Published by Amazon Publishing on 2020-04
Genres: Fiction, Literary, Coming of Age, Jewish
Pages: 304
Format: eBook
Source: ARC
A former beauty queen faces the secrets of her past--for herself and the sake of her family's future--in a heartfelt novel about fate, choices, and second chances.
Everything seemed possible in the summer of 1951. Back then Betty Stern was an eighteen-year-old knockout working at her grandparents' lakeside resort. The "Catskills of the Midwest" was the perfect place for Betty to prepare for bigger things. She'd head to college in New York City. Her career as a fashion editor would flourish. But first, she'd enjoy a wondrous last summer at the beach falling deeply in love with an irresistible college boy and competing in the annual Miss South Haven pageant. On the precipice of a well-planned life, Betty's future was limitless.
Decades later, the choices of that long-ago season still reverberate for Betty, now known as Boop. Especially when her granddaughter comes to her with a dilemma that echoes Boop's memories of first love, broken hearts, and faraway dreams. It's time to finally face the past--for the sake of her family and her own happiness. Maybe in reconciling the life she once imagined with the life she's lived, Boop will discover it's never too late for a second chance.
A beautifully penned glimpse into the 1950s, readers are first introduced to Betty on her wedding day in a prologue that makes it clear the impending nuptials are anything but a typical celebration. This was a far more emotional read than expected for me. Amy Sue Nathan is a new author to me but I am absolutely going to be reading her backlist.
I typically don’t care for books that use POVs to catapult readers from past into the present and then back again. If I didn’t like Boop so much, I would have struggled with the book far more. I was so invested in the story that I ended up having to drink a cup of tea every time I picked it up to read to settle my stomach. The tension that builds as the story inches toward the moment when Betty’s life changes permanently proved nearly overwhelming for this reader. That inevitable implosion wreaked havoc on my stomach. A whirlwind romance mixed with immense obstacles made a perfect storm for heartache.
While I love 1950s fashion, I know next to nothing about life for women in the 50s and even less about the expectations and lives of Jewish families. The author had me intrigued from the very start, wondering what I would do in a similar situation. I still think about it. The friendship between Betty and her friends was heartwarming as it is realistic. I do wish we had more time with them in the younger year POVs because I enjoyed how comfortable they were with each other, especially in the later years. The day-to-day at the resort definitely intrigued me more than I thought it would! I grew up long after the time of yearly family vacations to giant resorts but the author had me wishing for that experience, both the vacationer side and as an employee.
If you are looking for a historical fiction outside of the war-related stories that will grab you and not let go, I highly recommend The Last Bathing Beauty. A slight bit of domestic tension, an extended glimpse into life in the classic 50s at a resort, but most of all it is a coming-of-age tale that reminds you that things take work and that sometimes it all works out. It has been a few weeks since I finished this book and I still think of and talk about the story with friends and family and bought a final copy for myself. If that isn’t an endorsement, I don’t know what is.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
