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Summer of Love
Mary Frances Fitzpatrick was perfectly content to keep things the way they'd always been. She'd grabbed onto the tiniest shred of the American Dream, and wasn't about to let go. The crumbs the establishment threw her way seemed like they might, one day, be able to sustain her. All she had to do was work twice as hard as a man and keep her opinions to herself.
Courtney Ashcroft on the other hand, came from a long line of socially and economically entitled people, yet she wanted to upset the apple cart in the worst way. No matter the group, if they'd been shut out, Courtney was on their side. Social justice, women's rights, and pacifism were her main causes, but she quickly adds gay rights to her list when she and Mary Frances meet.
Despite their political and social views, the women strike up a friendship. Courtney's sympathetic, encouraging, and genuinely concerned with Mary Frances's plight. She's so interested in gay rights, it almost seems personal. But that has to be wishful thinking on Mary Frances's part. Or does it?
In Chicago, during that steamy, unpredictable summer, improbable dreams can, and do come true.
Courtney Ashcroft on the other hand, came from a long line of socially and economically entitled people, yet she wanted to upset the apple cart in the worst way. No matter the group, if they'd been shut out, Courtney was on their side. Social justice, women's rights, and pacifism were her main causes, but she quickly adds gay rights to her list when she and Mary Frances meet.
Despite their political and social views, the women strike up a friendship. Courtney's sympathetic, encouraging, and genuinely concerned with Mary Frances's plight. She's so interested in gay rights, it almost seems personal. But that has to be wishful thinking on Mary Frances's part. Or does it?
In Chicago, during that steamy, unpredictable summer, improbable dreams can, and do come true.
384 pages, Paperback
Published March 29, 2016
28 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Susan X. Meagher
59 books372 followersSusan X Meagher was born in southern Illinois and grew up in East St Louis. She attended college in Chicago and started her working career there. She and her partner moved to the Los Angeles area in the late 80's. It was there that she started to write. Her first few books were simply posted on the web and became the I Found My Heart in San Francisco series. In 2002 she moved to New York and divides her time between Manhattan and the Jersey Shore. She has published thirteen books in the series and has gone on to write many individual books as well. She has partnered with other authors on two short story books and has written many stories that have been published in other mainstream anthologies. Susan is active in the lesbian author community and loves to attend Women's week at Provincetown and the GCLS annual conventions. Her stories revolve around the relationships that two women can build when given a chance and how those relationships can strengthen the individual and the partnership. Her genre is lesbian romance/fiction and she believes strongly in the happy ending that we all so deserve. Susan X Meagher was awarded a 2011 Lesbian Fiction Readers’ Choice Award for Favorite Lesbian Fiction Writer. She is the recipient of the 2014 Alice B. Medal for her body of work.
From the author's website: I live in New York with my spouse, Carrie. We've lived in Chicago and Los Angeles for significant periods, but New York fits us very well. I love to discuss my work and fiction in general. My goal in writing is to explore feelings. I want to entertain, but I also want to make people think. I've heard that life is all about finding out who we are. To me, life if about finding out who other people are. I'm interested in the small details of life, that's how a story about two young women in college is slowly becoming a 26 book series. The joke in Seinfield was that it was about nothing. I feel the same about most of my books. They are about the many things that happen when nothing is happening. The small joys and sorrows of everyday life can be fascinating, especially if you care about the people involved. I try to create characters that will make a reader care deeply. I'm always interested in hearing how close I am to that goal. So please drop me a line whenever you have a comment or a question about a story. Writing is a pretty solitary pursuit and it's great to know that I'm not alone.
From the author's website: I live in New York with my spouse, Carrie. We've lived in Chicago and Los Angeles for significant periods, but New York fits us very well. I love to discuss my work and fiction in general. My goal in writing is to explore feelings. I want to entertain, but I also want to make people think. I've heard that life is all about finding out who we are. To me, life if about finding out who other people are. I'm interested in the small details of life, that's how a story about two young women in college is slowly becoming a 26 book series. The joke in Seinfield was that it was about nothing. I feel the same about most of my books. They are about the many things that happen when nothing is happening. The small joys and sorrows of everyday life can be fascinating, especially if you care about the people involved. I try to create characters that will make a reader care deeply. I'm always interested in hearing how close I am to that goal. So please drop me a line whenever you have a comment or a question about a story. Writing is a pretty solitary pursuit and it's great to know that I'm not alone.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 29, 2016
From our vantage point in 2016, it may seem that many of the most significant changes for lesbians in North America have occurred in recent years, with marriage equality and greater acceptance and visibility. However, the late 1960s and early 1970s were also a period of major change for the lesbian community, and in many respects these changes were tied with to the broader social protests of the era, including the women’s movement and actions against the Vietnam war.
Set in 1967 in Chicago, Summer of Love takes the reader into that era of dynamic change, and gives it a very personal perspective. The protagonist, Mary Frances Fitzpatrick, is 21 years old when she learns that the way she feels about women is not unique to her and comes to the realization that she is lesbian. Her initial foray into the lesbian community is via a lesbian bar. In that setting, we see many aspects of the stark situation of being gay during that time period - the bar’s owners must pay off the police, and all the women who patronize the bar face its frequent police raids, and the ever-present possibility of being hauled off to the police station, or even being formally arrested.
The social life of the women in the bar is enlightening to Mary Frances, who gains the nickname Fritz. But while the older women in the bar ardently adhere to the accepted butch-femme dichotomy, and Fritz’s mentor advises her to do the same, we see that as a result of generational change, a new dynamic is emerging in the lesbian community moving beyond these strictly socially enforced roles. I found the characters’ discussions and experiences regarding these traditional butch-femme roles provided a good background with regard to how these dynamics existed in the past. The book also introduces us to the lesbian slang of the era.
Summer of Love is at once a romance, a character study of a woman at significant period in her life - a time of self-realization - as well as an examination of the dynamics of being a woman and a lesbian in 1967.
The story is told entirely from Fritz’s point of view and we see her enchantment when she meets Courtney, a woman who is unlike her in so many ways, but understands her in so many others. Courtney is from a comparatively wealthy background, attends university and is active in every sort of protest movement. While the two women have an emotional and physical attraction to each other, they have nearly opposing political views, which mostly arise as a result of their different socio-economic and family backgrounds. We see class differences in the sense that those who have family wealth, such as Courtney, who feel they can afford to speak their mind or protest on political and social issues, and those who must toe the line in order to keep a job and remain economically secure, such as Fritz.
It’s hard to say whether a book set in the relatively recent past should be classified as historical fiction. However, I think that given that the temporal setting is itself a significant aspect of Summer of Love, it could be classified as such.
There are so many aspects in which Summer of Love brings the reader into the socio-political context of the era, but in ways that are integral to character development and to the story. From Fritz’s experiences of working in a bank we see the type of sexism in the workplace that existed at the time, not just the pay gaps and the “old boys club” mentality, but also the difficulties women had advancing their careers in an era where there were arbitrary, unwritten rules such as the fact that there could only be one female officer in each of the bank’s groups (divisions). It was also interesting to see the early introduction of computers in the banking sector and how this affected women’s roles.
Summer of Love addresses all aspects of lesbian life in the era - private life, romantic (or purely sexual) relationships between women, social relationships within the lesbian community including the aforementioned butch-femme roles, relationships with parents and other family members, and the need to be firmly closeted in the workplace.
Courtney is active in protests against the Vietnam war, and although we don’t see Courtney’s experiences of these protests from her point of view, we see them through Fritz’s eyes. In many ways, given her working-class background, Fritz is more conservative than Courtney when it comes to issues such as the protests against the war. Fritz’s perspective is quite skeptical of both the anti-war protests in general, but she still often fears for Courtney’s safety.
Although the events and characters in Summer of Love are not directly connected to the “summer of love” in San Francisco in 1967, the title is apt in the sense that it truly is a summer of love - first love - for Fritz and Courtney. The book also ties to the “summer of love” in San Francisco with its inclusion of Courtney’s role in various protest movements in Chicago.
Summer of Love is a compelling and enjoyable read, as well as a book that has significant value for those who wish to understand lesbian life in a previous era. It provides an important link to our community’s past - the struggles and discrimination, but also the moments of realization and hope.
Set in 1967 in Chicago, Summer of Love takes the reader into that era of dynamic change, and gives it a very personal perspective. The protagonist, Mary Frances Fitzpatrick, is 21 years old when she learns that the way she feels about women is not unique to her and comes to the realization that she is lesbian. Her initial foray into the lesbian community is via a lesbian bar. In that setting, we see many aspects of the stark situation of being gay during that time period - the bar’s owners must pay off the police, and all the women who patronize the bar face its frequent police raids, and the ever-present possibility of being hauled off to the police station, or even being formally arrested.
The social life of the women in the bar is enlightening to Mary Frances, who gains the nickname Fritz. But while the older women in the bar ardently adhere to the accepted butch-femme dichotomy, and Fritz’s mentor advises her to do the same, we see that as a result of generational change, a new dynamic is emerging in the lesbian community moving beyond these strictly socially enforced roles. I found the characters’ discussions and experiences regarding these traditional butch-femme roles provided a good background with regard to how these dynamics existed in the past. The book also introduces us to the lesbian slang of the era.
Summer of Love is at once a romance, a character study of a woman at significant period in her life - a time of self-realization - as well as an examination of the dynamics of being a woman and a lesbian in 1967.
The story is told entirely from Fritz’s point of view and we see her enchantment when she meets Courtney, a woman who is unlike her in so many ways, but understands her in so many others. Courtney is from a comparatively wealthy background, attends university and is active in every sort of protest movement. While the two women have an emotional and physical attraction to each other, they have nearly opposing political views, which mostly arise as a result of their different socio-economic and family backgrounds. We see class differences in the sense that those who have family wealth, such as Courtney, who feel they can afford to speak their mind or protest on political and social issues, and those who must toe the line in order to keep a job and remain economically secure, such as Fritz.
It’s hard to say whether a book set in the relatively recent past should be classified as historical fiction. However, I think that given that the temporal setting is itself a significant aspect of Summer of Love, it could be classified as such.
There are so many aspects in which Summer of Love brings the reader into the socio-political context of the era, but in ways that are integral to character development and to the story. From Fritz’s experiences of working in a bank we see the type of sexism in the workplace that existed at the time, not just the pay gaps and the “old boys club” mentality, but also the difficulties women had advancing their careers in an era where there were arbitrary, unwritten rules such as the fact that there could only be one female officer in each of the bank’s groups (divisions). It was also interesting to see the early introduction of computers in the banking sector and how this affected women’s roles.
Summer of Love addresses all aspects of lesbian life in the era - private life, romantic (or purely sexual) relationships between women, social relationships within the lesbian community including the aforementioned butch-femme roles, relationships with parents and other family members, and the need to be firmly closeted in the workplace.
Courtney is active in protests against the Vietnam war, and although we don’t see Courtney’s experiences of these protests from her point of view, we see them through Fritz’s eyes. In many ways, given her working-class background, Fritz is more conservative than Courtney when it comes to issues such as the protests against the war. Fritz’s perspective is quite skeptical of both the anti-war protests in general, but she still often fears for Courtney’s safety.
Although the events and characters in Summer of Love are not directly connected to the “summer of love” in San Francisco in 1967, the title is apt in the sense that it truly is a summer of love - first love - for Fritz and Courtney. The book also ties to the “summer of love” in San Francisco with its inclusion of Courtney’s role in various protest movements in Chicago.
Summer of Love is a compelling and enjoyable read, as well as a book that has significant value for those who wish to understand lesbian life in a previous era. It provides an important link to our community’s past - the struggles and discrimination, but also the moments of realization and hope.
March 22, 2017
This book is a little bit more than just a lesbian romance. It's a history class. And very well written as always by Susan X Meagher.
August 1, 2024
Gives one a real taste of what life was like in the 1960s. Does a great job of explaining/handling some of the cultural and social dynamics of the day as well. Some inspiring family dynamics. Good read!
May 22, 2022
4 stars. This is a coming of age story that takes place in Chicago, 1967. There were quite a few heavy moments in this as it tackles some difficult subjects but it was never too heavy of a read. The characters nor the story wallows long in the heaviness which I liked.
I love Meagher’s writing style. It so easy to get into and her books are addicting and I find myself breezing through them. I thought the characters felt fleshed out and so real. It’s all in Mary Frances, aka ‘Fritz’ point of view and I found her to be very charming and likable though she definitely had her moments where she drove me crazy. She stumbles across a lesbian club and meets a very interesting cast of characters. She meets Courtney and they strike up a romance. I loved the romance between them. It was the best part of this book for me easily. It is absolutely romantic and beautiful. I loved the way communicated and worked through issues. They had such amazing chemistry. And I thought both of them went through some really wonderful character development.
This was such an engaging and romantic read full of feels and I loved it.
I love Meagher’s writing style. It so easy to get into and her books are addicting and I find myself breezing through them. I thought the characters felt fleshed out and so real. It’s all in Mary Frances, aka ‘Fritz’ point of view and I found her to be very charming and likable though she definitely had her moments where she drove me crazy. She stumbles across a lesbian club and meets a very interesting cast of characters. She meets Courtney and they strike up a romance. I loved the romance between them. It was the best part of this book for me easily. It is absolutely romantic and beautiful. I loved the way communicated and worked through issues. They had such amazing chemistry. And I thought both of them went through some really wonderful character development.
This was such an engaging and romantic read full of feels and I loved it.
September 1, 2019
Great story with a history lesson.
December 1, 2019
Finding love when love was forbidden
“Even when it was hard, nothing was more important than believing, and acting, like they had nothing to be ashamed of. Their love deserved sunlight and moonlight and stars and fresh air to keep growing.”
+ • + • + • +
Definitely not the story I was expecting after reading the description… but like, wow, was this a really, really, really good book!!
It was so beyond coming-of-age book, much more a coming-into-self story, created & crafted marvelously!
This story is everything we imagine when we dream about finding our forever love: attraction, connection, emotion, passion, satisfaction… perfection!!
“Even when it was hard, nothing was more important than believing, and acting, like they had nothing to be ashamed of. Their love deserved sunlight and moonlight and stars and fresh air to keep growing.”
+ • + • + • +
Definitely not the story I was expecting after reading the description… but like, wow, was this a really, really, really good book!!
It was so beyond coming-of-age book, much more a coming-into-self story, created & crafted marvelously!
This story is everything we imagine when we dream about finding our forever love: attraction, connection, emotion, passion, satisfaction… perfection!!
April 4, 2016
Very enjoyable romance that deals with all sorts of social and cultural issues. I liked it a lot.
March 14, 2016
Loved this book.
I really enjoyed this book. It is so hard to read about the persecution of gay women and men. You really don't want to think about what two women that wanted to be close had to go through. It makes you thankful to live in better times. We owe a lot to the women that persevered.
I really enjoyed this book. It is so hard to read about the persecution of gay women and men. You really don't want to think about what two women that wanted to be close had to go through. It makes you thankful to live in better times. We owe a lot to the women that persevered.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews