The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop
'That place has been my whole life. Everything I thought I knew about myself was constructed in those few months I spent within touching distance of the sea. Everything I am is because Alistair loved me.'
Rachel has been in love with Alistair since she was seventeen.
Even though she hasn't seen him for sixteen years and she's now married to someone else.
Even though she was a teenager when they met.
Even though he is twenty years older than her.
She's found it impossible to let go of their summer together on a remote, sun-trapped Greek island.
Until now.
When Rachel unexpectedly reconnects with a girl that she knew back then, she is forced to re-examine her memories of that golden summer and confront the truth about her relationship with Alistair and about her time working for an enigmatic and wealthy man on the island. And when Alistair returns, the pull of the past could prove impossible to resist…
The Girls of Summer flips the concept of “the one that got away” on its head. Interrogating what it means when we are forced to reframe a narrative that is so central to who we are that we aren’t sure who to be when it turns out to be false.
Ultimately, it questions whether it is better to face up to this truth, and all the pain that comes with it, or to keep it hidden in the dark?
About the author
KATIE BISHOP is a writer and journalist based in Birmingham, UK. She grew up in the Midlands before moving to Oxford to work in publishing in her early twenties. Whilst working as an assistant editor she started writing articles in her spare time, going on to be published in the New York Times, Guardian, Independent and Vogue.
Katie started writing The Girls of Summer during the first UK COVID lockdown, after becoming increasingly interested in stories emerging from the #MeToo movement. The novel is inspired by her own experiences of backpacking, and by her interest in how personal narratives can be reshaped and understood in light of cultural and social changes.
In 2020, Katie moved back to the Midlands, and now lives in Birmingham with her partner. She is a full-time writer.
Review
‘The Girls of Summer’ is full of intrigue and suspense from the get-go. This is definitely one of those books that you will see around the pools this summer as it evokes the heat of the season, the joy of being on holiday tempered with the thought-provoking topic that it delves into. This is impressive for a debut book and I will certainly be keeping an eye out to see what Katie does next.
Rachel has been in love with Alistair since they first meet when she was 17 on a remote Greek island when she was backpacking with a friend. Even though she has seen him for sixteen years and is married to someone else she still holds a torch for him and the time that they spent together. Even though she was a teenager when they met and he was 20 years older than her. When she travels back to the island with her husband for a holiday she unexpectedly bumps into someone from when she was there and this causes her to re-examine her memories and what exactly happened to her. Then when Alistair returns her life is thrown into chaos…
This is a book that explores the themes that have come out from the #metoo movement and also how memories can be complete fabrications and manipulations of the truth. I had a lot of empathy for Rachel, in both timelines as it's clear she has no idea that she is a victim in this story. What interested me as a reader was the slow reveal and exploration of Rachel’s memories and how they have become very skewed as a way to protect herself. I feel this was done extremely well by the author and it's clear she has put a lot of research into this to get Rachel’s character spot on!
This was a disturbing read at times and a sense of dread grew exponentially with the reveal of the manipulation, control and betrayal actioned by Alistair on Rachel and the girls in general. I devoured this book in a few sittings and found it to be gripping and thought-provoking. When you go on holiday you don't want to think about the evil in the world and especially at that age you are not wise to criminal behaviour. I could see this situation happening very easily unfortunately. Therefore, the narrative felt authentic and believable. Plus it was an entertaining read.
Let me know if you pick this one up! 💜
