The Best Summer of Our Lives by Rachel Hauck

The Best Summer of Our Lives by Rachel Hauck
Stand-alone Novel
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers, June 27, 2013

REVIEW BY JOAN HALL

I almost always enjoy a story where unresolved events occurred years or decades earlier. That’s what drew me to The Best Summer of Our Lives.

In the summer of 1977, four lifelong friends—Summer, Spring, Autumn, and Snow (known as the seasons)—have just graduated high school and are preparing to attend the same college. This was to be “the best summer of their lives,” hopping around Europe before the beginning of the fall semester. But when they participated in pouring soap into Florida State University’s pool, they had a choice. Community service or spending a few weeks as counselors at a summer camp in Tumbleweed, Oklahoma under the supervision of Summer’s mom.

The story opens in 1997 as Summer looks back over the last twenty years of her life. She’s a talented singer and songwriter but tends to turn people off by her attitude. When her latest backup singers desert her, and her manager moves on to bigger and better things, she finds herself alone in Oklahoma, and not too far from Tumbleweed. She decides to pay a short visit.

Told mainly from Summer’s point of view, but with scenes in each of the “four seasons” perspective, the story shifts between 1997 and twenty years earlier as each friend looks back on that summer and the secrets that destroyed their friendship.

Summer is searching to fill a void in her life. She recalls her visions of seeing “the Preacher” and his attempts to reach out to her. Will she harken to his call?

“You’ve been fighting the Preacher for control of your reins for a long time. He’s only going to hold on until you trust Him. Or maybe He’ll just let go until you mess up so bad you realize He’s your only hope.”

Rachel Hauck, The Best Summer of Our lives

The author blends coming of age, mystery, and romance into a well-written Christian fiction story. Hauck also mentions two real-life events in the story (but without gruesome details)—the murder of some Girl Scouts at Camp Scott, Oklahoma, and the Ted Bundy murders in Florida.

I liked that she named each chapter for song titles, most of which were popular in “my day.” While you might think a book with this title is best for a summer read, it’s equally enjoyable in the dead of winter and wraps up with a satisfying ending.

I give The Best Summer of Our Lives four fish.

I purchased the Kindle version of The Best Summer of Our Lives through Amazon.