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The Summer We Fell Apart: A Novel [Paperback]

Robin Antalek (Author)
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)

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Book Description

January 5, 2010

The children of a once-brilliant playwright and a struggling actress, the four Haas siblings grew up in chaos—raised in an environment composed of neglect and glamour in equal measure. When their father dies, they must depend on their intense but fragile bond to remember what it means to be family despite years of anger and hurt. These brothers and sisters are painfully human, sometimes selfish, and almost always making the wrong decisions, but their endearing struggles provide laughter through tears—something anyone who's ever had a sibling can relate to.


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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A preoccupied playwright father and a cult-actress mother are the stars of the Haas family in Antalek's well-crafted and cunning debut novel. Set in New York and Los Angeles, and spanning 15 years, the novel is told from the perspective of four siblings close in age and their mother, Marilyn, and plays on the wide-ranging themes of love, loss, abandonment and expectation. Opening with Amy, the youngest and most free-spirited, we learn of the family's constant state of tension and tenuousness. George, the second youngest, is sweet and sentimental; eldest sister Kate, a lawyer, is the tough one; and Finn, the second oldest, is an alcoholic. Each sibling's story is full of painful memories involving their parents' neglect and disloyalty, but their coming together is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and to the importance of family ties regardless of family history, making this an endearing and easy-to-relate-to dysfunctional family drama. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“Robin Antalek’s debut is as haunting as it is gripping—a story of the events, both mundane and dramatic, that tear a family apart; and of the often inexplicable love that binds a family together. THE SUMMER WE FELL APART is a beautiful, memorable novel.” (Diana Spechler, author of Who By Fire )

“Full of the best kind of heartache, The Summer We Fell Apart is an unforgettable, big-hearted debut that will make you want to pick up the phone and call your own brother or sister.” (Will Allison, author of What You Have Left )

“THE SUMMER WE FELL APART tells the story of the four Haas kids.... With every chapter the story grows richer and clearer, as does your appreciation for their humor, their burdens and their devotion to each other.” (Juliette Fay, author of Shelter Me )

“The most moving aspect of this very moving novel may be its author’s relationship to her characters. By portraying each sibling’s muddled life with tenderness, respect, and clear-sightedness, author Antalek proves herself to be the ultimate good parent.” (Martha Moody, bestselling author of Best Friends )

The Summer We Fell Apart is a bright, big-hearted novel about the complexities and heartaches of the way we live now.” (Elizabeth Benedict, author of Almost and Mentors, Muses & Monsters: 30 Writers on the People Who Changed Their Lives )

“THE SUMMER WE FELL APART is a thoroughly entertaining and often heart- breaking romp through the chaos and comforts of a large and extraordinary family.” (Jessica Anya Blau, author of THE SUMMER OF NAKED SWIM PARTIES )

Product Details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Original edition (January 5, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061782165
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061782169
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #479,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After making a career out of changing careers, from PR to tending bar, and from waitressing to managing a modern dance company, Robin Antalek eventually gave in to the voices in her head and began writing fiction. She studied at The New York State Writer's Institute at the State University of New York at Albany, and has published in many literary journals: Sun Dog: The Southeast Review, Literary Mama, among others, and has twice been a finalist in Glimmer Train's Family Matters contests as well as a finalist for The Tobias Wolf Award for Short Fiction. You can also find her nonfiction essays monthly on the web at The Nervous Breakdown.
The Summer We Fell Apart is her first novel. She lives in a very needy Victorian house in Saratoga Springs, New York, with her husband, two daughters, and three dogs.

 

Customer Reviews

50 Reviews
5 star:
 (23)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (6)
2 star:
 (15)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (50 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Soaring Debut, January 17, 2010
This review is from: The Summer We Fell Apart: A Novel (Paperback)
Robin Antalek's soaring debut concerns the tribulations of the Haas family --- four grown children and their mother--- before, during, and after the death of the failed-playwright patriarch, who was as achingly absent in their childhoods as he is in the novel. The characters are so well drawn, their stories woven together so expertly, that it's hard to believe that this novel grew out of a collection of loosely-affiliated short stories. Also notable is her adroit and effective use of the simplest things ---lemon trees, leather jackets, scarves---as symbols.

In books of this kind---five characters, five stories, five points of view---there are usually one or two weak links in the chain. Not so here. You'll care about these characters---all of them---as deeply as if they were members of your own family (and perhaps more).

Oh, and don't let the prim and proper cover fool you---The Summer We Fell Apart has some racy passages, including the most uncomfortable ménage à trois scene in recent memory.
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32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Review by Debra Nicastro, January 17, 2010
This review is from: The Summer We Fell Apart: A Novel (Paperback)
Dysfunctional families are commonplace, as are the books about them. However, this book stands above them all. It is truly a gem, one that will linger in your mind long after you have finished it. Robin Antalek is a refreshing and unique author that is able to carry the reader effortlessly and beautifully through the intimate perspectives of four siblings and their mother. You will fall in love with each sibling and suprisingly find heartfelt compassion for their neglectful parent as well. This novel is filled with love and heartache that moves quickly. But, beware! Don't read too quickly. Robin Antalek is an artist with the written word, her prose is not something to be rushed through, but savored.

This book is REAL. My guess is that it will find a home on the NY Times Best Seller List. Enjoy!
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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ!!!, January 11, 2010
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This review is from: The Summer We Fell Apart: A Novel (Paperback)
This novel is FANTASTIC...As an avid reader I highly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good read! This book will make you laugh and it'll make you cry...The way the author writes is so descriptive and captivating that you can't help but feel for, and relate to, this dysfunctional family. From the time I picked up "The Summer We Fell Apart" I had a very hard time putting it down...I can honestly say that I was sad when the story ended! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS NOVEL!!!
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