Thanks to Lathea Williams of Sourcebooks, I am givingaway one print copy of ‘Under a Dark Summer Sky’ by Vanessa Lafaye.
Description of ‘Under a Dark Summer Sky’ by Vanessa Lafaye:
The Help meets The Perfect Storm in this debut novel set in 1935 in the broiling Florida Keys
Heron Key is already weighed down with secrets when a random act of violence and a rush to judgment viscerally tear the town apart. As the little island burns under the sun and the weight of its inhabitants’ secrets, a devastating
storm approaches, matching the volatile atmosphere in the town with the unstable sky above.
Beautifully written and seductive, Under a Dark Summer Sky is at once a glorious love story, a fascinating slice of social history, and a mesmerizing account of what it’s like to be in the eye of a hurricane.
Praise for ‘Under a Dark Summer Sky’ by Vanessa Lafaye:
“A storming debut novel [that] captures the racial and social tensions in southern America after the First World War. Part social history and part love story, this features the hurricane as a forceful, malevolent character in its own right, whipping through the pages.” – The Bookseller
“Under a Dark Summer Sky is a tender love story, an unflinching look at racial tension, and a gripping account of what its like to survive a powerful hurricane on the Florida Keys in the 1930s. A haunting debut novel!” – Ellen Marie Wiseman, author of The Plum Tree and What She Left Behind
“A taut and powerful novel….deeply moving. A riveting piece of social history, it’s also a love story and a devastating account of what it’s like to experience such a disaster.” – The Daily Mail
About Vanessa Lafaye:
Photo Credit: Imagine Studios
Vanessa Lafaye is a Florida native, now living in the UK. She has worked for nearly 30 years in academic publishing, for Oxford University Press, Blackwell Publishing, and Wiley. She has published numerous articles in British broadsheets, and several short stories. She lives in Wiltshire. This is her first novel.
This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on June 23, 2015. Please use Rafflecopter to enter.
This novel sounds memorable and captivating. Thanks.
The secrets, the atmosphere, and the storm all mixed together has the making of a good read in my opinion.
The Help is one of my all time favorite books/movie, and I loved The Perfect Storm, so that immediately caught my attention. Then you have an act of violence, secrets and a storm on the way. I live in Florida so that aspect and the storm grabbed me too.
The hurricane and the Keys sound like a fascinating backdrop for a story. Thanks for the giveaway.
I love intriguing reads set in my home state—this one sounds like a good beach read to me!
The combination of The Help and The Perfect Storm in a period Southern setting sounds very compelling.
the setting
What could be better than a book exploring powerful, complex social dynamics (involving racism no less — hard to find a more powerful, complex and compelling a social dynamic than that old beast)in a specific, unique historical context? Maybe one that offers a story with all that AND some page-turning, pulse-pounding element of suspense…like I dunno…an impending national disaster?! Yeah. Wowsa.
Thanks for offering the opportunity to win this book and especially for featuring it in the first place; I hadn’t heard of this one yet! Cheers, Kara S