Review of Sophistries of Summer Days
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Heather Pascoa
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- Latest Review: Sophistries of Summer Days by Jenny Lofters
Review of Sophistries of Summer Days
[Following is a volunteer review of "Sophistries of Summer Days" by Jenny Lofters.]
The book Sophistries of Summer Days has a bit of a misleading title. One would think the story spans over a summer or speaks to the wonders of summer days. We also have the unusual word of sophistries in the title, leading the reader to wonder what deceptions will be found in the novel.
Jenny Lofters evokes a lush image of a tropical paradise in the British West Indies during the 1930's. Two unlikely friends find each other in the small village of Naggo Head, Cherrimina, a 14-year-old islander, and Dove, an American who has ran away from a troubled life. As Lofters describes the island scenery and the vivacious residents, we come to know and love Cherrimina, her Nanna, and her mother, Mary Mary. All of the residents are given various island names that fit with their personalities and back stories. We follow our main character as she and Dove share an experience that will leave them bonded for life. Cherriminia’s heartache and joy in a coming-of-age story shows the evolution from island girl to worldly woman with the help of her island community, and of course, Dove.
The story was very well written and keeps the reader interested in the next turn of events. The vivid descriptions and the interesting tales of the island residents make turning to the next page an island breeze. Along the way we are taken for a roller coaster ride of teenage angst and emotion, mixed with some very real adult issues and pain. When it seems that Cherriminia can take no more, her life is altered and we are wrecked all over again. Coupled with the historical aspect, the themes of love, death, gender, economic equality, and much more complete this complex and well rounded story.
While the author's attention to detail is generous, there are times when it feels overdone. Some paragraphs become a long-bloated monologue of characters thoughts or descriptions we have already read before. For some readers this could become monotonous and leave them losing interest. One other issue to take note of is our main character is of mixed parentage and she achieves some truly wonderful things for a girl of that time period and race. I was left wondering if this was truly believable given the realistic nature of other events in the story. The author even touches on race issues between two of our beloved island characters, so the idea was not completely out of her mind, leaving me to wonder where she wanted her fictional characters to fall in the scale of reality.
I rated this book 4 out of 4 because the story is wonderfully told and for the most part, beautifully written. I bookmarked several quotes from the story that rang so true to life and really enjoyed feeling immersed in a tropical island of the West Indies. The historical aspect of the story is enjoyable as well. There is one passage about an islander who shaved his mustache like Hitler's without knowing who or what Hitler stood for. The nuance of the history woven with Cherrimina's tale keeps the reader turning the page.
Those who enjoy historical fiction and coming of age stories will find this book engaging. It deals with very real, adult issues, and historical aspects of the 1930's island life. The deception, action, betrayal, and love of the characters will draw in those who love a good time period drama.
******
Sophistries of Summer Days
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The book Sophistries of Summer Days has a bit of a misleading title. One would think the story spans over a summer or speaks to the wonders of summer days. We also have the unusual word of sophistries in the title, leading the reader to wonder what deceptions will be found in the novel.
Jenny Lofters evokes a lush image of a tropical paradise in the British West Indies during the 1930's. Two unlikely friends find each other in the small village of Naggo Head, Cherrimina, a 14-year-old islander, and Dove, an American who has ran away from a troubled life. As Lofters describes the island scenery and the vivacious residents, we come to know and love Cherrimina, her Nanna, and her mother, Mary Mary. All of the residents are given various island names that fit with their personalities and back stories. We follow our main character as she and Dove share an experience that will leave them bonded for life. Cherriminia’s heartache and joy in a coming-of-age story shows the evolution from island girl to worldly woman with the help of her island community, and of course, Dove.
The story was very well written and keeps the reader interested in the next turn of events. The vivid descriptions and the interesting tales of the island residents make turning to the next page an island breeze. Along the way we are taken for a roller coaster ride of teenage angst and emotion, mixed with some very real adult issues and pain. When it seems that Cherriminia can take no more, her life is altered and we are wrecked all over again. Coupled with the historical aspect, the themes of love, death, gender, economic equality, and much more complete this complex and well rounded story.
While the author's attention to detail is generous, there are times when it feels overdone. Some paragraphs become a long-bloated monologue of characters thoughts or descriptions we have already read before. For some readers this could become monotonous and leave them losing interest. One other issue to take note of is our main character is of mixed parentage and she achieves some truly wonderful things for a girl of that time period and race. I was left wondering if this was truly believable given the realistic nature of other events in the story. The author even touches on race issues between two of our beloved island characters, so the idea was not completely out of her mind, leaving me to wonder where she wanted her fictional characters to fall in the scale of reality.
I rated this book 4 out of 4 because the story is wonderfully told and for the most part, beautifully written. I bookmarked several quotes from the story that rang so true to life and really enjoyed feeling immersed in a tropical island of the West Indies. The historical aspect of the story is enjoyable as well. There is one passage about an islander who shaved his mustache like Hitler's without knowing who or what Hitler stood for. The nuance of the history woven with Cherrimina's tale keeps the reader turning the page.
Those who enjoy historical fiction and coming of age stories will find this book engaging. It deals with very real, adult issues, and historical aspects of the 1930's island life. The deception, action, betrayal, and love of the characters will draw in those who love a good time period drama.
******
Sophistries of Summer Days
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Sophistries of Summer Days by Jenny Lofters
