The Bridges of Summer [Paperback]

Brenda Seabrooke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1994

When she reluctantly comes to stay on a small South Carolina island, fourteen-year-old Zarah gradually accepts her grandmother's Gullah traditions and different way of life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Zarah Brown has spent most of her life in New York City, going to a private school, studying ballet, dreaming about her future career. But her irresponsible mother sends her off to South Carolina for the summer, with uncertain prospects for a return trip. On the tiny island of Domingo, Zarah comes face to face with her heritage: her grandmother Quanamina is the daughter of slaves, and has never been outside her Gullah community. Seabrooke ( Judy Scuppernong ) presents a compelling look at a rapidly disappearing way of life. But what may disturb readers is the fact that, even as Zarah gets to know her grandmother, the girl is driven essentially by ambition and selfishness. When the grandmother dies, Zarah ends up forging her signature and selling the island to an unscrupulous developer in order to get herself and her cousin back to New York. Her decision is meant to show Zarah's strength of character, but it may leave the reader wondering whether she really had to burn those bridges she crossed in going to her grandmother. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9-- Sarah Jane Brown--or Princess Zarah as she prefers to be known--goes, against her wishes, to spend the summer with her grandmother, Quanamina, on an island off the South Carolina coast. Zarah is a New York City girl, an aspiring actress and ballet dancer; her not always reliable mother has gone off to pursue her singing career. On Domingo Island, Zarah confronts her roots in the guise of the Gullah, descendants of slaves who were able to buy and keep land after the Civil War. She is is at once fascinated and repelled by their slow- paced lives and superstitions. Practicing ballet to the rhythm of the waves, she meets Benicia, a white girl visiting from California, who feels equally displaced on her grandparents' family's nearby island. When their friendship is tem pered by their elders' needs to have them be have in traditional roles, Zarah and Benicia understand that the issues are not only those of black and white, but also of old and new and the fear of change. By summer's end, Zarah has realized her grandmother's considerable strengths and has not only learned about her heritage, but also feels a personal connection to it. Seabrooke has keenly crafted the setting to reflect societal values and specifically the cul ture of the Gullah. Fine character development lends credibility to this rich and compelling sto ry of clashing cultures and human understand ing. --Sylvia V. Meisner, Allen Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (November 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140369333
• ISBN-13: 978-0140369335
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,322,706 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bridges of Summer, June 27, 2000

By 

B. Goldbaum (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bridges of Summer: 9 (Hardcover)

A thoughtful and sensitive book about the meeting of two cultures and eras. Zarah, a savey teenager from New York, learns about an entirely different way of life when she visits her grandmother on an island off of the coast of South Carolina. Ms. Seabrooke skillfully deals with the dilemma created when Zarah drops back into an era of old southern mentality. She is able to treat her characters with sensitivity and dignity while telling this story of learning to bridge the generations between Zarah and her grandmother.