Customer Reviews

Swimming at Suppertime: Seasons of Delight on the Wrong Side of Buzzards Bay

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... and a better book for those who _do_ like those CS books.

Carol Wasserman writes her short, to-the-point, real-life personal stories using a craftsmanship with words rarely seen in American literature. The subtle winks and nods found throughout her stories keeps you in a different place, leaving you with the feeling that you haven't just read a book but that you have been sitting down at the local diner listening to an old friend tell you about her life in between cups of coffee and forkfuls of eggs. Wasserman brings you in touch with the insights gained through being a divorcee, mother, widow, impoverished, and what it is like living year round at a summer vacation destination. Though life has been hard on Wasserman, she manages to tell you her stories with grace and dignity rather than bitterness and resentment.

You can listen to a handful of these stories by searching for "Carol Wasserman" at npr.org

As someone who lived on the island of Nantucket for 10 years, as one of the working people who cleaned the summer people's houses and worked three jobs in the summer, I know all too well the life that the author describes. But although it is a hard life, it was a wonderful one and I don't regret it. This book made me very nostalgic for that life. The author has a dream-like quality in the way that she writes. I hope she writes another (and longer) book.

While the book really grabbed us due to it being vaguely Parallel to mine and my wife's lives, that's not the point. If you live in the rental from hell a.k.a. "A Winter Rental" and you survived, well then this is a must read. I remember years ago whe our kids were young. As the spring came the kids could play outside. The property owners would show up and start working on the house. How comfy is this when you're a little late on the rent? Carol's description of this exact situation made me cover my face with a pillow and sob. She describes the exact gut wrenching feeling that happens to all winter renters! That and her yearly visit to town hall to show Aubrey is still indeed dead are some of the most powerful moments I've seen in literature in a long time. This is such a great work that it must be spread so others will do it!

Entertaining and introspective observances on life's lessons and oddities. Wasserman writes with hard scrabble honesty and emotion. Worth reading.

Seldom do we get the chance to read a book that feels like the author is sitting next to you and telling her story, but not in a "oh, enough about me! How do you like my dress?" way.Nope, Carol Wasserman seems like an old friend.Simply put... This book rocks! It is funny, it is familiar, it is warm...the perfect after the holidays book, a perfect anytime book. I did not want it to end, but I finished it with the hopes that when I finished it, I'd hear she just published another.

More, please. And, Thank You.

I devoured this book. This writing is straightforward and graceful all at the same time. It reads like a collection of vignettes and short stories. It is powerful and entertaining all at once. A great summer read!

Entertaining and introspective observances on life's lessons and oddities. Wasserman writes with hard scrabble honesty and emotion. Worth reading.