Midsummer

by Carole Giangrande

Midsummer is a novella about a family whose fate in part revolves around the grandfather’s spiritual experience when he uncovers the remains of a seventeenth-century Dutch ship while digging a subway tunnel under the area where the twin towers later existed in New York.All her life Joy has been haunted by this man she’s never met — her visionary grandfather, the artist Lorenzo. Lorenzo’s children did well in life, and almost a century later, his granddaughter Joy, a gifted linguist, marries the Canadian descendant of the lost ship’s captain. Yet nonno’s story also led to the death of Joy’s cousin Leonora, her Aunt Elena’s only child. It was a tragedy that might have been prevented by Joy’s father, Eddie, a man who’s been bruised by life and who seldom speaks to his sister. Yet in the year 2000, he has no choice. Wealthy Aunt Elena and Uncle Carlo are coming from Rome to New York City to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. They’ve invited the family to dine at the sky-high tower restaurant above the tunnel where nonno Lorenzo saw his vision long ago. On the first day of summer, Elena and Eddie will face each other at last.

104 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2014

About the author

I'm the author of four novels - The Tender Birds (2019), All That is Solid Melts into Air (2017), winner of the 2018 Independent Publishers Gold Medal for Literary Fiction (both published by Inanna), A Forest Burning (2000) and An Ordinary Star (2004), both published by Cormorant Books, along with a short story collection, Missing Persons (1994). My novellas include A Gardener on the Moon (Quattro, 2010), winner of the Ken Klonsky Award; Midsummer (2014) and Here Comes The Dreamer (2015) both published by Inanna. I also write essays and poetry; my essay "Goshawk" won a Lyric Essay Award in July 2016 and was published in Eastern Iowa Review, and another essay, "Death of a Red-Tailed Hawk," appeared in EcoTheo Review (Oct. 2018) and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. My first chidren's book, Do I Have To Go To Sleep? has just been published by Penumbra Books. Born and raised in the New York City area, I now live in Toronto, where I enjoy books, birding, photography and improving my French conversation.

Reviews

[Lisa Nikolits · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exquisite tour de force of tremulous and sparkling beauty. Perfectly sculpted prose filled with poetic and heartbreaking insights into family, loss, first love and enduring bonds. With neither one word too many nor one too few, this novella is a gallery showcase of vivid imagery and quiet powerful emotion.

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Midsummer begins quietly in New York. At the heart of the story is a mystery, a tale of family reconciliation which unfolds backwards to reveal a tragic event at the source. Characters enter the story one by one, starting from the Italian and Dutch ancestors, to create a web which intensifies as the story progresses, until the secret is revealed in a very moving, heart-breaking account. There is a mysterious painting made by the Italian family patriarch. The remnants of an ancient Dutch ship underground which he chanced upon while digging the subway tunnels. There is a family reunion, an elegant dinner, three generations seated around the table in a restaurant situated at the top of one of the twin towers of New York, in the summer of 2000, talking about memories, as families do, in a setting that is itself a painful memory because it no longer exists. The layers of memory, geography and guilt all come together in this elegantly told mystical tale, so that it continues to resonate in your mind long after you have closed the book.

[Irene Guilford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Midsummer is like living inside a magic spell. It's akin to being dropped into the middle of a family dinner, and what a captivating family it is - the characters, their histories, their dilemmas. The tone is honest and kind, the writing beautiful. Worth more than one reading for what this little gem holds.

[Brenda Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carole Giangrande's novella Midsummer is a beautifully written story highlighting the intricate dance of family relations over generations. A luminous, at times mystical journey.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novellas are sort of in the limbo-land of literature. Too long for a short story, not long enough for a novel. I will admit that I haven't read many, mostly because I just haven't had the opportunity. The few that I have read have been part of a collection, so this is the first stand-alone novella I've read.

There are so many things to appreciate in this book. Giangrande's style is truly poetic. She gives this story an engaging other-worldly feel that borders on the magical. She is also able to really focus in on the story--which is surprisingly complex for so short a book--and every word is essential.

Another surprising aspect of this book is the depth Giangrande is able to give the characters. The most intriguing character, Leonora, is not even truly present in the book. I would love to have an Aunt Elena--a weaver of tales and family history. But, on the flip side, Eddie is as tangible as stone.

I read this book in one sitting (and in little over an hour) and thoroughly enjoyed it. If I had any complaints, it would be only that it took me a couple of chapters (really, only a couple of pages) to get my feel of the book. But, other than that, this was a delightful read.

I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review. I received no other compensation for this post.

[Julie N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing
I feel like maybe I have a bit of an unfair bias against novella as a format, probably because I see it as a tool that publishers use to eke a few more dollars out of their big name series books (cynical, party of one). This one, however, may just change my mind. First of all, it's not part of a franchise super popular series, and second of all, it's beautifully written. The setting is perfect, the characters are all sympathetic, and I was totally swept up in the story of family drama.

Entertainment Value
A perfect Sunday night read. I devoured it in one sitting easily given the short length, but it still packed a punch emotionally. Family dramas are a particular love of mine, and I really enjoyed getting to know this one. I wish there had been more Aunt Elena because I totally fell in love with her.

Overall
I think this is a good starting point for those like me who have avoided novella as a format. It's beautifully done and certainly has the literary aspect I was hoping for in terms of writing. It also has a great story that pulls the reader in completely. Definitely recommend it.

Thanks to TLC for providing me with a copy to review. Click here to see the other blogs on the tour and their reviews.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like stories about families, especially those involving several generations of a family. In Midsummer, each family member was memorable and believable. Each with their own hopes and dreams for themselves and their family members.

Carole Giangrande did a great job showing the complex emotions and relationships of her characters --- joy, hope, regret, love, guilt, happiness, jealousy, loyalty, family obligation, betrayal. The family members who have passed away are still impacting the lives of those living.

I received a copy of this novella in a giveaway. Thank-you Inanna Publications and 49th shelf. Great story, memorable characters.

[Hannah Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book. It is an elegant, beautiful object: the cover art is lovely— but inside, short chapter by short chapter, it amazes: terrible and wonderful and entirely believable coincidences, the kind that we all experience, but seldom with such consequences: an artist leaving the pick ax for the paintbrush, a lover who reveals himself to revel in the loss of innocence, a father who cannot face the loss of life, and yet—reconciliation. Set in Long Island and Manhattan, an unforgettable family gathering on the longest day of the year in the restaurant of the Twin Towers, only months before their destruction. I read the paperback version: 104 pages, but punches well above its weight. Beautiful precision in imagery, character and plot.