The last summer at Chelsea Beach

In 1941, 16-year-old Adelia Montforte's parents manage to get her out of Italy, where it is no longer safe for Jews. She finds herself living in Philadelphia with her aunt and uncle. They spend their summers in Atlantic City, where the Connallys, an Irish Catholic family with four boys, live next door. Addie falls in love with Charlie, the oldest boy, but just as they are about to announce their engagement, a family tragedy convinces Addie that their love is doomed. She escapes to Washington, takes a secretarial job at the Washington Post, and then, when Charlie shows up, escapes further to England to work in the Post's London bureau. Charlie pops up again, this time on his way to carry out a dangerous mission on the eve of D-Day. But their plans to get married run into a last-minute hitch. The novel ends with a twist as Addie returns to the U.S. and reunites with the Connallys. Jenoff has made a specialty of wartime romance, and fans of her other works, including The Kommandant's Girl (2007) and The Winter Guest (2014), won't be disappointed.--Quinn, Mary Ellen Copyright 2015 Booklist

Jenoff tells another tale of WWII (after finding success with The Kommandant's Girl) in this powerful and moving novel. Adelia Montforte's life changes in 1941, when her mother puts her on a crowded ship heading from Italy to the U.S. The young woman moves in with her childless aunt and uncle in Philadelphia. While well-meaning, they have no idea what to do with Adelia-until they head to their beach house and Adelia meets the large, close-knit Connally family. The family lives next door at the shore, and blocks away from the Montfortes in Philadelphia. Adelia immediately feels at home with the four Connally brothers and their mother, and soon falls in love with the eldest brother, Charlie. But after the bombing of Pearl Harbor he becomes determined to enlist, to the extreme displeasure of his parents. While Adelia's strictly Jewish family is initially somewhat perturbed by her close friendship with the Irish Catholic Connallys, they come to accept it, just as a piece of tragic news changes everything. In her grief, Adelia soon learns that one can't outrun fate-and that the way home may take a form she never expected. Jenoff leads readers on a heartbreaking and beautifully imagined journey through the horrors of war, recovery from tragedy, and powerful love. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Jenoff's (The Kommandant's Girl; The Winter Guest) latest historical novel opens in June 1941, when 16-year-old Adelia Monteforte is sent from her home in Trieste, Italy, to seek refuge with her aunt and uncle in Philadelphia. Having practiced English with her mamma, Adelia is able to make friends with the large Connally clan, summer neighbors on the Atlantic City shore. Addie loves them all, but deeper feelings develop between herself and Charlie, the eldest Connally son. Faced first with religious differences and then Charlie's enlistment after Pearl Harbor, their path looks anything but easy. Readers ready to engage their willing suspension of disbelief will enjoy the variety of references to notable historical events and Addie's transformation within two years from a person escaping war in her homeland to someone who edits copy for the Washington Post, a young woman who can be granted immediate transfer and cross-Atlantic travel to the London office upon request. Relationships change as the characters gain new experiences, but most connections remain flat, including brief sex scenes toward the end. Verdict The war era provides potential and appeal for book discussion groups as well as for readers looking for an entertaining melodrama to embrace.-Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In 1941, 16-year-old Adelia Montforte's parents manage to get her out of Italy, where it is no longer safe for Jews. She finds herself living in Philadelphia with her aunt and uncle. They spend their summers in Atlantic City, where the Connallys, an Irish Catholic family with four boys, live next door. Addie falls in love with Charlie, the oldest boy, but just as they are about to announce their engagement, a family tragedy convinces Addie that their love is doomed. She escapes to Washington, takes a secretarial job at the Washington Post, and then, when Charlie shows up, escapes further to England to work in the Post's London bureau. Charlie pops up again, this time on his way to carry out a dangerous mission on the eve of D-Day. But their plans to get married run into a last-minute hitch. The novel ends with a twist as Addie returns to the U.S. and reunites with the Connallys. Jenoff has made a specialty of wartime romance, and fans of her other works, including The Kommandant's Girl (2007) and The Winter Guest (2014), won't be disappointed. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Jenoff's (The Kommandant's Girl; The Winter Guest) latest historical novel opens in June 1941, when 16-year-old Adelia Monteforte is sent from her home in Trieste, Italy, to seek refuge with her aunt and uncle in Philadelphia. Having practiced English with her mamma, Adelia is able to make friends with the large Connally clan, summer neighbors on the Atlantic City shore. Addie loves them all, but deeper feelings develop between herself and Charlie, the eldest Connally son. Faced first with religious differences and then Charlie's enlistment after Pearl Harbor, their path looks anything but easy. Readers ready to engage their willing suspension of disbelief will enjoy the variety of references to notable historical events and Addie's transformation within two years from a person escaping war in her homeland to someone who edits copy for the Washington Post, a young woman who can be granted immediate transfer and cross-Atlantic travel to the London office upon request. Relationships change as the characters gain new experiences, but most connections remain flat, including brief sex scenes toward the end. Verdict The war era provides potential and appeal for book discussion groups as well as for readers looking for an entertaining melodrama to embrace.—Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.