Published in the USA in 2010, The Summer We Fell Apart is Robin Antalek’s first novel. The reader is introduced to the Haas family; young adult siblings Amy, George, Kate, and Finn, and their somewhat neglectful, distracted mother. Following the death of the family’s unfaithful patriarch, the book is divided into four main sections, each one telling the story of one of the siblings. Then there is a fifth and final part focusing on their mother, Marilyn, the whole family in the present, and their hopes and aspirations for the future.

The reader journeys through the teenage and adult years of the four siblings, and excellent characterisation is demonstrated throughout the book. All are unapologetically flawed, making their humanity seem intensely real, and all are extremely different from each other. These differences make them very accessible, and I am sure that many readers will find their disjointed family dynamic to be very identifiable.

Kate is a highly driven lawyer, who has chosen to sacrifice human relationships in favour of her career. Handsome ladies’ man Finn is a heavy drinker who lacks drive and self-respect. Quiet, gentle George is a teacher who wants a peaceful, settled life. Amy, the youngest of the Haas children, is an artistic young woman who enjoys making the most of her youth. Her close relationship with George is presented as a stark contrast to the strained one between the two oldest siblings. These extremely imperfect people take the reader on controversial journeys of adultery, abortion, homosexuality, and thievery, as well as pain, kindness, and love. Although now deceased, the presence of their father is always felt, as their attempts to either prove him right or wrong are instrumental in determining the directions that their life paths take.

While I do not necessarily agree with or like all of the choices that the characters make, it is exactly this lack of perfection that makes them so believable. My favourite character is Kate. I found that one of the key moments in the book is when she finally cuts down the diseased lemon tree on the dilapidated property that she has bought. Although the tree initially seems beautiful, healthy, and bountiful, it soon becomes clear that it cannot be saved, no matter how much she wants it to be possible. At her most passionate and vulnerable, Kate cuts down the tree that is surely a symbolic representation of the fragmented Haas family.

The way that the book is constructed offers a clever insight into how the perspectives of any given situation differ so much between the characters. The way that each sibling views their father, his infidelity, and his death is something that really brings out the humanity of these individuals. I really enjoyed reading about their strengths and hopes for the future too, and I found myself unwaveringly rooting for each and every one of them.

This book is an entertaining reminder that no individual person, relationship, or family is perfect. Overall I feel that the underlying message of The Summer We Fell Apart is that of hope, and I think it is an unobvious celebration of individuality. Regardless of upbringing or blood connections, no two people are the same, but families, both traditional and unconventional, will be eternally rooted together, as Robin Antalek competently portrays in this engaging book. Anyone who has a sibling, has ever been exasperated by their own family dynamics, or is interested in the turmoil of human relationships, should definitely read The Summer We Fell Apart.

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