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Ephemeral Summer
Librarian Note: Alternate Cover Edition for ASIN: B00K2HD2QA.
When Emalee's parents die in a tragic murder/suicide she is sent to live with her Aunt who spends her summers on an idyllic lake in Upstate New York. To cope with her loss, Emalee becomes emotionally detached from everyone around her. As she enters adulthood, Emalee struggles to maintain this façade while trying to navigate relationships with the men in her life: Peter, an artist and close friend who lacks the ambition to make his art known to anyone but himself; and Stuart – a quiet, intelligent philosopher with whom she falls in love one summer, only to get caught up in a bizarre love triangle with his cousin, Danielle.
Rising passions, shameful secrets and desperate acts drive Emalee away from her summer home and the mysterious Stuart. Years later, as a graduate student tracking moose in the Canadian wilderness, Emalee finds herself embroiled in yet another forbidden affair and must decide whether to take another chance on love.
Set among the pristine lakes of Upstate New York and the Canadian wilderness, the characters in Ephemeral Summer come to life in vivid landscapes impossible to forget.
When Emalee's parents die in a tragic murder/suicide she is sent to live with her Aunt who spends her summers on an idyllic lake in Upstate New York. To cope with her loss, Emalee becomes emotionally detached from everyone around her. As she enters adulthood, Emalee struggles to maintain this façade while trying to navigate relationships with the men in her life: Peter, an artist and close friend who lacks the ambition to make his art known to anyone but himself; and Stuart – a quiet, intelligent philosopher with whom she falls in love one summer, only to get caught up in a bizarre love triangle with his cousin, Danielle.
Rising passions, shameful secrets and desperate acts drive Emalee away from her summer home and the mysterious Stuart. Years later, as a graduate student tracking moose in the Canadian wilderness, Emalee finds herself embroiled in yet another forbidden affair and must decide whether to take another chance on love.
Set among the pristine lakes of Upstate New York and the Canadian wilderness, the characters in Ephemeral Summer come to life in vivid landscapes impossible to forget.
- GenresFiction
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2014
About the author
Sheila Myers
7 books137 followersI'm an award-winning author of historical and contemporary novels. I like to venture out into the wilderness, swim in lakes, hike in the woods and make the occasional trip to a cemetery to find inspiration. Human failures and passions are always good starting points for a plot and there is plenty of that to go around. I've been adapting my stories to screenplays, because why not? Website https://www.sheilamyers.com/
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 1, 2017
Relatable and real, reflecting the depth and complexity of the relationships that shape our lives: family, friends, and lovers.
November 3, 2015
Surviving a family crisis, finding oneself, and the splendor of Upstate New York are the themes and gems of Sheila Myers’ debut novel, Ephemeral Summer. Youth and its uncertainties, particularly love, are ably detailed as protagonist Emalee Rawlings discovers the lure and attraction of the opposite sex.
But Emalee has many interests other than boys, chief of which is science. She has a gift for observation and detailing what she sees. Her passion takes her far and wide, to Australia and the wilds of Canada, but always her heart is anchored on the shores of Lake Canandaigua. Over the years she holds herself in check against the suppressed grief of losing her parents, until another loss of one near to her brings it all to the surface.
Another powerful theme of Ephemeral Summer is land and one’s responsibility to it. Some of the best passages of the book are about the ongoing conflict between long-time landowners and those who want to develop it. And that friction is nicely underscored by Emalee’s own research into how the local freshwater has been polluted.
This reviewer hails from the Finger Lakes region, herself, and finds the compelling descriptions throughout almost painfully reminiscent. It’s a country like no other, and I was delighted to visit it again through the eyes of Sheila Myers and Ephemeral Summer.
But Emalee has many interests other than boys, chief of which is science. She has a gift for observation and detailing what she sees. Her passion takes her far and wide, to Australia and the wilds of Canada, but always her heart is anchored on the shores of Lake Canandaigua. Over the years she holds herself in check against the suppressed grief of losing her parents, until another loss of one near to her brings it all to the surface.
Another powerful theme of Ephemeral Summer is land and one’s responsibility to it. Some of the best passages of the book are about the ongoing conflict between long-time landowners and those who want to develop it. And that friction is nicely underscored by Emalee’s own research into how the local freshwater has been polluted.
This reviewer hails from the Finger Lakes region, herself, and finds the compelling descriptions throughout almost painfully reminiscent. It’s a country like no other, and I was delighted to visit it again through the eyes of Sheila Myers and Ephemeral Summer.
October 6, 2016
I won this book free from the Goodreads giveaway.
After Emalee loses her parents in a tragic murder/suicide at fifteen, she goes to live with her father's only sister, her aunt Audrey at her summer home on Canandaigua Lake. She has always been drawn to it and always looked forward to visiting at the end of the school year.
She hangs out with her friend Peter, an artist who never finishes one project before starting another, and Stuart, the philosopher, whom she has a crush on. Emalee also works as a waitress at the local restaurant with her outspoken friend Claire who is the bartender.
Since her parent's death, Emalee keeps her feelings hidden, never talking about them or what happened. But when the summer ends and she goes back to college she loses touch with her friends, wanting to distance herself from that place and the lake, but so much has changed and she finds herself missing them and the lake. However she does make new friends while she's studying on campus as well as developing a new love interest later on.
A really interesting coming of age story, I loved how descriptive the scenes were, as if one is actually there experiencing and appreciating the beautiful landscape as Emalee is. Emalee is such an empathetic character, I couldn't help but be sympathetic towards her and want to be her friend. Good story, I really enjoyed it!
After Emalee loses her parents in a tragic murder/suicide at fifteen, she goes to live with her father's only sister, her aunt Audrey at her summer home on Canandaigua Lake. She has always been drawn to it and always looked forward to visiting at the end of the school year.
She hangs out with her friend Peter, an artist who never finishes one project before starting another, and Stuart, the philosopher, whom she has a crush on. Emalee also works as a waitress at the local restaurant with her outspoken friend Claire who is the bartender.
Since her parent's death, Emalee keeps her feelings hidden, never talking about them or what happened. But when the summer ends and she goes back to college she loses touch with her friends, wanting to distance herself from that place and the lake, but so much has changed and she finds herself missing them and the lake. However she does make new friends while she's studying on campus as well as developing a new love interest later on.
A really interesting coming of age story, I loved how descriptive the scenes were, as if one is actually there experiencing and appreciating the beautiful landscape as Emalee is. Emalee is such an empathetic character, I couldn't help but be sympathetic towards her and want to be her friend. Good story, I really enjoyed it!
May 14, 2015
I think of Ephemeral Summer as a coming of age story.
Emalee Rawlings is a young adult with a heavy past. She’s lost her mother and father in a single day and a single instance—a murder/suicide. Despite this, she moves on with her life. It is fascinating to follow this young lady in her pursuit of a new life, on her own, and happiness. Independently and with the quiet despair of person who has faced great loss, she persists through difficult friendships, confusing relationships, and even more loss.
Each scene of this novel was written in a way that made me made me want to keep reading more.
I enjoy fiction that makes me think and this certainly did. I also enjoy fiction that allows me to learn right along with the story. Usually for me, that means learning history. This novel was different. Although I did learn some history and art history here, I was fascinated with the author’s intricate and well-informed descriptions about topics in ecology, limnology, and wildlife.
Finally, this book has my kind of ending. Truly, this is a wonderful read by Sheila Myers. Emalee will stay with me, and for me, that’s the test!
Emalee Rawlings is a young adult with a heavy past. She’s lost her mother and father in a single day and a single instance—a murder/suicide. Despite this, she moves on with her life. It is fascinating to follow this young lady in her pursuit of a new life, on her own, and happiness. Independently and with the quiet despair of person who has faced great loss, she persists through difficult friendships, confusing relationships, and even more loss.
Each scene of this novel was written in a way that made me made me want to keep reading more.
I enjoy fiction that makes me think and this certainly did. I also enjoy fiction that allows me to learn right along with the story. Usually for me, that means learning history. This novel was different. Although I did learn some history and art history here, I was fascinated with the author’s intricate and well-informed descriptions about topics in ecology, limnology, and wildlife.
Finally, this book has my kind of ending. Truly, this is a wonderful read by Sheila Myers. Emalee will stay with me, and for me, that’s the test!
February 24, 2015
Ephemeral Summer is an unexpected love story. The first "love" is with a place that the author captures perfectly. What I especially enjoyed was how that love evolved into the narrator's love for herself, as she is. I found the unselfconscious voice refreshing and mature. The author treats readers like we don't have to be hit over the head, and so we get to experience a sense of discovery that is lacking in a lot of novels that deal with love.
July 30, 2018
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
You can't help but root for things to work out for Emmalee after the death of her parents. The author truly captures the magic of summer in a place that is dear to one's heart - I have never been to the area in this book, but can relate where I spent my young adult summers to the emotions conveyed. The characters are full of life and their relationships are believable. A great summer read!
You can't help but root for things to work out for Emmalee after the death of her parents. The author truly captures the magic of summer in a place that is dear to one's heart - I have never been to the area in this book, but can relate where I spent my young adult summers to the emotions conveyed. The characters are full of life and their relationships are believable. A great summer read!
September 26, 2020
2.5
The writing was solid and the story was promising, but everything wrapped up too quickly and neatly. Characters were good but the author missed the opportunity to develop them to their full potential.
The writing was solid and the story was promising, but everything wrapped up too quickly and neatly. Characters were good but the author missed the opportunity to develop them to their full potential.
July 21, 2015
A wonderful coming of age story as a young woman works through love and tragedy at a very young age. Lovely descriptions of the lake and relatable characters who are trying to make decisions as they step out to make their way in the world. I enjoyed very much. A good read.
July 25, 2015
This book provides great
deal of information about the ecology of the Finger Lakes and Lake Erie. The story of a young woman's growth is well told.
deal of information about the ecology of the Finger Lakes and Lake Erie. The story of a young woman's growth is well told.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews