties. And the journey begins on Big Sawyer....From BooklistEver prolific and popular Delinsky has often considered the phenomena of near-death experiences granting second chances in life, but rather than rely on hackneyed notions of heroes rising Phoenix-like from the ashes to triumph over adversity, Delinsky grounds her characters in the here-and-now and presents them with dilemmas more familiar than fanciful. Such is the case in her latest work, a tale of three people quite literally thrown together following a boating accident off the Maine coast that spares them while taking the lives of nine others. At 40 Julia is an obedient wife, dutiful daughter, and devoted mother, and has planned a visit to her aunt Zoe to reflect on her obligation to herself versus her ties to her family. Rescued by fellow passenger Noah Prine, Julia feels connected to him by virtue of their shared tragedy while also being drawn to Kim Colella, the other survivor, whose whereabouts at the time of the crash provide a shadowy subplot. As a gentle romance blossoms between Julia and Noah, each evaluates who they were before the accident and who they hope to become in its aftermath. Once again, Delinsky excels at combining a compelling mystery with an insightful portrayal of captivating people facing challenges both ordinary and dramatic. Carol HaggasCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reservedReview"Delinsky may be as adept at chronicling contemporary life in New England as any writer this side of John Updike." -- Times Union (Albany, NY)