Boardwalk Summer: A Novel

Santa Cruz, California, seems to be the locale du jour for thoughtful creative authors. Meredith Jaeger draws upon her time at UC Santa Cruz to ensure readers of the accuracy of her writing. Both the past and present beach boardwalks are portrayed as significant to the unfolding of Jaeger’s mysterious morality tale.

There are two main characters: Violent Harcourt of the 1940s and Marisol Cruz of the 2000s. Violet yearns for a life beyond the gilded cage, where a controlling husband traps her. The beauty contest held each summer on the boardwalk just might be the key to her cage.

Marisol is the mother of a young girl, Lily. She strives to make a life for them both and yet is painfully cautious of trusting others beyond the safety and comfort of her parent’s home. Marisol’s intellectual curiosity, coupled with pride in her family’s Santa Cruz roots, lead her to a link in the past that proves valuable to her quest for a grownup life. The Dressmaker’s Dowry preceded Boardwalk Summer, author Jaeger’s second novel. They are equally engaging and satisfying. Highly recommended for sentimental readers and history enthusiasts.