The women of first and second generation Canadian Ukranian families gather at their lake homes each summer, the men of the family only arriving on weekends. Throughout the hot weekdays the women and children cook and clean, play and nap, gossip and fight. Then they do it all again the next year. Unfortunately this is as much as I got out of this novel, though some of the descriptions were lovely and the languid pace did match the setting. ( )

Ladies in the '60s who take their kids to the shore for the summer and wait for their husbands to come out on weekends. ( )

Canadian author Keefer has created an intricately woven story of one summer at a predominantly Ukrainian vacation lake. This particular summer the wives, who by turns are frustrated, depressed, resentful and wistful, are swept up with the new movie version of Cleopatra and the brewing love affair between its two costars. When they gather each week to share their steamy romance novels and illicit literature they can’t help but veer off topic to debate the merits and penalties of adultery and lust. By focusing on the Hollywood romance they successfully avoid acknowledging the dramatic affair that’s brewing in their own community. The story is revealed through many perspectives as each woman addresses her longings against her realities. Even the children, consumed with the heat, the sand and the freedoms a summer retreat offers, are pulled into testing and provoking each other. Keefer can turn a beautiful phrase and seems closely connected to her many characters that she coaxes along with both subtlety and drama. ( )

From the title I imagined this book would be an easy to read little chick lit about middle-aged women having innocent drinking sessions and sharing their books. However, I was so very wrong and in fact the tale was far deeper than I expected. It's about several Ukrainian families who are trying to make a life for themselves in Canada. Some of the characters have come from extremely poor backgrounds and have suffered many hardships. Now living a lifestyle that they only previously dreamed about, the women are often confused as to what is expected of them. The characters are so real but some are very unpleasant indeed. We learn about children growing up before the sexual revolution and the loss of innocence. The cruelties that the children inflict on a young mentally handicapped boy are heart wrenching to hear but beautifully written. Then, towards the end the horror of child abuse is introduced which made for a shocking read. I fully recommend this book but just wish the title and cover art had been given more thought. ( )