A deeply moving novel of family, secrets, and legacies.They have been coming to their grandmother Gloria’s lake cottage since they were babies. Now Johnnie and Buddy have families of their own and C.C. has a life full of adult drama and adventure. And this trip – the only stated purpose of which is to bring the family together for the last weekend of the summer – seems full of portent. Gloria has … Gloria has been hinting that there’s more on the agenda than grilling and swimming, and when the three siblings learn that their estranged father will also be in attendance, it becomes clear that this weekend will have implications that last far beyond the final days of the season.
A touching, incisive view into the dynamics of a family on the verge of change and filled with characters both distinctive and utterly relatable, THE LAST WEEKEND OF THE SUMMER is a rich, lyrical reading experience that will resonate in your heart.
PRAISE FOR PETER MURPHY:
“The best books are not forgotten because you can never stop thinking beyond the story. This is true of Lagan Love. Murphy is a natural storyteller. I look forward to reading more.”
– Examiner.com on Lagan Love
“Peter Murphy spins an exciting story of romance and the problems with it, making Lagan Love a unique novel with plenty of twists and turns underneath it all.”
– Midwest Book Review on Lagan Love
“Murphy has created a lasting story with great potential in future installments.” – Savvy Verse and Wit on Born & Bred
“Engrossing and significant…. A moral book and a worthy read!”
– Brendan Landers on Wandering in Exile
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Most families pile their skeletons into a dark closet and bar the door against prying eyes. In The Last Weekend of the Summer, each family member has their own personal closet. There is some awareness to what each has hidden, but no one is opening doors and sharing… until the last weekend of the summer.
Weekends at the lake aren’t new, but wanting to settle issues and cast out demons, family matriarch, Gloria, doesn’t tell her family the depth and meaning this weekend holds until they arrive. Her disclosure sets off a wave of drama, but that’s nothing new for this family.
Mary is Gloria’s former daughter-in-law and mother to Gloria’s three adult grandchildren. She is also the reigning drama queen. Since before her marriage to Gloria’s son, Jake, ended in divorce, she’s played the put-upon victim. After the divorce, it only grew worse, and she raised her children in a toxic environment of her own self-pity and denial which is directly responsible for the personality traits and flaws they possess as adults.
Johnnie, the oldest, is the family peacemaker, always trying to keep the hot-pot between his mother and two sisters from boiling over.
Rosemary aka Rosebud aka Buddy hates her father for leaving and always defends her mother… even when she doesn’t agree with her. Buddy is also emulating her mother’s behavior and it’s creating conflict in her marriage.
Youngest, C.C., is the wild child who’s quick to act out or throw a tantrum and was conflicted about her sexuality.
This group is dysfunction at its best. There has been so much left unsaid and so much bad behavior allowed over the years, I wondered why they even bothered to get together at all.
And it showed no signs of ending.
Buddy wants to move Mary into their home and is hellbent on getting hubs, Norm, to agree. Norm wants no part of it, but when did he ever get what he wanted?
Carol, Johnnie’s wife, is the bright spot in this read for me.
She fits into the family dysfunction, but only because it suits her. She could be a shrew like Buddy, but that’s not who she is. Carol and Johnnie have a good, solid marriage, and she endures what she must out of love and support of him… and indirectly, Gloria.
Carol knows when to push and when to ease up, but she’s not afraid of calling any of them out on their crap.
Poor Norm ends up as the family fall guy and Buddy’s favorite target. He can do nothing right in her eyes and she never fails to let him know it.
But every man has his limits.
C.C. has always felt out-of-sync in her family, and life. Even after she accepts her true sexuality, C.C. doesn’t grow up because she feels she has to rebel at the unspoken disapproval of her family.
Not a group I’d want to be stuck with for a weekend, but Gloria feels she must do what she can to atone for her part in the family’s issues.
Jake’s arrival is the stick of dynamite needed to blow the years of closed mouths, secrets, and denials wide open and get honest communication started. Even if it hadn’t helped the adults, Buddy and Norm’s two young boys and Johnnie and Carol’s two teens could have fallen into similar patterns of behavior without open discussion. Susie and Joey, the teens, are already aware of tension and riffs… and at times, show more maturity and wisdom than some adults.
I felt bad for Jake and wonder if there was ever a time he could have changed directions. Gloria is sure she missed opportunities.
While abrupt, I felt the ending was fitting for those involved. But before that, there are still a few too many loose ends for me. I don’t need unicorns and rainbows, or even closure, just more direction.
The Last Weekend of the Summer is a unique look into the dynamics of one family and how attempts to keep the peace can be as destructive as lies and unspoken truths. Readers are sure to see something of themselves, or their families, in this read.
Enjoy!
The Last Weekend of Summer was a good story about a very dysfunctional family. There was drama, love, tenderness and kindness, but also some hard facts shared. In the beginning I wasn’t sure I liked any of the characters, but they quickly grew on me and became much more three dimensional.
I’m sure most people can relate to at least one or two of the characters just from the people we meet in our daily lives, much less those in our families. Gloria, as well as being the matriarch, is the person I really found myself caring for the most. She was the backbone of the family and gave them all a good shake when they needed it.
I appreciated the way things were wrapped up in the book even though parts were a little unconventional. It worked very well.
I hesitated quite a bit, torn between 4 and 5 stars for this story, so I’d say 4.5 stars. If you like books about families and their lives, this will be one you’d likely enjoy. I am glad I read it.
I asked for an ARC and was approved. My opinions are my own.
The Last Weekend of the Summer by Peter Murphy
Story sounded interesting and am really getting into reading it.
Last weekend of the summer and all the families will assemble at Gloria’s house on the lake.
Love that there are so many acitivities for the kids, grown men get time to themselves fishing and drinking, women of the tribe get to gather and plan and the ex of one women will be showing up.
It’s all for Gloria’s sake-others think it is about her dying, some think she will be moving in to their houses, others think it’s about the grandfather.
Lots of drama but deep down feelings also show through. Like that Gloria has to use medical marijuana to get through the pains. Some don’t agree with that treatment…
Secrets come out about the past and I like how they are dealt with by everybody. There are very strained moments similar to ones our family has dealt with over the years whenever the whole family got together. Some just don’t get along with all, so you avoid them.
Great story, love the ending, a surprise! Love that this book covers all age groups and their realistic daily problems.
About the author and reading group questions and conversation with the author are included at the end. Other works by the author are highlighted also.
Received this review copy from The Story Plant via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
#TheLastWeekendOfTheSummer #NetGalley
It is a privilege to share one’s life with someone, and it is also a privilege to share death.”
A wonderful novel about a family whose matriarch is Gloria. Gloria is 82 and only wants her family together for one final weekend in the cottage. Her goal is to encourage her family to move forward and forgive her son who has been estranged from his children,grandchildren and ex-wife.
A story of hurt, anger, love and reconciliation among those we know best- Family.
Well done!