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Summer Sisters

Summer Sisters

by Judy Blume
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Summer Sisters

Summer Sisters

by Judy Blume

Overview

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
In the summer of 1977, Victoria Leonard’s world changes forever when Caitlin Somers chooses her as a friend. Dazzling, reckless Caitlin welcomes Vix into the heart of her sprawling, eccentric family, opening doors to a world of unimaginable privilege, sweeping her away to vacations on Martha’s Vineyard, an enchanting place where the two friends become “summer sisters.”
 
Now, years later, Vix is working in New York City. Caitlin is getting married on the Vineyard. And the early magic of their long, complicated friendship has faded. But Caitlin begs Vix to come to her wedding, to be her maid of honor. And Vix knows that she will go—because she wants to understand what happened during that last shattering summer. And, after all these years, she needs to know why her best friend—her summer sister—still has the power to break her heart.
 
Praise for Summer Sisters
 
“Compulsively readable . . . [Blume’s] powers are prodigious.”—The New York Times Book Review
 
“As warm as a summer breeze blowing through your hair, as nostalgic as James Taylor singing ‘How Sweet It Is.’ You remember. So does Judy Blume. How sweet it was.”—Chicago Tribune
 
“An exceptionally moving story that can leave the reader laughing and crying . . . sometimes at the same time . . . Blume creates a rich tapestry of characters.”—The Denver Post
 
“Blume’s characters still tend to hover after the book is set aside. . . . She catches perfectly the well-armored love between longtime female friends.”—The Seattle Times

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780385337663
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Publication date: 05/27/2003
Pages: 432
Sales rank: 38,811
Product dimensions: 5.15(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.94(d)

About the Author

About The Author

Judy Blume is one of America’s most beloved authors. She has written books for all ages. Her twenty-nine titles include Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret; Forever; Wifey; and, most recently, In the Unlikely Event. Her books have sold more than eighty-five million copies in thirty-two languages. She lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband, George Cooper.

Hometown:

New York's Upper East Side, Key West, and Martha's Vineyard

Date of Birth:

February 12, 1938

Place of Birth:

Elizabeth, New Jersey

Education:

B.S. in education, New York University, 1961

Website:

http://www.judyblume.com/

Read an Excerpt

Prologue
Summer 1990

The city is broiling in an early summer heat wave and for the third day in a row Victoria buys a salad from the Korean market around the corner and has lunch at her desk. Her roommate, Maia, tells her she's risking her life eating from a salad bar. If the bacteria don't get you, the preservatives will. Victoria considers this as she chomps on a carrot and scribbles notes to herself on an upcoming meeting with a client who's looking for a PR firm with an edge. Everyone wants edge these days. You tell them it's edgy, they love it.

When the phone rings she grabs it, expecting a call from the segment producer at Regis and Kathie Lee. "This is Victoria Leonard," she says, sounding solid and professional.

"Vix?"

She's surprised to hear Caitlin's voice on the other end and worries for a minute it's bad news, because Caitlin calls only at night, usually late, often waking her from a deep sleep. Besides, it's been a couple of months since they've talked at all.

"You have to come up," Caitlin says. She's using her breathy princess voice, the one she's picked up in Europe, halfway between Jackie O's and Princess Di's. "I'm getting married at Lamb's house on the Vineyard."

"Married?"

"Yes. And you have to be my Maid of Honor. It's only appropriate, don't you think?"

"I guess that depends on who you're marrying."

"Bru," Caitlin answers, and suddenly she sounds like herself again. "I'm marrying Bru. I thought you knew."

Victoria forces herself to swallow, to breathe, but she feels clammy and weak anyway. She grabs the cold can of Diet Coke from the corner of her desk and holds it against her forehead, then moves it to her neck, as she jots down the date and time of the wedding. She doodles all around it while Caitlin chats, until the whole page is filled with arrows, crescent moons, and triangles, as if she's back in sixth grade.

"Vix?"  Caitlin says. "Are you still there?  Do we have a bad connection or what?"

"No, it's okay."

"So you'll come?"

"Yes."  The second she hangs up she makes a mad dash for the women's room where she pukes her guts out in the stall. She has to call Caitlin back, tell her there's no way she can do this. What can Caitlin be thinking?  What was she thinking when she agreed?

Four weeks later Caitlin, her hair flying in the wind, meets Victoria at the tiny Vineyard airport. Victoria is the last one to step out of the commuter from LaGuardia. She'd spotted Caitlin from her window as soon as they'd landed but felt glued to her seat. It's been more than two years since they've seen each other, and three since Victoria graduated from college and got caught up in real life—a job, with just two weeks vacation a year. No money to fly around. Bummer, as Lamb would say when they were kids.

"Going on to Nantucket with us?"  the flight attendant asks and suddenly Victoria realizes she's the only passenger still on the plane. Embarrassed, she grabs her bag and hustles down the steps onto the tarmac. Caitlin finds her in the crowd and waves frantically. Victoria heads toward her, shaking her head because Caitlin is wearing a T-shirt that says simplify, simplify, simplify. She's barefoot as usual and Victoria is betting her feet will be as dirty as they were that first summer.

Caitlin holds her at arm's length for a minute. "God, Vix . . ."  she says, "you look so . . . grown up!"  They both laugh, then Caitlin hugs her. She smells of seawater, suntan lotion, and something else. Victoria closes her eyes, breathing in the familiar scent, and for a moment it's as if they've never been apart. They're still Vixen and Cassandra, summer sisters forever. The rest is a mistake, a crazy joke.

Reading Group Guide

1. Do you see more of your personality in the character of Victoria ("Vix&") or Caitlin? Why? Do you see parallels in your relationships with your friends? Have you ever known a "Caitlin?" You might start by remembering best friends and what they've meant to you.

2. What is it about Vix that leads Caitlin to befriend her in the first place? That allows the friendship to flourish? What does Vix get from her friendship with Caitlin? What does Caitlin get from Vix? And what do each of them give?

3.
What do you see as the source of the lasting bond between Vix and Cailtin? Why and how do they remain so close even as they grow apart and lead different lives? How do their expectations of each other change? Do you see similarities in your own long-term friendships? In what ways have they changed over time?

4. After Caitlin talks to Vix about Phoebe, Vix thinks, "You weren't always born to the right parents. And parents didn't necessarily get the kids they were meant to raise" (p. 98). Do you think Vix was thinking of her own parents, or Caitlin's? What does this say about how she feels about both sets of parents? Do you agree?

5. How did Vix's relationship with Abby and Lamb affect her relationship with her own family? How much different would her life have been if she hadn't developed such a strong bond with Caitlin's family? Would Vix have broken away from her background on her own, without her friendship with Caitlin?

6. How much do you think their respective backgrounds shaped Vix and Caitlin? Do you think their essential characters would have been the same if their situations had been reversed? How do you think each would have operated in the world under reversed circumstances?

7. Could there ever have been a future for Vix and Bru? Was their breakup inevitable? Could she have married him and still fulfilled herself? Do you see any parallels between their relationship and your own first love?

8. Why does Caitlin pursue and marry Bru? What attracts her to the idea of settling down and having a child? Is this something you think she deliberately set out to do or did it just happen?

9. How can Vix forgive Caitlin for marrying Bru? When Caitlin abandons her daughter? When she disappears from their lives? Why doesn't Vix ask more questions about Caitlin's life away from her? Do you think she should have ended the friendship because of any of these events?

10. Judy Blume uses an unusual technique in her novel, allowing readers to get into the minds of many characters, yet she never allows us inside Caitlin. Why?

11. What drew you to each character? With which characters did you most sympathize? Which did you find less sympathetic? Why?

12. Was the ending inevitable or tragic? Are you able to agree on what really happened? How do you feel about the ambiguity of the ending?

12. Was the ending inevitable or tragic? Are you able to agree on what really happened? How do you feel about the ambiguity of the ending?

Interviews

On Friday, May 29th, barnesandnoble.com welcomed Judy Blume to discuss SUMMER SISTERS.

Moderator: Good evening, Judy Blume! Welcome to the Auditorium. How are you this evening?

Judy Blume: Hi, everyone! Thanks for coming to the chat. I'm ready!

Kiltey from Manhasset, NY: Ms. Blume, I grew up reading your books, and although I was too young ten years ago to be reading your adult novels, I am thrilled to have this one as an introduction and an opportunity to keep reading your books. Thank you! Who do you expect will be your audience for this book? Do you think they will be readers like me, who loved your books when we were younger?

Judy Blume: So far what I've found at bookstores as I travel cross-country are wonderful women -- those who grew up reading my books and are 20- and 30-something, and their mothers, sisters, and even grandmothers! I love you all and thank you, too!

Gail Morrison from Pompano Beach, FL: Hi, Judy Blume! I am so glad to see you online tonight! When I told all my friends about tonight's chat, they all had a similar gleeful response -- "Oh, I love Judy Blume!!" What do you think has given readers such a strong emotional commitment to you and your writing? (By the way, I too, love Judy Blume! Thanks for years of the best-time reading.)

Judy Blume: I wish I knew the exact answer! I think it has to do with identifying with my characters, with feeling less alone or less weird, and there's the emotion. I'm afraid if I figure it out it will be gone!

Barb Wagner from Milwaukee, WI: Are you planning more books for adults in the future? We certainly hope so!

Judy Blume: Hey, Barb...I sure hope so. I have a notebook filled with details about another large cast of characters, but when will I write it? And will I write it? There are still so many stories to tell, and my young readers want more books too! But thanks for caring.

Janine Johnston from New Rochelle, NY: Where did the idea for SUMMER SISTERS come from? What made you decide to write it?

Judy Blume: I'm never sure where ideas come from. I'm grateful they keep coming. I think my first summer on Martha's Vineyard inspired me. I thought "What if..."And then I got a picture in my mind of a wedding, and I was hooked. What took so long? A lot of other books and projects, not to mention a couple of moves and a grandchild!!

Oren B. from Cambridge, MA: I am looking forward to reading your new book, SUMMER SISTERS, although I don't know much about it. Could you tell us a bit about it in your own words?

Judy Blume: The story unfolds over a period of almost 20 years in the lives of two women, starting in 1977, when they're 12, and going through 1996, when they're 31. It's about a friendship more intense and longer lasting than many love affairs, though there is a love affair at the center. And it's about their relationships with family, lovers and...well, characters and relationships...that's my thing. Many adult voices help to tell their story, including the men and women closest to them. Can you tell I really care about Caitlin and Vix??

Halley from Boston, MA: I read that you spend your summers on Martha's Vineyard. Is this where you got the idea for SUMMER SISTERS? Did you spend summers at a vacation home when you were young?

Judy Blume: No...I went to summer camp, and I had summer friendships. But my best friend, to whom the book is dedicated, was really my school-year sister, not my summer sister. We do spend summers on the Vineyard now. I love it...can't wait to finish my book tour and run there.

Betsy P. from Nevada: What was it like to write an adult book after such a long time? Were you nervous? What is it like to switch over into adult fiction?

Judy Blume: It really isn't any different for me to write an "adult" novel. The process is the same. I just have to get inside the heads (and bodies!) of different age groups. I like to deal with the side of me that's a grown woman...from time to time, anyway.

Jillian Richardson from Ann Arbor, MI: How much of SUMMER SISTERS is autobiographical? Did you have a friend like this when you were young?

Judy Blume: Actually...SUMMER SISTERS isn't autobiographical at all. I think after 22 books you've pretty much used up your own life. It would get pretty boring. It's imagination...though all fiction writers call on their own experiences and emotions.

Maiya from Minnesota: How old were you when you were pretty sure you wanted to write, and how old were you when you first started writing or making up stories?

Judy Blume: I never thought about writing when I was growing up. Didn't know it was a possibility. But I always had stories inside my head...just didn't share them. The writing began when I was in my mid-20s at home with two little kids and needed (desperately) that creative outlet. Writing saved my life...really...physically and emotionally.

A Nosy Writer from Morrisville, NY: So, about this notebook filled with a cast of characters.... Is this notebook where your books start? Do you think of characters first, and then stories? Also, while I'm at it, what sort of notebook do you prefer? Lines? No lines? Spiral? (Sorry...just nosy! I love all your books, and I am looking forward to your latest.)

Judy Blume: The notebook could be anything. It doesn't matter to me. I don't start making notes until I'm pretty sure I want to write about these characters who, by now, have been on the back burner of my mind for a long time. So, yes...it does begin on paper here...but it's a mess. It would mean nothing to anyone else. I always think, If I die and someone finds this notebook what might they think? Thanks for looking forward.

Cory from Los Angeles, CA: My 11-year-old daughter, Cory, has read most of your books. Since she isn't here right now, I'd like to find out which of your young adult novels is your favorite and why...

Judy Blume: I never think of my books as young adult novels...maybe because there was no such category when I began to write. I guess FOREVER could be considered YA and possibly TIGER EYES, but I think of the others as books for young readers, or maybe it should be books about young readers. Which is my favorite? I don't know. My husband likes TIGER EYES. My son does too.

Mina H. from Hoboken, NJ: How long did it take you to write SUMMER SISTERS?

Judy Blume: It feels as if it's taken all my life! I was a tough one to get right. Maybe that's why I feel so emotionally close to the characters. A couple of years of writing -- maybe 20 drafts. Last summer is when it all came together, and you couldn't get me away from my writing cabin! It was an exciting birth!

Rose from New York: Judy, I just wanted to say that I love your writing!!! Thank you for so many wonderful books, and I can't wait to read SUMMER SISTERS!!! I would like to begin a career in writing. I am currently a high school teacher.

Judy Blume: Go for it! The funny thing about writing is I don't think you decide to do it. You wouldn't do it if you didn't have to. I always say, "This is it! I'm never going through this again." But after a while I do it anyway. It's inside me. I have no choice.

Bernie W. from Oakland, CA: I haven't read your new book yet, but I am very interested. It sounds like you have taken from the terrain of your books about adolescents, and then saw what happens when they grow up! Is this true? What draws you to write about these themes?

Judy Blume: I don't know, really. I never think about themes. I never know until I read in some review what the "themes" are in my books. I just get swept away by my characters. I do identify strongly with young people. No question.

Carrie Frank from Portland, OR: It seems you have helped shape the way people not only experience but also remember the most important times of their lives. What do you think of this, as a writer? Do you think it has given you added responsibility as a writer?

Judy Blume: I do feel responsible to tell the best story I can. To work until it feels as right as I can get it. And I feel responsible toward my younger readers, especially, to tell the most honest stories I can. But as a writer you have to put everything away in order to write. If you allow yourself to think, while you're writing, you can paralyze yourself. I once was so overwhelmed by responsibility toward the kids who were writing to me -- such needy kids -- I couldn't write fiction for three years.

Ben from Springfield, IL: I just finished reading SUMMER SISTERS, and it was terrific. A really great job. You always write so beautifully and honestly about relationships, but this book also explored questions of class, in a way, and it is different from your other novels in this manner.... What made you write about this?

Judy Blume: It does explore differences in class...in how we think of ourselves. Caitlin never gives money a thought. It's just a part of her life. Not that she or her family spend...it's just there for them. Vix comes from such a different background. She understands the struggle. I'm not taking sides, though I think the struggle makes life more interesting and sometimes more meaningful...and I wonder if Caitlin doesn't miss that struggle. Glad you liked the book.

John Crowfort from Athens, GA: It seems that women seem to be your audience, and yet I read everything I could get my hands on of yours when I was younger and loved them all! Do you write for a female audience?

Judy Blume: No. I write for anyone who finds my work interesting. Last night, in Seattle, I had an audience of about 125, many of whom were guys, and I was really glad to see them. SUMMER SISTERS has a lot of male characters. All the summers Caitlin and Vix are spending together, there are three guys in that house. That makes a big difference in their lives. I love the fathers in the book. I see their side as clearly as I do the women. So thanks!

Rosa from Canandaigua, NY: Hi Judy!!!!! What an honor to be chatting with you! I absolutely love your work!!! Thank you for being such an inspiration for me! And also for your new book...I love your adult novels!!!

Judy Blume: Thanks! And my readers are an inspiration to me! I am surely the luckiest writer in the world to have such a close connection to my readers...to have your support and encouragement over all these years. My husband, George, says whenever I feel down and wonder what I'm doing all I have to do is read my email. I hope you'll visit my web site sometime -- http://www.judyblume.com.

Barb Wagner from Milwaukee, WI: How is your book tour going? Have you been able to relax now and enjoy it, without worrying so much? I hope so!

Judy Blume: The book tour is exhausting, but I am actually enjoying it! I never thought that would be possible...plus I've got George with me on this leg, and he helps me stay sane...or as sane as I ever am! Thanks for caring, Barb.

Ronnie from Wisconsin: You have so greatly influenced all your readers, and you have been writing long enough that those same readers have now become writers! How do you feel about having influenced writers both of your own generation and those who have grown from reading you when they were young? How do you think you have influenced them? Have you noticed a change in the type of fiction that is being written since you began writing?

Judy Blume: I don't think about influencing writers...ever. Do you really think I have? I'm not so sure. Yes, there are all those first-person accounts in YA and kids' fiction. Sometimes I think I've said all I have to say to that audience, but then a new character will come along, and who knows...I'll have to tell her/his story. Besides, I have a grandchild who must have another Fudge book. (And I thought I'd never have to write about Fudge again!)

Maureen from Austin, TX: Could you tell us a bit about your experience with censorship? What led to opposition against your books, and what did you do to battle it? Have attitudes changed at all in recent years?

Judy Blume: It's worse now than it was in the '70s, when I began to write. Publishers are less likely to take chances on books that might cause controversy. Puberty has never struck me as controversial. It happens to everyone! I'd rather celebrate it than hide it in the closet. I work with the National Coalition Against Censorship. They're a wonderful group (check out their web site http://www.ncac.org). They are there to help any teacher, librarian, parent, or student under fire. Censorship preys on fear, and fear is contagious. Don't be afraid to stand up and speak out. Otherwise your right to choose what to read could be in jeopardy!

Mary S from Orland Park IL: Hi, Judy. When you are in the writing process do you know the middle and end of your stories? Or do the characters take on a life of their own and demand you go another way?

Judy Blume: What I know when I begin (or think I know) is where I'm beginning and where I'm going. Everything else happens along the way. I get to know my characters by writing about them in draft after draft. The first draft is pure torture. The middle is tough! But once I get a first draft, once I find "the voice," I can enjoy the process!

Maiya from Minnesota: I'm curious. Do you remember a moment when you went from not realizing writing was a possibility to deciding to write? If yes, was there a particular catalyst?

Judy Blume: I began with imitation Dr. Seuss books. I don't think there was a particular catalyst except my own very strong need to create. I had all that angst...writing allowed me to put it to good use.

Moderator: Thank you so much for joining us tonight, Judy Blume. It has truly been a pleasure, and we are always looking forward to your next book. (And yes, you must write another Fudge book!) We hope you will join us again. Before you go, do you have any closing comments for your readers?

Judy Blume: This has been wonderful for me! Thanks so much for joining me tonight. I feel as if we've been sitting around on the floor, having a real heart-to-heart. Wish I could keep going, but it's been a looooonnnngggg day, and my fingers (and mind) are quitting on me. Lots of love.

Foreword

1. Do you see more of your personality in the character of Victoria ("Vix&") or Caitlin? Why? Do you see parallels in your relationships with your friends? Have you ever known a "Caitlin?" You might start by remembering best friends and what they've meant to you.

2. What is it about Vix that leads Caitlin to befriend her in the first place? That allows the friendship to flourish? What does Vix get from her friendship with Caitlin? What does Caitlin get from Vix? And what do each of them give?

3. What do you see as the source of the lasting bond between Vix and Cailtin? Why and how do they remain so close even as they grow apart and lead different lives? How do their expectations of each other change? Do you see similarities in your own long-term friendships? In what ways have they changed over time?

4. After Caitlin talks to Vix about Phoebe, Vix thinks, "You weren't always born to the right parents. And parents didn't necessarily get the kids they were meant to raise" (p. 98). Do you think Vix was thinking of her own parents, or Caitlin's? What does this say about how she feels about both sets of parents? Do you agree?

5. How did Vix's relationship with Abby and Lamb affect her relationship with her own family? How much different would her life have been if she hadn't developed such a strong bond with Caitlin's family? Would Vix have broken away from her background on her own, without her friendship with Caitlin?

6. How much do you think their respective backgrounds shaped Vix and Caitlin? Do you think their essential characters would have been the same if their situations had been reversed? How doyou think each would have operated in the world under reversed circumstances?

7. Could there ever have been a future for Vix and Bru? Was their breakup inevitable? Could she have married him and still fulfilled herself? Do you see any parallels between their relationship and your own first love?

8. Why does Caitlin pursue and marry Bru? What attracts her to the idea of settling down and having a child? Is this something you think she deliberately set out to do or did it just happen?

9. How can Vix forgive Caitlin for marrying Bru? When Caitlin abandons her daughter? When she disappears from their lives? Why doesn't Vix ask more questions about Caitlin's life away from her? Do you think she should have ended the friendship because of any of these events?

10. Judy Blume uses an unusual technique in her novel, allowing readers to get into the minds of many characters, yet she never allows us inside Caitlin. Why?

11. What drew you to each character? With which characters did you most sympathize? Which did you find less sympathetic? Why?

12. Was the ending inevitable or tragic? Are you able to agree on what really happened? How do you feel about the ambiguity of the ending?

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