Description
A life-affirming coming-of-age novel about friendship, family and the bittersweet beauty of growing up.
This summer
I'll grow up
For as long as Billie can remember, summer has meant one thing: Pearl Beach. The idyllic seaside home belonging to her old Aunt Edith, and the place where she met her best friend, Andy.
But this summer, everything seems to be changing. Andy is more interested in makeup and boys than in Billie, and Aunt Edith has decided to stay with them for the whole summer. Edith is a Holocaust survivor, and whenever Billie tries to talk to her, her words seem to crumble under the weight of this knowledge.
Then Edith begins to share her story. Because she was once fourteen, too, and understands all too well the pain of growing up. What follows is a tale of first love, betrayal, and resilience. As the summer, and story, unfolds, so does a profound friendship between Billie and Edith. They may be generations apart but what they share will change both of them forever.
Review
Billie has been going to Pearl Beach and staying in the holiday house owned by her Great Aunt Edith every summer since she was a young girl. It is a place she loves, not only because of the freedom and fun she has there, but also because of her best friend, Andy. They meet up there there every summer, and have since they were kids.
But now it’s the summer after Year 7, and right from the start of this trip things don’t feel the same. Not only has Aunt Edith decided to spend the entire summer with them, but when Andy arrives she suddenly seems all grown up and nothing like the old Andy - and nothing like Billie, who still feels like a little girl. Billie wonders if their friendship is going to survive the summer.
But spending less time with Andy means that Billie is now spending more time with Aunt Edith, and as she does she learns more about her past as a Holocaust survivor. Reading the journal that Edith wrote on the ship on the way to Australia gives Billie a true insight into Aunt Edith, and Billie discovers that although they are generations apart growing up is hard, regardless of when you do it.
Edith is calm and insightful and as their chats become deeper they grow closer. Edith just seems to understand Billie, and she knows when to speak and, importantly, when to listen.
This is a fabulous story that is beautifully written in an easy-to-read verse format. The relationship that grows between Billie and Edith is a deep and emotional one, and it highlights how forging family connections with different generations can be good for all involved. It is about growing up and accepting that we all do it at different rates, friendship and all the complexities that come with it, as well as learning about the impact of historical events and how they can shape our lives.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, and it is a wonderful read that is best suited to the lower secondary year levels.
Teacher notes prepared by the publisher are available on our website for this title.
