Midsummer

All her life, Joy’s been haunted by a man she’s never met — her visionary grandfather, the artist Lorenzo. At work on digging a New York subway tunnel, his pickaxe struck the remains of an ancient Dutch trading ship — and a vision lit up the underground, convincing him that he was blessed. As it turned out, his children did well in life, and almost a century later, his granddaughter Joy, a gifted linguist, married the Canadian descendant of the lost ship’s captain. Yet nonno’s story also led to the death of Joy’s cousin Leonora, her Aunt Elena’s only child. It was a tragedy that might have been prevented by Joy’s father, Eddie, a man who’s been bruised by life and who seldom speaks to his sister. Yet in the year 2000, he has no choice. Wealthy Aunt Elena and Uncle Carlo are coming from Rome to New York City to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. They’ve invited the family to dine at the sky-high tower restaurant above the tunnel where nonno Lorenzo saw his vision long ago. On the first day of summer, Elena and Eddie will face each other at last. Midsummer is a story of family ties and fortune, and of Minding peace as life nears its close, high above the historic place where nonno’s story began

AUTHOR

Carole Giangrande

Born and raised in the New York City area, Carole Giangrande now resides in Toronto. Her novella, A Gardener On The Moon, was co-winner of the 2010 Ken Klonsky Novella Contest. She’s the author of two novels, An Ordinary Star (2004) and A Forest Burning (2000) and a short story collection, Missing Persons (1994), as well as two non-fiction books: Down To Earth: The Crisis in Canadian Farming (1985) and The Nuclear North: The People, The Regions and the Arms Race (1983). She’s worked as a broadcast journalist for CBC Radio, and her fiction, articles and reviews have appeared in literary journals and in Canada’s major newspapers. While revising new work, she now comments as The Thoughtful Blogger (a space for interesting books and intermittent reflection), available through her website at http://www.carolegiangrande.com.

Reviews

“Carole Giangrande’s Midsummer sets sail in search of distant turning points. She holds the heart of her story gently, and she steers us gracefully through time, and memory. The elegance of her language casts long shadows. She moves us as she writes from the center of longing and wonder.” – Karen Lee Lewis, author of What I Would Not Unravel”Midsummer is emotionally focused and charged with the power of archetype, its undercurrent of passion perfectly controlled. Carole Giangrande has mastered the novella form.” – Eva Tihanyi, author of Flying Underwater: Poems New and Selected “The language of the novella is absolutely luxurious, a blend of English and Italian that rolls of the tongue like honey wrapped around a Vivaldi symphony. Lyrical, languid, brilliant, Midsummer is a fast read for a slow and sultry afternoon. I highly recommend it.”- Biblioteca “Like a painting that comes to life, Midsummer by Carole Giangrande is like the longest-day of summer in families when tragedy saddens everyone in different ways, regrets threaten to bring members to their knees, and forgiveness is a shining beacon that can save them all.”- Savvy Verse and Wit”The ties of family, the place we hold in history, the issues of our personal culpability are the key issues in Carole Giangrande’s novella. It is a seemingly simple book, which examines complex emotions. It is an especially perfect read for summer.”- Dolce Bellezza”Lovely. This is the first word that comes to mind about this book. It’s rather short, but packs a intensely emotional wallop. The stories weave together in such a unique way that doesn’t quite show it’s true meaning until the very end. This is truly a story that must be savored slowly, and enjoyed thoroughly.”- Book Lady, Must Read Faster”There are so many things to appreciate in Midsummer. Giangrande’s style is truly poetic. She gives this story an engaging other-worldly feel that borders on the magical. She is also able to really focus in on the story–which is surprisingly complex for so short a book–and every word is essential.”- West Metro Mommy Reads