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I‘m developing a new appreciation for short stories and novellas. Somehow with this one, though, it dragged at times for me despite its short page count. I did really like the ending and the way the tension built.

Intriguing short novel. I need to sit with this one. I loved how the tennis imagery carried through this surprising novel. 4 🌟 (for now, this is a book that I need to think about and see how it stands up to time).

This slice of life novella tells the tale of a faltering marriage. As Sputnik 2 is launched on a warm November day, Kathleen climbs into her pool and refuses to come out. She finally wants honesty in her marriage on both sides. Told from both her and husband's POV, the novella describes how secrets cause harm in their marriage. 4 stars.

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I read this during the warmest November I can remember. This book mentions the unseasonably warm November of 1957. So, wife and mother, Kathleen, decides to get in the pool at her family‘s apartment complex. Problem is, she won‘t get out! Luckily for readers, we get to take a walk down memory lane with her. How did she meet her husband, the handsome and charmed Virgil? Their marriage isn‘t exactly the perfect 1950s ideal. Loved it!

Loved this National Book Award Longlist novel set in the early sixties. A marriage on the verge of a breakdown, all while a wife remains in the pool all day. Flashbacks when they met and how we got to that pool. So much in this short novel. Vibes of Revolutionary Road, Cheever‘s The Swimmer and even The Awakening. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith, even if you don‘t know where you‘ll land.”

Siblings Cash, Fitch, and Bird live in 1986 Delaware, excited for the Challenger space shuttle launch. Each sibling has their own challenges, but they learn that dreams can help them stick together. This touching story shows the power of family and hope.

This is a story about three siblings, Cash, Fitch, and Bird, growing up in Delaware in 1986. As they face their own problems, they find hope in the upcoming Challenger space shuttle launch. The story explores family, dreams, and how to be strong together.

This book goes inside the stereotypical young white 1950s family and blows it up, gradually peeling back the layers to expose husband and wife. And the central conceit of the wife refusing to get out of the pool all day really works. I really liked this one.

NBA longlist, fiction