The three main characters in Summer Reading are interesting women, each of surprisinging unpredictable, especially given the fact that at first glance they appear to be stereotypes. Angela is the single, solitary retired professor who facilitates reading groups for the affluent women of Long Island's summer community. She is somewhat dowdy and prefers to company of her books to almost anything else. Lissy is the pampered second wife of a wealthy businessman who has two children from his difficult first marriage. She hosts the bimonthly meetings of the Page Turners reading group in spite of her own difficulties with reading and the stresses of her familial relationships. Michelle, Lissy's maid, is the daughter of fisherman who disappeared from his ship a few years ago. Michelle has come to a crossroads in her relationship with Hank, who is divorced but has an amicable relationship with his ex-wife and shares custody of his daughter Kayla.
This might sound like typical women's fiction, but each of these characters has more to her than meets the eye, including issues with intimacy and past experiences that profoundly impact their present relationships. The stories are told in alternating chapters from each woman's viewpoint. Despite their "official" relationships between the women, there is little actual emotional connection among the characters themselves. Somehow, it all works to create and interesting story. I would definitely read another of Hilma Wolitzer's novels.
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