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Sweet Summer: Growing up with and without My Dad
The author of Brothers and Sisters recounts her relationship with her father, one that took place largely during the summer when they vacationed together, discussing how this shaped her as an adult and as a woman. Reprint.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
5 people are currently reading
407 people want to read
About the author
Bebe Moore Campbell
41 books312 followersBebe Moore Campbell (February 18, 1950 – November 27, 2006), was the author of three New York Times bestsellers, Brothers and Sisters, Singing in the Comeback Choir, and What You Owe Me, which was also a Los Angeles Times "Best Book of 2001". Her other works include the novel Your Blues Ain't Like Mine, which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and the winner of the NAACP Image Award for Literature; her memoir, Sweet Summer, Growing Up With and Without My Dad; and her first nonfiction book, Successful Women, Angry Men: Backlash in the Two-Career Marriage. Her essays, articles, and excerpts appear in many anthologies.
Campbell's interest in mental health was the catalyst for her first children's book, Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry, which was published in September 2003. This book won the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Outstanding Literature Award for 2003. The book tells the story of how a little girl copes with being reared by her mentally ill mother. Ms. Campbell was a member of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and a founding member of NAMI-Inglewood. Her book 72 Hour Hold also deals with mental illness. Her first play, "Even with the Madness", debuted in New York in June 2003. This work revisited the theme of mental illness and the family.
As a journalist, Campbell wrote articles for The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Essence, Ebony, Black Enterprise, as well as other publications. She was a regular commentator for Morning Edition a program on National Public Radio.
(from Wikipedia)
Campbell's interest in mental health was the catalyst for her first children's book, Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry, which was published in September 2003. This book won the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Outstanding Literature Award for 2003. The book tells the story of how a little girl copes with being reared by her mentally ill mother. Ms. Campbell was a member of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and a founding member of NAMI-Inglewood. Her book 72 Hour Hold also deals with mental illness. Her first play, "Even with the Madness", debuted in New York in June 2003. This work revisited the theme of mental illness and the family.
As a journalist, Campbell wrote articles for The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Essence, Ebony, Black Enterprise, as well as other publications. She was a regular commentator for Morning Edition a program on National Public Radio.
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 19, 2009
This is the third book I have read by this author and I find that I love her more each time I read her. This book was a memoir, a recollection of her life growing up between an urban setting run by her mother and grandmother-"the bosoms", and the summers spent in the rural community of North Carolina with her father's people. It is also a tribute- to her father and all the other important men in her life. The contrasts in her life were many. Going between a professional mother who had made a place for herself within the city social services dept., and her father, a paraplegic who lived by sheer determination. At first the book starts out almost lyrical but then quickly settles into going more of a chronological tale of what she remembers about her family, church, school, dancing, dating, music, civil rights, important historical events. She portrays everything with honesty about her feelings as well as a humorous tone. One of the sadder things that struck me was when she asked her father if she could go to the library for more books. Her father said that was complicated. Little did she realize growing up in Philly and having access to all kinds of cultural resources that in his North Carolina community it was a white only library. And how sad for a father to have to try to explain that. He never did but managed to bring home enough books to keep her occupied for the rest of the summer. Now that's a dad! There are also many funny parts, many centered around her 2 grandmothers, as well as school yard pranks. This definitely was a feel good book in that she tried to show any struggles she faced in a positive light and she shows her gratefulness for having had the kind of parents and mentoring that has helped her flourish. Warning-if you are not familiar with African American vernacular, you might want to keep urban dictionary handy. This is the second book that I have read by her that would make a good discussion/study of race relations during difficult historical times in America. I would recommend putting this on high schoolers reading lists.
September 24, 2015
I simply loved this book through and through; from the touch and feel of the cover, to the sights, sounds and feeling of what’s being depicted… starting with Bebe as a child sitting on the steps sucking her thumb anxiously waiting for her paraplegic father to drive up to the house, retrieving her to spend yet another summer with him in the South; to her grandmothers, her mother and aunts…who she refers to as the bosoms, to the many men, in addition to her dad, who guide her through life; along with the ironies, culture beliefs and occasional clashes and overall relatedness of her memories… there just simply is too, too much to comment on.
In general I really felt for her cousin Michael… got a good chuckle out of that ‘no bread’ (as in money) ‘no meat’ put in a sandwich, and was overjoyed by the overriding message of the narrative making the distinction how the QUALITY of time fathers spend with children affect their lives.
Highly recommended!
In general I really felt for her cousin Michael… got a good chuckle out of that ‘no bread’ (as in money) ‘no meat’ put in a sandwich, and was overjoyed by the overriding message of the narrative making the distinction how the QUALITY of time fathers spend with children affect their lives.
Highly recommended!
September 14, 2012
I read this book when I was in seventh grade and wanted to be a writer. She signed my copy and encouraged me. I remember being very excited about reading it because I knew her, so of course I found it quite interesting.
February 5, 2023
Favorite Quote: “I wanted something else from him. I was his grown daughter, but I wasn’t finished being his child.”~Bebe
This book opens with us knowing the authors father was a paraplegic from the moment they were ten months old and that sets us up for a honest ride about fatherhood and bonding. As Bebe and her older cousin Michael navigate life without a father or a summer father as some would say. You get a look at how little Blacks Kids are greatly affected by the lack of fathers consistently being involved in their lives. This book needs to be required reading for any Black Man that is considering having children, so they know how great their presence needs to be in their child’s life.
This book opens with us knowing the authors father was a paraplegic from the moment they were ten months old and that sets us up for a honest ride about fatherhood and bonding. As Bebe and her older cousin Michael navigate life without a father or a summer father as some would say. You get a look at how little Blacks Kids are greatly affected by the lack of fathers consistently being involved in their lives. This book needs to be required reading for any Black Man that is considering having children, so they know how great their presence needs to be in their child’s life.
September 23, 2008
This book is about how author Bebe Moore Campbell (who left this earth in 1996) grew up in a divided world—between her mother's house in Philadelphia and the "sweet summers" spent South with a disabled father. Sweet Summer is her acclaimed account of those years, a story of finding her father in a fractured family.
A wonderful book!!!
A wonderful book!!!
September 7, 2009
this was pretty good. a little uneven.
February 16, 2013
I love this book. Wise, and funny and moving. I will read everything that Bebe Moore Campbell has written.
Want to read
May 23, 2015I too spent my life in two different camps -- east and west. In Bebe's case, North, and South. Mother, and Father. I find it very moving.
Read
July 8, 2016loved this book. sorry to know she passed away 10 years ago.
August 29, 2022
Impressions of Campbell’s Writing Style
“I admire her writing style greatly! Her ability to recall and capture in words her childhood is amazing.”
Written in fictional narrative style.
“I appreciate the honesty about what occurred.” You don’t get a sense she sugarcoated the truth about what was said, about what she thought or what was done.
She opened the book with the sadness of losing her father and his funeral. Then she ended the book with a joyous occasion that left readers with a sense of hope.
She wrote as if from the point of view of herself at different ages and without including her adult impressions.
The Bosoms and the Old Men
We all noted that Campbell mentioned “bosom” one way or another throughout the book:
“The Bosoms decided to forgive me.” Referring to her mother, Nana and aunt Ruth, p. 88.
“She had a smell, deep in her bosom, like biscuits and flowers and I don’t know what else. p. 43
“I put my arms around Michael’s shoulders and tried to hug him but he was wailing so loudly and his whole body was shaking and jerking so hard I couldn’t really do anything for him. I was just there. A Bosom.” p.259
One Book Clubber noted that it seemed like in this book, Campbell elevated the experiences and influence of the men in her life: “I have grown strong and whole from the blessings of my many fathers. Everything they gave me – roughness, gruffness, awkward gentleness, the contrast to my female world, their love – is as much a part of me as my bones, my blood. I was given a rich and privileged childhood, an American childhood, a solid foundation on which to stand and yes, even go forward. I was guided by good men, powerful men. I was raised right.” P. 272.
Another Book Clubber offered that there was a sense that Campbell didn’t have the male influence in her day-to-day life so maybe that’s why she revered her father figures: The grass is always greener…
Memorable Moments
When Campbell was asked to read in church. You can tell from her writing how happy and proud she was of that moment: “Did birds fly? Was there rice in China? Did Eartha Kitt have hips? I could only nod. To have Reverend Lewis personally request me to do anything was an honor. If it brought me recognition and praise from my minister, I would recite a hundred poems.” P. 138
When her Nana (mother’s mother) would break into songs that fit the occasion: “Before I could answer she started singing some Dinah Washington song, real loud. Volume all the way up. With every word she sang I sank deeper and deeper into the gloom.” P. 84
Questions and Thoughts
There was a question posed to the group about Campbell’s experience with her teachers and in school: The values imbued by her mother (and the rest of The Bosom) helped Campbell to excel: “Pushing little colored girls forward was in their blood. They made it clear: a life of white picket fences and teas was for other girls to aspire to. I was to do something. And if I didn’t climb willingly up their ladder, they’d drag me to the top.” P. 76.
Q. What was the attraction that originally brought together Campbell’s mother and father?
Determination. They both seemed to be very focused, determined people. Maybe that was the initial attraction, but it obviously wasn’t enough to keep them together. Maybe it was George’s ambition that put Doris off? Maybe it was his love of the South, while Doris hated it. Campbell didn’t delve much into their relationship in the book. Rather she explored her relationship with each of her parents and shared details about other people’s family dynamics, like her cousin Michael.
Speaking of her cousin Michael, a question was asked about how could he have grown so differently from Bebe if they both grew up in the same household? We discussed that although he lived in the same household as Bebe, his family dynamic was very different from hers. He was a boy growing up in a household of women in the 60s. His mother and father cared (or didn’t care) for him differently than Bebe’s mother and father cared for her.
“I admire her writing style greatly! Her ability to recall and capture in words her childhood is amazing.”
Written in fictional narrative style.
“I appreciate the honesty about what occurred.” You don’t get a sense she sugarcoated the truth about what was said, about what she thought or what was done.
She opened the book with the sadness of losing her father and his funeral. Then she ended the book with a joyous occasion that left readers with a sense of hope.
She wrote as if from the point of view of herself at different ages and without including her adult impressions.
The Bosoms and the Old Men
We all noted that Campbell mentioned “bosom” one way or another throughout the book:
“The Bosoms decided to forgive me.” Referring to her mother, Nana and aunt Ruth, p. 88.
“She had a smell, deep in her bosom, like biscuits and flowers and I don’t know what else. p. 43
“I put my arms around Michael’s shoulders and tried to hug him but he was wailing so loudly and his whole body was shaking and jerking so hard I couldn’t really do anything for him. I was just there. A Bosom.” p.259
One Book Clubber noted that it seemed like in this book, Campbell elevated the experiences and influence of the men in her life: “I have grown strong and whole from the blessings of my many fathers. Everything they gave me – roughness, gruffness, awkward gentleness, the contrast to my female world, their love – is as much a part of me as my bones, my blood. I was given a rich and privileged childhood, an American childhood, a solid foundation on which to stand and yes, even go forward. I was guided by good men, powerful men. I was raised right.” P. 272.
Another Book Clubber offered that there was a sense that Campbell didn’t have the male influence in her day-to-day life so maybe that’s why she revered her father figures: The grass is always greener…
Memorable Moments
When Campbell was asked to read in church. You can tell from her writing how happy and proud she was of that moment: “Did birds fly? Was there rice in China? Did Eartha Kitt have hips? I could only nod. To have Reverend Lewis personally request me to do anything was an honor. If it brought me recognition and praise from my minister, I would recite a hundred poems.” P. 138
When her Nana (mother’s mother) would break into songs that fit the occasion: “Before I could answer she started singing some Dinah Washington song, real loud. Volume all the way up. With every word she sang I sank deeper and deeper into the gloom.” P. 84
Questions and Thoughts
There was a question posed to the group about Campbell’s experience with her teachers and in school: The values imbued by her mother (and the rest of The Bosom) helped Campbell to excel: “Pushing little colored girls forward was in their blood. They made it clear: a life of white picket fences and teas was for other girls to aspire to. I was to do something. And if I didn’t climb willingly up their ladder, they’d drag me to the top.” P. 76.
Q. What was the attraction that originally brought together Campbell’s mother and father?
Determination. They both seemed to be very focused, determined people. Maybe that was the initial attraction, but it obviously wasn’t enough to keep them together. Maybe it was George’s ambition that put Doris off? Maybe it was his love of the South, while Doris hated it. Campbell didn’t delve much into their relationship in the book. Rather she explored her relationship with each of her parents and shared details about other people’s family dynamics, like her cousin Michael.
Speaking of her cousin Michael, a question was asked about how could he have grown so differently from Bebe if they both grew up in the same household? We discussed that although he lived in the same household as Bebe, his family dynamic was very different from hers. He was a boy growing up in a household of women in the 60s. His mother and father cared (or didn’t care) for him differently than Bebe’s mother and father cared for her.
December 14, 2017
Told from the perspective of a young African-American girl as she grows to a young woman, "Sweet Summer" is a heart touching account of the universal progression of a child's understanding of her parents. From idealization to knowledge to anger to understanding, the young girl learns to see her parents as human, loving yet imperfect. Campbell's memoir is a beautiful depiction of what can be a painful process. For the non-African-American reader the book is an open window into the culture of the 1960's when the south and the north were dual homes for so many. Learning to live and thrive in such different environments was a necessity as well as a talent. In addition to the adult reader, I can also recommend the book for young white women needing to learn about themselves and others.
February 2, 2021
This is a coming of age book about the Bebe Moore Campbell's childhood and the family that help shape her life. Little girls love their daddys and as a child her father could do no wrong until she realizes that he is a flawed man. We all have that realization in our own lives at some point to realize our parents are flawed human beings. I really enjoyed this book and its simplicity. The saying goes...It takes a village to raise a child...she had that.❤
April 18, 2020
Read years and years ago, no distinct recollection
June 5, 2021
4 stars. Beautiful, poignant, honest writing. Themes of race and gender still very much relevant.
January 29, 2024
Y empezó a soñar “Daddy Issues” de fondo 💔
April 2, 2015
I loved this book; it was about the summers the BeBe Moore Campbell spent with her dad in North Carolina. We must admit that the Carolina's a beautiful in just about any season, but they were extra special to BeBe. Even though her dad was handicap and confined to a wheel chair she valued the time she and her dad spent together. She also valued her cousins and the rest of the family. Four stars for this book, I enjoyed it so much I am going to read it again.
May 26, 2022
First read this book back in 2017 and gave 4 rating. After re-reading this, I found that I did not enjoy this book the second time around. Changed rating to a 2.5. The other talks about spending summers with her father and the rest of the year with her mother and grandmother; however, would have liked the author to go more in-depth on the emotions Bebe felt.
June 10, 2008
Poignant. I love stories that are about father - daughter relationships.
October 29, 2014
Such a beautiful read! I was enchanted by this wonderful book.
Read
April 21, 2010My first exposure to this amazing author. All of her books including this one are wonderful reading.
March 19, 2013
Story of Philly African American girl who visited her father summers in S.C. and her reactions. Fairly well done.
Read
October 10, 2014973.0496 C1873 1989
September 29, 2009
Awesome...esp the parts about Philly in the 50's and 60's.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews