Under a Dark Summer Sky, Vanessa Lafaye
Under a Dark Summer Sky, Vanessa Lafaye
List: $25.99 | Sale: $18.20
Club: $12.99

Under a Dark Summer Sky

Author: Vanessa Lafaye

Narrator: Karen Chilton

Unabridged: 11 hr 29 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 06/09/2015

Synopsis

SUMMERTIME is set in Florida in 1935 in a small town struggling with the effects of the Depression, and at the time of the great hurricane. The racially charged narrative swirls around Missy, with her courageous dedication to duty, who works for the Kincaid family; Henry, a long absent WWI soldier who still loves Missy, the girl he left behind; Henry's sister and Missy's friend Selma with her no-nonsense approach to crises; and Sheriff Dwayne Campbell, whose duty is to protect Henry, but who has personal reasons for wanting Henry to suffer. From the tense opening chapter, this atmospheric story is beautifully constructed and seductive. Vanessa is a natural story-teller, who vividly evokes the landscape, climate, and the people sweating under the broiling Florida sun and the weight of past decisions. As they try to grasp at the small potential for happiness that may still exist for them, their lives are tested to the limit by the devastation of a hurricane. The novel is based on real historical events.

About Vanessa Lafaye

Vanessa Lafaye was born in Tallahassee and raised in Tampa, Florida, where there were hurricanes most years. She first came to the UK in 1987 looking for adventure, and found it. After spells of living in Paris and Oxford, she lived in Marlborough, Wiltshire. Vanessa passed away in February 2018.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Angela M on June 19, 2015

This is a well written , well researched story based on the true events of veterans of WWI sent to the Florida Keys to build a bridge instead of being given the bonus they were promised after the war. The working conditions are awful and huge hurricane is on its way. At Heron Key in 1935 , there's te......more

Goodreads review by Esil on May 26, 2015

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy of Under a Dark Summer Sky. 3 1/2 stars. Based on real historical events, this book tells the story of a small community in the Florida keys in the mid 1930s that was hit by a devastating hurricane. It also tells the......more

Goodreads review by Judy on December 17, 2015

A special thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Top 50 Books of 2015 Best Southern Historical Fiction Debut (Florida Keys) racial & social tensions UNDER A DARK SUMMER SKY by Vanessa Lafaye is a powerful, poignant southern fiction debut, cro......more

Goodreads review by Margaret on June 10, 2015

Set in the fictional town of Heron Key, Florida in 1935, this debut novel mixes up fact and fiction to bring the reader through one of the worst hurricanes in history. Not only is the sea rising to dangerous levels and the ever-changing winds confusing the weather forecasters, but the tension in the......more

Goodreads review by Skip on April 29, 2018

Based on a horrific hurricane hitting the town of Islamorada on Labor Day in 1935 and, more specifically, on a video on the Florida Keys historical society website ([URL not allowed]), Vanessa Lafaye has written a memorable story about the residents of the mythical town of Her......more

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