One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

Reviewed by Gail M. Murray

Canadian journalist, editor and author, Carley Fortune placed Ontario cottage country on the map with her debut novel, Every Summer After, set in Barry’s Bay south of Algonquin Park. In this, her fourth novel, she returns to this nostalgic locale. Her stand-alone novel becomes richer if you’ve experienced Every Summer After, as Sam Florek and Percy (from her first novel) appear as secondary characters - married and expecting their first child.

Auburn haired professional photographer, Alice Everly, recovering from a recent break-up and weary of compromise in her career, decides a summer at the lake is just the ticket. The novel unfolds from her point of view. Her grandmother Nan, recovering from hip surgery, makes a great companion on this respite. Nan adds such warmth to the story, and acts as a wise sounding board, helping to ground Alice. She reminds us, “good things happen at the lake.”

Fortune immerses us in uniquely Canadian cottage culture, with rich sensory details (granite rock faces along the highway, Muskoka chairs, the scent of cedar, crunch of pine needles, Kawartha Dairy ice cream). Alice remarks, “and just like that I’m 17 again” as she jots down a bucket list her shy 17-year-old self would not have had the courage to explore: leap off the Jumping Rock, go skinny-dipping, ride a jet ski, kiss a cute boy, throw myself a birthday party!

It’s not long before tall, handsome, blonde, muscular, Charlie Florek, think a young Robert Redford, enters her orbit, first by phone (as he’s taking care of cottage maintenance), text, then a chance meeting in the grocery store and finally coming to her aid as she gets her boat stuck on a large rock.

They spar and banter. This introverted woman gives as good as she gets. Her family calls her “the turtle” and into adulthood she can hide behind her camera lens. Charlie unknowingly forces her to re-evaluate and stand up for herself.

They grow into a comfortable friendship, despite the physical attraction – “he looks like sex” and “his voice sounds like foreplay.” He can’t stay away, taking Nan and Alice on boat rides, making Alice a chocolate cake for her birthday, empowering her to act on her bucket list.

Despite the sexual tension and some spicy scenes, neither is interested in a serious relationship; they both fight it. Fight commitment. Fight rejection. Behind all his wit and bravado, it’s a shock to learn the real reason behind Charlie’s backing away.

It’s a golden moment when Alice realizes Charlie is the boy driving the yellow boat in her breakthrough photograph—a symbol of freedom.

Fortune’s chapter titles generate suspense as she counts down 32 days left at the lake, 28 days left at the lake, etc. What happens when summer ends?

Fortune’s creative metaphors, smooth writing style, poetic and sensory descriptions, natural dialogue and character development all add to the joy of this novel – a love letter to the place where she grew up; an opportunity to connect with nature, reflect, recharge, re-discover.

One Golden Summer is published by Viking.