August or Forever

by Ona Gritz

"What a beautiful novel about sisterhood, about art, about hearts broken and hearts mended. August or Forever will forever chime inside my own heart." —Gayle Brandeis, author of My Life with the Lincolns

Ten-year-old Molly has always loved having a sister, but sisters are supposed to live together, right? Molly certainly thinks so. Unfortunately, her older half-sister Alison lives on a whole other continent. Their video chats are great, and Molly is thrilled when Alison’s hand-written letters arrive in the mail like surprise gifts. Still, it’s not enough, not compared to what other siblings have. That’s why when Molly finds out that Alison is finally coming to visit over the summer, she devises a plan she’s sure will get her sister to stay. But then Alison arrives with plans of her own, a fragile heart gets broken, and Molly stumbles upon a painful piece of her sister’s past. Molly has always loved having a sister, but this is the August when she’ll learn what it really means to be one.

Genres: Middle Grade

108 pages, Paperback

Published February 14, 2023

About the author

Ona Gritz writes memoir, essays, and poetry for adults, verse novels for teens, and fiction for children. Her memoir, Everywhere I Look, will be released on April 16th from Apprentice House Press of Loyola University.

Ona’s nonfiction has appeared widely, including in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Utne Reader, Brevity, Parents, The Rumpus, and River Teeth. Among her recent honors are two Notable mentions in The Best American Essays and A Best Life Story in Salon.

Ona’s poetry collection Geode was a finalist for the Main Street Rag Poetry Book Award. Her poems can be found in Ploughshares, The Bellevue Literary Review, One Art, Catamaran Literary Reader, Stone Gathering, SWWIM, Literary Mama, and elsewhere. In 2020, she won The Poetry Archive Now: Wordview 2020 Project.

Ona’s 2023 novel for children, August Or Forever, was a Reader’s Choice and Wishing Shelf finalist in middle grade fiction. The Space You Left Behind, her first young adult novel, written in verse, is forthcoming from West 44 Books in June 2024.

Reviews

[Kimberly Kenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ona Gritz has crafted an engaging story about the power of sisterhood and the many forms that family can take. Protagonist Molly is clever and persistent as she tries to finagle getting her half-sister to live with her family. Readers of all ages will relate as she journeys toward understanding life and coming to terms with its heartache and joy. Themes of grief and the healing power of art make this a great story for discussion.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a moving book about longing and loss, and self-realization.

[Gary Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully crafted story about family and friendship, told with both humor and heart. The journey of Molly, the main character, in understanding the sometimes tenuous bonds which connect us all is unpredictable and rewarding as she navigates what it means to be and to have a sister and how to manage expectations. A wonderful read!

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE WISHING SHELF BOOK AWARDS
5th March 2023
TITLE: August or Forever
AUTHOR: Ona Gritz
Star Rating: 5

CATCHY QUOTE
‘A vibrantly written novel for 9 – 12 year olds filled with memorable moments and an easy to root for protagonist.’

REVIEW
I must say, this is a wonderful novel. It´s the story of a young girl called Molly who is excited to discover her half-sister, Alison, is going to stay with them for August. There is so much going on in this story for 9 – 12 year olds, from the love of art to the love between sisters; and it´s all wrapped up in a strong, vibrant writing style.
In many ways, the biggest strength of this novel is the author´s understanding of a young girl´s mind, how it works, her thoughts and feelings, what concerns her the most, even what frightens her. Written from Molly´s POV, I so very much enjoyed getting to know this young character. She´s the sort of girl who knows what she wants, but getting it is, well, problematic. But, then, life is messy – particularly for a determined ten year old – the author reflecting this in the many missteps and misunderstandings on Molly´s journey.
To sum up, this is a well-written family drama I suspect most 9 – 12 year olds will very much enjoy. They´ll love getting to know Molly and Alison, and rooting for them all the way till the end. I would particularly recommend this book to children living with half-sisters / half-brothers, and who are finding home life a little unsettling. I think many of them will find Molly´s way of looking at things helpful.
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk

[Stephanie Ward]

Molly dreams of having her sister move back home after she graduates from university overseas. But Alison is more than a decade older than Molly and lives with her mother in England. She's looking forward to a unique opportunity to work on her art with a renowned teacher when she returns to the U.K. Molly's family unit -- their father and his new wife -- have their own lives in the U.S. Molly's best friend is part of a big family with all the ups and downs that come from having siblings. As Molly works through her own emotions, she learns what it means to be a family and, most importantly, how special it is to have and to be a sister.

The story also touches upon topics such as the different family structures, the death of a young friend and the joy of art. August or Forever is an emotional rollercoaster that centers on the ever-changing dynamics of family.

A sincere thank you to the author and publisher for a copy of the book.

[Joanna Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh this was so heartwarming! Molly is an only child in the US who has a half sister who lives in London. Alison is ten years older than Molly and Molly is ecstatic to find out Alison will be spending the whole month of August with her in the US! She’s always felt like a part of her is missing without her sister and wants her trip to be perfect. She’s only ten and is worried about things going wrong, or her sister not liking her. There are some ups and downs but I loved the way the story panned out. It’s written from Molly’s perspective and I felt like I was inside of her head while I was reading. This book is a great middle grade novel and the way it’s written makes it engaging and easy to follow. I would love to see what happens with Alison and Molly next!

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

In August or Forever, Ona Gritz introduces the relatable and artistic Molly, an ‘almost only lonely,’ who has long idolized her older half-sister, Alison, from afar. She is thrilled to learn that they will get to spend an entire month together when Alison flies over from England, and has the perfect plan to get her to stay forever, but reality can hardly live up to Molly’s exceedingly high expectations. Misbehavior and misunderstandings threaten to ruin her summer, but the bonds of sisterhood are not so easily broken. Through characters that readers will quickly grow to love, Gritz delivers a warm and tender celebration of friendship and family.

[Jennifer Rinehart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, quick read. Molly finds out that her half sister Alison is going to come and stay with the family for the month of August. Her goal is to try and convince her to turn her August stay into forever.

[Kelly]

Sweet story about growing. Enjoying this far!

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t imagine growing up as the only child in a house, my brother and I are very close in age and share so many memories. Molly does have a sister, but they live on different continents and are a decade apart in age. Their memories are built on one visit 5 years ago, so Molly dreams of having Alison live with her full-time to really have the experience of being sisters every day. What Molly begins to realize is that she already has those types of memories with her best friend Diane. “We may not be related, but to me we’re family." My home is filled with photos of me with my brother and me with my best “sister” friend, so I feel that the story is very true to life in that aspect (along with others). When I am having a bad day and need sympathy, those are the people I turn to for support - just as Molly has always been able to depend on Diane. And she wants to have Alison close so that they can have that same sort of relationship. This is a book that celebrates siblings of all sorts and should appeal to middle grade readers who enjoy family-centered stories.

[S.J. Waugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten-year-old Molly has a sister, but their relationship isn't what she wants it to be. What follows is a beautiful meditation on the complexity of sisterhood, and the yearning one feels for family even when that family is intact. Ona Gritz has written a very sweet story to be treasured by readers of all ages.

[Melanie Bracco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molly is ten years old and has a half-sister named Alison, who is ten years older than her and lives far away, but they stay in touch through video chats, emails and letters. Molly loves having a sister, even if it's from a long distance away. So when Alison tells Molly she's going to be staying with them for the month of August, Molly has mixed feelings about it; on one hand she is happy that her sister is to stay for a month but wants Alison to stay forever.
So Molly has an idea that might convince Alison that she should stay on a more permanent basis. However when Alison arrives she has plans of her own, and things don't go so smoothly, not the way Molly wants.
I absolutely loved this book; well-written with interesting characters, an all-around good story of sisters and learning that there are all kinds of normal and all kinds of families.

[Sandra Waugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply told, richly tender.