Summit Avenue

by Mary Sharratt

How can you weave a life from fairy tales? Set in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul during the First World War, Mary Sharratt's debut novel is the story of a young German immigrant experiencing her spiritual and sexual awakening.

When Kathrin's mother dies, Kathrin immigrates to America where she is reunited with her cousin Lotte and begins work at a mill sewing flour bags. Soon Kathrin meets the Jeliniks, the owners of a small bookstore. While Jan, a compassionate, elderly man, loves his bookstore, his nephew John would rather see it reopened as something more profitable, a testament to the American dream of prosperity for which he so desperately hungers. Jan introduces Kathrin to Violet Waverly, who offers Kathrin a job typing and translating a book of fairy tales that her husband was compiling before he died. Violet invites Kathrin to live with her in her mansion on Summit Avenue, the richest neighborhood in Saint Paul. Both women, left wounded and alone in different circumstances, find increasing solace and warmth in each other.

Although Violet can offer Kathrin love, compassion, and a glimpse of the dizzying heights of wealthy upper-class grandeur, she cannot fully disguise the painful secrets hiding behind the glitter. As Kathrin comes closer to the heart of Violet's mysterious past, she discovers that life, like a fairy tale, is often based on illusion.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBT, Historical, Book Club, Romance, Lesbian

252 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

Mary Sharratt is an American writer who lives with her Belgian husband in the Pendle region of Lancashire, England, the setting for her acclaimed 2010 novel, DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL, which recasts the Pendle Witches of 1612 in their historical context as cunning folk and healers.

Previously she lived for twelve years in Germany. This, along with her interest in sacred music and herbal medicine, inspired her to write her most recent novel, ILLUMINATIONS: A NOVEL OF HILDEGARD VON BINGEN, which explores the dramatic life of the 12th century Benedictine abbess, composer, polymath, and powerfrau.

Winner of the 2005 WILLA Literary Award and a Minnesota Book Award Finalist, Mary has also written the acclaimed novels SUMMIT AVENUE (Coffee House 2000), THE REAL MINERVA (Houghton Mifflin 2004), THE VANISHING POINT (Houghton Mifflin 2006), and co-edited the subversive fiction anthology BITCH LIT (Crocus Books 2006), which celebrates female anti-heroes--strong women who break all the rules. Her short fiction has been published in TWIN CITIES NOIR (Akashic Books 2006).

Mary writes regular articles for Historical Novels Review and Solander on the theme of writing women back into history. When she isn't writing, she's usually riding her spirited Welsh mare through the Lancashire countryside.

Reviews

[Joanna]

My God, I picked this book up almost on accident at the now defunct "Hungry Mind" bookstore near Macalaster College. Little did I know how much it was suited to me. A historical fiction lesbian novel set on my favorite victorian mansion-lined street a block from my apartment in St. Paul. I looked for the address of the mansion in the book, but sadly, it doesn't exist. While reading it I decided upon which mansion I thought it should take place in. Ask me if you're interested. She also works in the Flour Mill on the Mississippi River (Re: Mill City Museum) adjacent from my job in downtown Minneapolis. Check it out, history buffs!

[Deborah Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It is such an interesting mix of the true history of the Twin Cities and an individual story of immigration and coming of age. And the cover is SO beautiful!

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author has some talent, and there are some beautifully written passages, but this book was a huge disappointment to me. Kathrin is a smart girl, and set up to be a very strong character. She has suffered many losses at a young age, but she seems to have an interior will that will get her through anything. Her circumstances are difficult, but she is drawn to beauty and learning with a fervor that could have been her salvation amidst a challenging and changing world.
But then it becomes simply a story of people using other people. Kathrin seems to simply get swept along as an accessory to Violet's life on one hand and to John's on the other. I kept hoping for a moment of redemption, a moment where she truly finds her own center again, but it never happened. Her life was simply destroyed by both of them using her, and her voice seemed to be completely drowned out by the illusionary fairy tale overtone that becomes ever more strong and dark throughout the story.
The book tries to make us believe that at the end Kathrin chooses Violet, that she has found herself, but that doesn't ring true to me. If she has freely chosen this new path, she has chosen based on a manipulated and distorted worldview that has been given to her by Violet. Violet told the truth in her final journal entry where she says she manipulated and deceived Kathrin. Kathrin was groomed by Violet (and by John in a number of ways), and this grooming led to the "choices" at the end of the story.
When all is said and done I see two possible conclusions to draw: 1) The inner strength I sensed in Kathrin was never actually there and she was a deeply vulnerable and wounded character who was manipulated to become a victim to both John and Violet's passions and desires. Her "emancipation" at the end is yet another illusion, another coping mechanism of a horribly damaged and broken soul. Or 2) What I assume the reader is supposed to conclude is that Kathrin has truly found herself, an "enlightened" lesbian woman, and hope springs on the horizon for her "happily-ever-after." This second one is the conclusion that I think the author pushes us towards, and the one that most readers will draw... And that makes this a very dangerous book, for to me, the first conclusion is the one that is actually true. And the difference between "severely psychologically and emotionally damaged victim" and "courageous, happy, peaceful, well-adjusted woman" is a big difference indeed.
I would not recommend this book to any but the most careful of readers coming from a strong worldview rooted in Truth.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I believe that this was Mary Sharratts first novel, and it was the last one of hers that I read. I wouldn't say that I didn't like it, however, I was extremely disappointed in the ending. The main character was well developed and believable, however, I just feel that she just turned to her caretaker/lesbian lover out of desperation when she had nowhere else to go. I was so disappointed, I was thinking that the story was a wonderful depiction of friendship, when BAM! All of the sudden it turned into a lesbian relationship. The main characted reacted exactly the same way I did; shock. I was not expecting the book to develop that way and feel let down by the whole thing. What a bummer.

[miteypen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an immigrant story from the years 1912-18. Kathrin Albrecht travels to the U.S. from Germany when she is only 16 years old. After working in the mills for a couple of years, she is hired to translate fairy tales from German to English for a widowed society lady. I won't tell what happens next for fear of ruining the book. (There is a bit of a twist.)

The book was good enough to keep me reading (I read it in a day), but it's not one I'd recommend highly. The main female characters are somewhat wooden and the core of the story is over so quickly you almost think it didn't happen. All in all, a decent read.

[Drianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A plodding tale of a young German immigrant who works her way up from Minneapolis mill-girl to a translator ensconced in the home of a wealthy patronness, but then sacrifices everything for the sake, apparently, of internalized homophobia when she discovers that she and her patron are not like mother and daughter, but rather can be lovers. Dreary, and it didn't make anywhere near enough use of its central fairy tale motifs, though it was well-researched. There is a happy ending of a sort, so recommended to those exceedingly fond of historical lesbian Romances or the German-American community in WWI Minneapolis.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully researched. This made historical Minneapolis and St. Paul (around World War I) come alive for me. The exploration of how a young woman of the time might feel as she tried to understand what I would call her bisexuality was sensitive, complex, and deft. The characters are all sympathetic, even the ones who are occasionally violent or ugly in their behavior. The main character is flawed in believable ways. Sharrat knows her craft--she uses a light touch so the power of the story comes through without a lot of unnecessary description or "telling" (versus showing). Highly recommended.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Contains A Semi-Spoiler Alert: This book was definitely written by someone familiar with the local area, so that was a fun aspect to it. However, the power dynamic between the two main characters was pretty appalling. I would like to believe that the author knew this and that's why the book ended the way it did...and maybe it was a nuanced statement about how long sexual exploitation of vulnerable young people has been going on or about how it can cross gender barriers as well. Regardless, it was a unique book that went in a direction I hadn't anticipated.

[Korey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has some gorgeous descriptive language, and I was interested in Kathrin’s journey. However, I found the writing cool and distant, though it’s hard to put my finger on why. I wasn’t as emotionally engaged as I feel I should have been and I never had that “omg must keep turning the pages” feeling while reading this.

[Katherine Basto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of Mary Sharott and consider "Daughters of the Witching Hill" to be one of my favorite witchcraft novels. I thought "Summit Ave," Sharott's first novel would be an interesting read, since the story line seemed intriguing.
Katherin is a young German immigrant who finds a job at the Minneapolis Pillsbury Flour Mill by her cousin Lotte. One day she goes to a bookshop in town and her life will never be the same. She is hired to translate fairy tales for a wealthy widow who lives in St. Paul on Summit Ave. Katherine moves in with Violet into a mansion and their relationship becomes more than employer/employee.
As a lover of fairy tales, the story line drew me in. Alas, besides the metaphor of Katherin's life(this was a stretch in my opinion) there wasn't much on fairy tales at all.
The writing is evocative of place, descriptions are beautifully drawn out...where the book started to wane for me was the middle of the second act, where Violet, the older, rich widow, seems to soothe Katherine in a far more sensual ways than a mother-daughter relationship.
After this, the plot seems to swing back and forth, with Katherin making poor, immature decisions. Actually, her relationship with John seemed more realistic. Unfortunately, the last third of the book I found to be tedious. I couldn't really discern where and what the climax was...so much was jammed into the last section of the novel. Toward the end, the pages about Katherin making bread, small talk with the owner of the General Store's wife took away any suspense. Actually, there was little suspense and pacing toward the end.
The writing was beautiful, the story line interesting, but the lack of true suspense at the end was a disappointment. Mary Sharott has come a long way as a writer since her first book.

[Ayanah Proulx · Rating 2 out of 5]

the ending made it worth it

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay book, but very dark. About an immigrant girl from Germany named Kattrin who comes to St. Paul, Minnesota a few years before WWI. She works for awhile in a factory but then, with a little help from a friend, she finds a job translating German fairy tales for a professor's widow named Violet with a scandalous past.

Sharratt's a wonderful author, but Kattrin's life was just so depressing! At the beginning she was so full of hope- learning English, working her way out of the factory, falling in love with a poor bookkeeper's nephew. And then all at once, everything starts to go downhill. I felt so bad for her! And even though she seems content in the end, and her future is left open for the reader to imagine, I still had a very bitter taste in my mouth from all the horrible things that had already happened to her.

And I don't think I'm spoiling anything by saying that this book features homosexuality. Let me say first that I'm not at all homophobic and one of my favorite books happens to be about two lesbians, in fact. But this story just didn't sit well for me. It didn't click. They seemed to have such a mother/daughter relationship that when Kattrin realized she was in love, it sort of disgusted me. I couldn't even root for the main character to end up with the one she loved.

The book wasn't bad, but it was terribly dark and depressing and I didn't like any of the romance stories. I'd recommend Mary Sharratt's other book, "The Vanishing Point," way before "Summit Avenue."

Find more book reviews at A Quick Red Fox.

[Gaile · Rating 5 out of 5]

What starts as a serene sweet story turns into something far darker. Alone in the world, Kathrin is sent to her cousin in America because her uncle thinks she will have a better life there. At first Kathrin works sewing flour sacks in a factory with her cousin. Then she meets an older lady in a bookstore. To her surprise this lady leaves her card with the proprietor asking Kathrin to contact her about a position. For the next five months Kathrin helps Violet Waverly with her deceased husband's manuscript all unknowing this will lead to something darker. In the meantime John Jelinek, the son of the proprietor of the bookstore courts her.
As a character Kathrin is fickle, leaning first one way, then another. Perhaps because she lost her family so young, she is often cast in a sea of emotions. She is impulsive, often acting on her emotions then wishing she had not.
Violet wants to send her to college. Johnny wants her to work and save money for two years so they can marry. She wants to be her own woman, able to take care of herself, dependent on no one. Nothing works out the way she wants. Then she finds out she is to become a mother. What now will happen to Kathrin?
Mary Sharratt as always delivers a well written book!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book to read at night, or on vacation. It is about a
young Woman from Germany who came to America for a better way of life. She starts out sewing in a mill, with a family member who already works there. Conditions are hard, especially on this young Woman.
She finds comfort in an old book shop. She meets a young man who could be a future boyfriend. But, She also finds a new employer, who wants Her to transfer German fairy tales into English. This employer asks Her to live in Her home, which is one of the finest house this young Woman has ever seen in Her life.
The fairy tales & real life becomes closer than ever. Living in this beautiful home, with wine, plenty of food to eat! This is heaven to Her. When working in the mill, She had to live with Her family member & share the bed. Now She lives the good life, with a beautiful, magical employer who is a awake sleeping beauty.
Read this for the adventure & take a pleasant trip.

[Marvin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Set in Minneapolis in the early 20th century, this book got an enthusiastic review in PW, but it struck me as an over-the-top, old-fashioned melodrama. It had some interesting similarities to my previous book: a 15-year-old girl is orphaned & goes to another country to find her way & is forced to grow up quickly. In this case a German girl comes to Minneapolis, joins a cousing sewing flour sacks in a Pillsbury mill, then finds work translating & typing German fairy tales for a professor's widow, then leaves her after they make love; she immediately gets pregnant & marries the orphaned grandson of a bookstore owner who got her her good job. She vacillates wildly between fairy-tale-like happiness & fairy-tale-like disaster, colored in both cases by self-doubt. That's probably intentional, but I found it artificial & manipulative.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about a young girl who heads to the U.S. from Germany in the early 1910s. She joins a cousin in Minneapolis and works in the flour mills. She tries so hard to better herself by taking night classes to learn English, and eventually gets a job translating German texts for a professor's widow who wants to complete what her husband had started. This book is beautifully written, heartbreakingly sad, but yet ends with hope. Violet (the widow) lives on Summit Avenue in St. Paul, and there is a good sense of place, but there's another series of books that takes place in that area (although in 1949/1950) that I feel better captures the area and time. This was still a good book and beautifully written, but I wish there had been more of a sense of place.

[Untonuggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this when I was a baby queer and trying to get my hands on every book I could find. I reread it more recently, and still love it.

This is not an easy beach read. There's lyricism woven in with the Wassalissa/Baba Yaga stories told throughout the book. Also, the author is realistic about struggles immigrant women face in Minneapolis/St Paul including discrimination, sexual harassment/assault, and domestic violence.

I do feel that the love story is true in a way that I feel in my bones. It's not Romance, so no guarantees of a HAE but I personally think it was a solid HFN. (I can see how others might read it differently.)

Mostly, this is a story about learning how to be true to yourself.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should not be allowed to wonder through the stacks at work, because I always seem to find obscure little gems, like this one. I was familiar with the author's work (she wrote Illuminations), but hadn't known that she was from Minneapolis, and this book is set in the Twin Cities! Hurray!

Young Kathrin immigrates to Minneapolis after the death of her mother, and after two years of mind-numbing work in the flour mills, she finds work with a woman writing about fairy tales.

It's a multi-layered story about love, loss, and betrayal, and through much of it, I was left stunned by the story. It's quite fabulous and, like all good books, I want to know what happens next!!!!!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read; gives you a nice feel for St. Paul/Mlps in the 1910's; uses fairy tales as metaphors/cool; I liked the 2 main characters a lot. Interesting plot considering the era. After taking the Segway tour, I was able to picture the mills by the Stone Arch Bridge! Of course, a beautiful depiction of what I imagined an old Summit Hill mansion to be like.

[Barb M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it for my book club...re-read it again, then bought it for myself. Excellent writing, believable characters & even events. There are so many levels to this story. Summit Avenue as I have seen it and as I have heard someone who lived in that same time frame describe.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpected twist that surprised me. If I had read the book details it would have clued me in. I didn't believe the main relationship in the book. It seemed forced and without basis. But, I enjoyed reading the book.

[Nanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - partially because it was set in my neighborhood in St. Paul, MN. It was fascinating on a variety of levels and I really enjoyed it. The historical background on the city, the details of the different cultures involved (and different classes) made for a deep and interesting book.

[Kelli Harmon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this at a used book sale and picked it up because it was set in Minnesota. It was hard to get into this book at first, but I ended up getting sucked in. The historical details were engaging, and I was especially drawn to the immigrant story line.

[Betsy Tsukada · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy a good historical fiction book now and again. One written inside the inner workings of the day.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written love story by a Twin Cities author. It's set in a mansion on Summit Avenue in the late 19th-century, I believe.

[judi morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

About an orphan immigrant girl from Germany who comes to America and lives in Minneapolis/St. Paul. By Minneapolis author. Couldn't put it down.

[Clare · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love reading stories set in the Twin Cities (PJ Tracy, KJ Erickson, David Housewright, even Mary Janice Davidson) but this was so dull and boring that I barely made it my usual 50 pages.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought her latest was the best but the author has a way of writing that makes you feel like you are right there.

[Tj Berns · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first Mary Sharratt Book, and I loved it. Great and unexpected adventure.

[Jodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a good read. I enjoy the historical elements to Mary Sharratt's stories. This one was good. I enjoyed it.