Summer Doesn't Last Forever

by Magdalene G. Jones

Goodbye has been the echo of Tarni Bird's life since she and her family moved to Africa. And she's had enough of it, enough of being abandoned, forgotten, left behind. Her heart has broken one too many times, and she cannot overcome the pain of past goodbyes, let alone prepare herself for more.

Going to a summer camp for Third Culture Kids is the last thing she wants.

Unfortunately for her, she has no choice. So she boards an airplane for Greece, scared and overwhelmed. And upon arrival, she finds herself surrounded by girls and boys who have embraced a life in Africa, traveled across the globe, and tasted the ache of endless goodbyes just like her.

But summer doesn't last forever. And she will leave the Mediterranean with more goodbyes tearing her heart, again.

Travel with Tarni Bird to a land of windflowers, sea, and blue domes. Live the best parts of summer, friendship, and healing. Listen as Tarni tells her story, and maybe, you will find the power to speak yours.

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 25, 2020

About the author

Magdalene G. Jones is the teen author of The Scarlet Archer and the Miss-Trilogy. She is the oldest of five siblings who are frequently threatened with the deaths of their favorite characters. She possesses the remarkable ability to trip over air and still land spectacularly on her face. She is socially awkward, has social anxiety, and is glad to have the title of 'author' to reassure herself that normal is an insult. She travels the world, hoping to find the stories in sidewalk cracks and in skyscrapers.

Reviews

[Olivia Caola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This hit a little too close to home for me. It’s hard to explain what it is like to be an MK or TCK, but this book did it. It tugged on my heartstrings and I am emotional because this was - and still partly is - me. I know the goodbyes, heartache, and not belonging, clinging to the past. I’ve done that.

This is beautiful. A few little plot and writing things that could have been better, but the heart of this story really got to me. Thank you, Magdalene.

[Germaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book from the author in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.*

I loved this so much. Summer Doesn't Last Forever is about so many things: TCKs, the fear of making connections, saying farewell, and more. It is a celebration of different cultures and deep friendships, but also isn't afraid to tackle the hard things (TW for some verbal sexual abuse).

There were a few snags here and there for me personally, but the good outnumbers the book's imperfections. I loved that Tarni was half Australian Aboriginal, because a) TCKs come from everywhere and b) indigenous rep is still hard to find in media. Additionally, the camp she goes to has kids from practically everywhere -- so much so that it almost felt like home (and now I want to travel to Greece and hang out with TCKs).

So many little TCK things are sprinkled throughout the book, and I was personally able to relate to most, if not all of them. I've seen people around me refuse to make friends because they don't want to say goodbye again, and I've seen people who struggle to move back to their passport countries because of culture shock and farewells.

Besides all the little TCK things, there's a huge focus on friendship and I absolutely loved that. Tarni makes genuine female friendships with the girls in her cabin, there's some lovely sibling dynamics between actual siblings, and there are some male/female friendships in there as well (I just enjoy platonic relationships, they're so wholesome). There's also a meet cute romance, so that was very fun as well (note: they become friends first! I think that's very important in establishing healthy relationships). And to add to the depth of this book, toxic friendships are explored, as well as the journey to healing from said toxic friendships.

If you are a TCK or MK (missionary kid), I recommend this book to you. If you love friendships and cultural diversity, this one might suit you well. And if this ever gets printed as a physical copy, I might consider purchasing one :)

[Ashlee P · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! The story addresses issues that TCKs wrestle with in such a fun way. Definitely hard to put it down.

[James R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my children, and they enjoyed not only the story itself, but it made them think about friendship and transitions we all experience in some ways.