Florence Adler Swims Forever

May 11, 2020
The shock of a family’s loss reverberates through Beanland’s debut. It’s 1934, and Florence Adler is a vivacious 20-year-old living in Atlantic City, N.J., preparing to swim the English Channel with the coaching help of Stuart Williams, a handsome local lifeguard. While at the beach with her niece, seven-year-old Gussie, and their young German Jewish houseguest, Anna Epstein, Florence sets off for a swim, during which she drowns. Her parents, Esther and Joseph, cannot bring themselves to tell Florence’s sister, Fannie, who’s pregnant and in the hospital on bed rest, and Gussie and Fannie’s husband, Isaac, must also keep the secret. The story progresses through the perspectives of those who had a connection to Florence, including Stuart, who harbored a crush on her; and Anna, with whom Florence shared a one-time sexual encounter; and a heady attraction that brews between Anna and Stuart after Florence’s death. Beanland beautifully handles the depiction of loss and rebuilding life without a loved one, describing moments that are by turns painful and moving (“Joseph’s daughter was to be found in the people who loved her the most”). The thick emotional tension will please fans of character-driven historicals.

Beanland's novel stands out as its deft narrators add multiple perspectives to the storytelling. The story unfolds in Atlantic City in 1934. Listeners meet a confident young lady, a grieving mother, a desperate Jewish refugee, a flailing husband, a perplexed sister, a distracted child, a despondent heir, and a frantic father who are all trying to navigate secrets, pride, and loss. When tragedy strikes, the narrators rise to the demands of depicting various degrees of coping as the characters navigate trying times. Authentic-sounding accents and even pacing add to the effectiveness of their performances. Listeners should not miss the author's note, in which Bean recounts her inspiration for this story. S.K.G. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine