This is a book to read slowly and savor, to fully taste the sense of being on an island in the sea with long days of sleeping, swimming, gardening and fishing ahead of you.
The interactions between the grandmother and grandchild are idiosyncratic and never sentimental. I felt I was a guest in someone’s tiny cottage over the summer, observing a way of life different from mine.
Although clearly founded in memories of the author’s past, I couldn’t tell whether the author was the grandmother or the grandchild. Isn’t that marvelous? They were equally emotionally present throughout the book, neither voice dominating.
A marvelous summer book, to help you remember the long days of daydreaming and exploration we associate with childhood.