BOOKISH FRIDAY: “MYSTIC SUMMER”

Welcome to another Bookish Friday, in which I  share excerpts from books…and connect with other bloggers, who do the same.

Let’s begin the celebration by sharing Book Beginnings, hosted by Rose City Reader; and let’s showcase The Friday 56 with Freda’s Voice.

To join in, just grab a book and share the opening lines…along with any thoughts you wish to give us; then turn to page 56 and excerpt anything on the page.

Then give us the title of the book, so others can add it to their lists!

What better way to spend a Friday!

Today I am feeling like going to New England for the summer, so my choice is Mystic Summer, by Hannah McKinnon.

 

 

 

Beginning:  “Just how are you planning to fix this?”  Mrs. Perry’s hands are clasped on the desk, the hand adorned with the colossal diamond resting pertly atop the other.  Her fixed smile belies the parental rage I detect in her blue eyes, which, despite their lovely azure color, are boring holes through me across the student desk that buffers the narrow space between us.  “My son is an A student.  I will not allow you to fail him.”

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56%:  My feelings are still mixed.  The sense of initial freedom has been replaced with the fear that I won’t find anything.  Almost worse is my other fear that the one job I find will be something I don’t like at all.

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Synopsis:  Since finishing graduate school, Maggie Griffin has worked hard to build an enviable life in Boston. She’s an elementary school teacher in a tony Boston suburb, a devoted sister, and a loving aunt. With her childhood best friend’s wedding quickly approaching and her own relationship blossoming, this is the summer she has been waiting for.

But when Maggie’s career is suddenly in jeopardy, her life begins to unravel. Stricken, Maggie returns home to seaside Mystic, Connecticut, where she expects to find comfort in family and familiarity. Instead, she runs into Cameron Wilder, a young man from her past who has also returned home, and whose life has taken a turn that puts Maggie’s city struggles in harsh perspective. When tragedy strikes for Cameron, Maggie is faced with big decisions as she weighs what matters most and strives to stay true to the person she’s become.

Set against the gorgeous backdrop of a New England summer when past and present collide, Mystic Summer is a gorgeous novel about looking back, moving forward, and the beauty that blooms when fate intervenes.

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What do you think?  Wouldn’t you love a little beach getaway right about now?  I know that I would.

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