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Summergreen
A coming of age story, Anna Jeannette Carrow is a young LDS woman living in northern Utah. She wants nothing more than to be an Ashley Valley Singer. She grapples with choosing a suitor, competition within the choir, and loss. The historical context lends itself richly to the storyline.
Hardcover
First published April 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 13, 2010
I read this book for book club. We had an exchange and this is the book I was gifted. I had no idea what it was about. At the time, I couldn't find any descriptions whatsoever.
Anna Jeannette Carrow is young. She's 17 and living in Northern Utah (somewhere north of Ogden and in the foothills or mountains) in the late 1800s I would guess. She wants to be a member of the community choir--the Ashley Valley Singers. She's a talented singer and is accepted. However there are small town politics that must be played... Her reactions to this reality constitute a major part of the story.
The other main story arc is her love life. It's time to be thinking about marriage and there are two choices. Peter is her father's hired hand. He's nice, decent, hard working, is in love with her, and her father adores him. However, there's also Mark Staaton, the new choir director, who is giving mixed signals.
There is another love story and it's probably my favorite. It's the story of Anna and her family, but more specifically her brother Raymond. I really wish the author had fleshed this out a bit more. When I reflect on the book, it's the scenes with the two of them where I liked Anna the best, where she came off the most sympathetic. The rest of the time she was a typical, self-involved, whiny teenager.
I wasn't sure at first if I would enjoy this novel. It took a while to get into. Overall though it was enjoyable--a very sweet story with a great historical context which I could appreciate more because I am somewhat familiar with the geography of the area and the religious context.
Anna Jeannette Carrow is young. She's 17 and living in Northern Utah (somewhere north of Ogden and in the foothills or mountains) in the late 1800s I would guess. She wants to be a member of the community choir--the Ashley Valley Singers. She's a talented singer and is accepted. However there are small town politics that must be played... Her reactions to this reality constitute a major part of the story.
The other main story arc is her love life. It's time to be thinking about marriage and there are two choices. Peter is her father's hired hand. He's nice, decent, hard working, is in love with her, and her father adores him. However, there's also Mark Staaton, the new choir director, who is giving mixed signals.
There is another love story and it's probably my favorite. It's the story of Anna and her family, but more specifically her brother Raymond. I really wish the author had fleshed this out a bit more. When I reflect on the book, it's the scenes with the two of them where I liked Anna the best, where she came off the most sympathetic. The rest of the time she was a typical, self-involved, whiny teenager.
I wasn't sure at first if I would enjoy this novel. It took a while to get into. Overall though it was enjoyable--a very sweet story with a great historical context which I could appreciate more because I am somewhat familiar with the geography of the area and the religious context.
March 8, 2011
Thank you Sue. I read this book as a girl (I still am one, don't get confused) and I really loved it, and have thought of it often over the years, but couldn't remember the title or enough details to tell anyone about it until Sue mentioned it and brought it to my remembrance.
However, reading this book as an adult, I didn't love it in quite the same way, which I guess is no surprise. Probably because I am so cynical and jaded. But maybe also because it is such a highschooly love story.
I read some books about teenage girls who do stupid things (because they all do) and I think "AH! She is so stupid! Can't someone make her stop being so stupid?!?" But then I read other books about teenage girls who do stupid things and think "Oh, she is stupid. That is exactly the same way I would have acted. What a dummy." This book was like that. She was dumb, but she was only 17, and I was dumb then too. (I'm not anymore though. I don't care what you say.) However, I didn't find the romance believable. She falls crazy in love with some guy who she doesn't know and in the end, despite all his mixed signals and their total lack of knowing each other, he is actually in love with her too because she looked so beautiful that one night at the dance.
This book was actually a lot like reading one of my journals from highschool, though my journal is a lot less exciting, with worse grammar. I was that much in love, but the guy never gave me the time of day. Probably cuz I was so weird looking. Anyway, I forget my point, but I'm sure I had one. I guess I just don't think love works that way, but even so, I still enjoyed reading it very much.
However, reading this book as an adult, I didn't love it in quite the same way, which I guess is no surprise. Probably because I am so cynical and jaded. But maybe also because it is such a highschooly love story.
I read some books about teenage girls who do stupid things (because they all do) and I think "AH! She is so stupid! Can't someone make her stop being so stupid?!?" But then I read other books about teenage girls who do stupid things and think "Oh, she is stupid. That is exactly the same way I would have acted. What a dummy." This book was like that. She was dumb, but she was only 17, and I was dumb then too. (I'm not anymore though. I don't care what you say.) However, I didn't find the romance believable. She falls crazy in love with some guy who she doesn't know and in the end, despite all his mixed signals and their total lack of knowing each other, he is actually in love with her too because she looked so beautiful that one night at the dance.
This book was actually a lot like reading one of my journals from highschool, though my journal is a lot less exciting, with worse grammar. I was that much in love, but the guy never gave me the time of day. Probably cuz I was so weird looking. Anyway, I forget my point, but I'm sure I had one. I guess I just don't think love works that way, but even so, I still enjoyed reading it very much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2011
My parents are going through their bookshelves, clearing them out, so I was reunited with this book that I read a few times growing up. I still enjoyed it. It takes place in northern Utah over a hundred years ago when the valleys were still being settled. Life was very different for them than it is for me now, so that is interesting to read about. The main character is on the brink of adulthood, and she is very real. She sometimes is fantastic, and other times she makes mistakes, so she is relatable. The book is not amazingly polished, but I like the main character's growth and the basic story line, so I've read it multiple times, and I'm sure I'll read it multiple times more during my life. It is currently out of print.
September 27, 2008
I read this book very quickly, I'll admit that I didn't really want to put it down. I love love stories. I only gave it two stars because I didn't really like the main character which makes it difficult to enjoy the book. That and I wasn't really rooting for either of the men that loved her. I think she should have ended up an old maid! lol
May 18, 2015
I had read Summergreen as a teen and my young heart loved the love story. I just found it and reread it and although I loved the escape from reality I found myself rolling my eyes at the portrayal of love and courtship. Also, being LDS myself, I found myself cringing at the portrayal of Mormonsism and I would hate others to read it and find it to be representative of our Faith.
March 12, 2009
This book was an absolutely amazing and enthralling story. It has historical relevance, and is something that I would reccomend to just about anyone. The main character is a young woman of high standards, and she makes the reader evaluate his of her own standers. An excelent read.
January 16, 2012
I am reading this book and so far it is good. Not the best book I've read.
August 15, 2009
this is not in print anymore--but a MUST READ!!!!!1
February 19, 2017
I read this as a teen and enjoyed it. I don't remember a whole lot about it now. The main thing that has always stayed with me were the parts about her brother.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews