Summer Days. Summer Nights.

Be True to Me by Adele Griffin

Two Girls.  One Guy.  One Summer.

Welcome to the summer of 1976. Wealthy East Coast family dynasties escape the sweltering streets of New York City by retreating to Fire Island. Navigating the carefully orchestrated summer rituals belonging to this elite social class, days are filled with bike rides and beachfront sunbathing, tennis games and secret rendezvous. Evenings belong to long-standing traditions such as Punch Night and the Lobster Party.

Jean Custis discovers that this year's summer offers the promise of much more. Hiding behind the shadow of her older sister Daphne, Jean sees her chance to shine when she realizes that this year Daphne will be in Europe."A whole summer of no Daphne felt too good to be true." She meets Gil Burke, nephew of her godfather Carpie Burke. Gil has become his uncle's protégé, working in the city for his prestigious law firm. This summer he is a guest at the Burke's island summer cottage. Handsome, and oozing with southern charm, Gil becomes the object of Jean's desire.

​​But then there is Fritz, a working-class girl, who leaves her job cashiering at a Louisiana PX to enjoy summers on Fire Island with her friend Julie. Last year she bested Jean at tennis, winning the coveted Junior Cup. When Fritz and Gil meet, their mutual attraction threatens to destroy Jean's dreams for romance as well as the Burke family's desire to maintain their elite social status

The rivalry between Jean and Fritz escalates during the sultry days of June and July. What starts are a competition for domination on the tennis courts quickly moves off court and becomes an all- consuming contest to claim the attention and affections of Gil. Knowing that his future rests on maintaining his status with his uncle, Gil straddles his loyalties between the two girls. "I don’t want you and me to get more complicated than we are already."

​When "Young Americans" came on, I clapped for it. "I love this song!"

Readers are transported to a life of glamour, privilege, and class warfare. The narrative is laced with numerous references to the 1970's and descriptions of summer life on Fire Island. Told through the alternating voices of Jean and Fritz, the unfolding saga is high drama. Griffin's superb pacing and storytelling maintains the mounting tension, with a concluding race that left me breathless. The last 100 pages had me madly devouring the each word, each chapter.
​Griffin has a way with words. Her turn of phrase often has a particularly pungent bite and sting. "But suppressing all my hope was something else. It was like trying not to inhale its perfume, or maybe its poison." An intoxicating summer read.