That Camden Summer (Charnwood Library) [Import] [Hardcover]

LaVyrle Spencer (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Putnam; Large Print Ed edition (1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0708989497
• ISBN-13: 978-0708989494
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A realistic trial of faith amongst lovers and friends., May 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: That Camden Summer (Mass Market Paperback)

"In That Camden Summer," by Lavyrle Spencer, Roberta Jewett has experienced the unfaithfulness of her husband. To rid herself of her past she moves back to her hometown of Camden, Maine. This small town in which Roberta grew up now sees her as a disgrace. A divorce in a small town is seen as a criminal offense and Roberta is the offender. Through many hardships suffered through the actions of her mother as well as the town's citizens, Roberta decides to rebuild her life for her girls and herself. Love is reintroduced to her unexpectedly and her life falls back into place as she learns to have faith in the opposite sex.

In this book irony is the most significant literary element. Roberta is criticized frequently for the divorce she had encountered only months earlier. In the latter part of the book, readers see how ironic it is for her to be criticized while other citizens of the town have the same, if not worse, faults. It also ironic how badly the townspeople treat Roberta after everything she does for others. Throughout the story she is seen as a strong female who puts her life and family back together after a terrible experience. Her fellow citizens see her as a failure creating another ironic instance.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book With Complex characters, October 2, 2000

By 

Tate (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: That Camden Summer (Mass Market Paperback)

I happened to love most of LaVyrle Spencer's books, but this is my favorite. So rarely do romances tackle the issues that Spencer illuminates in this novel. Finally, a women with spirit who is not a shrew or countlessly doing stupid things.

Roberta Jewitt returns to her home town after divorcing her husband. She brings her three daughters in order for them to become closer to the family she left in Maine when she went away to college in Boston. However, she encounters many things when she returns, not all of them good or pretty to read about.

I felt this book was ultimately about choices. The choices you make, the motives behind those choices, and the rewards and consequences of those choices.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a grown-up romance and not the junior high school stuff that a lot of authors are putting out.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read, May 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: That Camden Summer (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved this book!I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a fast enjoyable read. This book got me hooked on Spencer's books!