This story of 4 summer camp friends kept making me think of the line from #StandByMe : "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
#VolumesAndVocals
pickThree women who met at summer overnight camp come together years later to honor a fourth friend who passed away. Over the years their friendship has lessened and the fourth friend had arranged before her passing to make sure these women got together and forgave each other for the past. This book about female friendship will appeal to anyone who attended overnight summer camp and made lifetime friendships there.
Set in Michigan-Camp Birchwood, 4 young girls make a pact to be BFF's using the analogy of a four leaf clover. But strife strikes the girls the last year at camp. Fast forward 30 years-Emily, no longer present, sent letters to reunite the Clover girls back to the run down camp imposing a quest that just might mend the broken friendships and the brokenness each one is experiencing in their personal struggle. I've read EVERY Viola Shipman novel❤️
pickTough one to review. I liked so much about it that for most of the book I leaned towards giving it 5 stars, but I was annoyed by the multitide of 80s references that sometimes seemed forced, only mentioned for the sake of mentioning them. The last 100 pages slogged for me and I had to fight the urge to skim. I think it because it was too saccharine for my tastes. I would still recommend it just for the nostalgia to those of us in our 40s and 50s.
pick#14Books14Weeks2021 , book 1:
Viola Shipman's latest summer hit is The Clover girls. Every summer I eagerly anticipate Shipman's summer release, it is always on my must read list and I am never disappointed!
The Clover girls is infused with '80s nostalgia in all the best ways! Summer camp memories, making new friends, your new group of BFFs, the painful angst and all the emotions from those teenage years, (continued in comments)
pickThis story has big themes of friendship and women supporting one another—or tearing one another down. This is a “friends had a falling-out and grew apart” story. I love that the author wrote these women crooked pathways to resurrecting their friendship because it showed the hard work involved at re-establishing trust. Some things made me roll my eyes a little, but I really connected with much of the story. Also I loved the Michigan lake setting.
pickWhile I liked this book, I found the writing a little clunky and the dialogue sometimes stilted. Rachel‘s political storyline was clumsily handled. I enjoy stories about women‘s friendships though, and this filled that niche nicely. People on Goodreads complained that the women didn‘t always act like friends should. That‘s what made it believable. In real life, we do hurt our friends — no matter how much we love them. Overall, I liked it.
My daughter gave me a gift certificate to Books-a-Million, so here‘s what I got. I haven‘t read The Island of the Blue Dolphins since I was a kid, but I loved it so much then. I hope it holds up.
pickReview is up on my blog. Check it out!
https://reecaspieces.com/2021/05/24/the-clover-girls-by-viola-shipman-harlequinb...
so-soI enjoyed this. I loved all the 80s references! Starting with friendship pins (remember those!?), then of course, the music and movies… What brought the rating down a bit for me was that there was a bit more gushi-ness than I would have liked. It didn‘t seem real to me; it seemed like too much. Also I felt like a couple of the women acted very childishly in that one event. Con't in comments...
I‘m thrilled to be part of the reveal for the cover of THE CLOVER GIRLS (Available May 18, 2021).
THE CLOVER GIRLS is a heartfelt story of friendship and family, encapsulating summer memories on every page, perfect for readers of Nancy Thayer, Jane Green and Dorothea Benton Frank.
The first 100 readers who preorder the book at Violashipman.com will receive a complimentary clover bookmark!
@Viola_shipman
@bookclubbish
HTPbooks
The Clover Girls | 
