This
tender book about families will make you laugh and cry.
Parents
have their children for just 18 summers. How can parents make the
best of those summers, creating memories while influencing their
children to become godly adults? The authors have created a novel
that gives readers the opportunity to follow four families through a
summer.
Butch
is trying to figure out single parenthood after his wife was recently
killed in an automobile accident. He has Ava, a darling and
perceptive child. Butch is floundering, evidenced by dressing Ava in
her only clean top, a Christmas sweater, for the sweltering May high
school graduation of her cousin.
Beth
and Larry are facing their son going to college at the end of summer.
Their daughter is home for the summer from her college studies. She
drops a bombshell when she announces she's getting married at the end
of summer – to a pizza delivery guy. Struggling with all the
crashing dreams they had for their daughter, with their son leaving
soon, Beth and Larry wonder how they can make the best of this last
family summer.
Daphne
is pregnant. She's read every book, watched every video. She's
driving her husband, Tippy, crazy with all her fears. Organic food,
bumpers on all the sharp edges in their home. She even wonders if it
is too early to send for SAT help books.
Helen
and Charles have given their children everything money can buy. But
what their children really wanted was time and snuggling love. Helen
demanded perfection from their children and disdains the sloppy, fun
loving children in other families. Now their oldest, valedictorian,
full college scholarship, is leaving the home. Away so often on
business trips, Charles struggles with what he has missed with his
daughter.
The
four couples know each other, through work, church, marriage, or a
scrap book group. The authors cleverly interweave the families,
showing the different parenting styles and their results. In that
respect, this becomes a book showing attempts at family life. Some
have sweet results while others are not so positive.
The
authors have mixed humorous scenes with sobering ones. Ava needs
“homemade” cupcakes for school and when Butch asks Larry to help,
I laughed out loud. “This isn't rocket science. … Let's bake the
cake first, then we'll worry about shaping them.” And Ava is such a
darling. She steals the show when she goes with her dad to his
construction site and wins over his crew of hard working men.
This
is a delightful novel for every parent. We see lessons learned in
each of the families. Ultimately, each must rely on the Lord for
their parenting efforts. Some have the future with their child before
them while others must grieve time lost. I highly recommend this
novel.
Check
out the blog at http://just18summers.com/.
Rene
Gutteridge is the award-winning and best selling author of twenty-two
novels. Her indie film, Skid, is due to release this year. She
has collaborated or co-written other film projects.
Michelle
Cox is the food blogger for Fox News personality Todd Starnes and a
contributing writer for WHOAwomen magazine, and has been
published on FoxNews.com. She teaches at Christian writing and media
conferences. She and her husband have three sons and five
grandchildren with another on the way. You can find out more at
michellecoxinspirations.com or http://just18summers.com.
Tyndale
House, 375 pages.
I
received a complimentary copy of this book through The Book Club
Network for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
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