That Summer

A Novel

By: Jennifer Weiner

Narrated by: Sutton Foster

Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Summer and “undisputed boss of the beach read” (The New York Times) comes another timely and deliciously twisty novel of intrigue, secrets, and the transformative power of female friendship.

Daisy Shoemaker can’t sleep. With a thriving cooking business, full schedule of volunteer work, and a beautiful home in the Philadelphia suburbs, she should be content. But her teenage daughter can be a handful, her husband can be distant, her work can feel trivial, and she has lots of acquaintances, but no real friends. Still, Daisy knows she’s got it good. So why is she up all night?

While Daisy tries to identify the root of her dissatisfaction, she’s also receiving misdirected emails meant for a woman named Diana Starling, whose email address is just one punctuation mark away from her own. While Daisy’s driving carpools, Diana is chairing meetings. While Daisy’s making dinner, Diana’s making plans to reorganize corporations. Diana’s glamorous, sophisticated, single-lady life is miles away from Daisy’s simpler existence. When an apology leads to an invitation, the two women meet and become friends. But, as they get closer, we learn that their connection was not completely accidental. Who IS this other woman, and what does she want with Daisy?

From the manicured Main Line of Philadelphia to the wild landscape of the Outer Cape, written with Jennifer Weiner’s signature wit and sharp observations, That Summer is a “compelling, nuanced novel” (Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post) about surviving our pasts, confronting our futures, and the sustaining bonds of friendship.

©2021 Jennifer Weiner, Inc. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Great Summer Read

Enjoyed this read. Narration was great. Interesting plot twist that I didn’t expect. Refreshing and full circle story with a great ending.

The best novel I have read in months

I highly recommend this book. The possibility of friendship in the most difficult of situations is demonstrated beautifully. The author handles the issue of rape and the lifetime of trauma caused by it delicately and meaningfully. The disdainful, controlling way that men treat women is on display. I have recommended this book to my daughter and some of my best friends.

Another winner

i love everything Jennifer Weiner writes. She brings different points of view and her characters are complex and realistic. The story was a little slow in the middle with the background stories but overall enjoyable.

Such an important issue.

Thank you for bringing this important issue to the forefront. Also, love the Cape Cod setting.

Entertaining yet thought provoking

It started with entertainment, ended with questions that should make you think about the experiences the main characters went through.

Interesting story about #metoo is lied by Brett Kavanaugh story

Really enjoyed this story which reminded so much of the story of Brett Kavanaugh and what he had alleged done in high school told from many different points of view. What are we responsible for and how do we atone? Wish the husband character was portrayed a little more. Sympathetically but on the other hand perhaps a teenage rapist cannot be portrayed sympathetically. The story kept me interested but when I compare to Beartown which had similar storyline and theme, I think that the latter made you at least feel for that character. I just found the Hal character to be too unlikeable to believe that Daisy would have actually put up with him for as long as she did..

great read i.love the entire book well written

awsome read author was awsome the way she wrote the book will recommend this book for sure

Compelling story

Great details and developed characters. Not predictable and great narration. Looking forward to more books by author

Meh…

I have read over 20 books this summer and this one was probably the least interesting. I get the whole Me Too movement and that was not a problem. The crimes against women need to stop. however for a woman to feel like her entire life was a farce and a manipulation, seriously, please take some responsibility for yourself. I found that aspect of the book completely unrealistic.

I don’t usually write reviews, especially when I really love something. I will definitely give them all the five stars they deserve but they usually overwhelm me in such a wonderful way that I don’t need to write anything. This one left me feeling empty and like I wasted precious time. I’ve liked some of Weiners other books, so I’ll probably keep reading her but this was definitely not my favorite. She does better with a little bit of light comedy worked into the story.

Also, the narrator… I have heard her before. While she did an OK job, I cringed every time I knew she was going to say a word with the letter D in it like hadn’t, because she pronounced it like a letter T, hatn’t. I don’t know where she learned that but it really was irritating and I almost stopped reading the book because of it. Meh.

Good but need new protagonist story + mindsets

The story was compelling and engrossing but I am very very tired and bored of stories where women protagonists who start off naive and meek and controllable can only come into their power through painfully obvious life lessons the story is based on. This is such an old narrative that’s more offensive than empowering.