Clio Chang

I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir that so perfectly captured the Rockaway beach ambience. Janet sounds like an amazing person and her tenacity in sticking with the male dominated lifeguarding culture during the 80s and 90s was inspiring. The part of the book that details her efforts at taking on the entrenched bureaucracy was compelling. At the same time, portions of her story that reflect the intransigence and short sightedness of the higher ups in the lifeguarding world were infuriating, show more particularly as she details how these issues put the public at risk on occasion. All in all, a perfect summer read for those who like to read memoirs by "ordinary" people doing extraordinary things. show less

I know the Love Story part of this memoir is about her love for her job as a Lifeguard and her love of the ocean, but this is no wimpy love affair. Janet is tough and never more so than when she spoke the truth to power taking on corruption so that she could protect the beach goers and her own lifeguards. I'm from California so I didn't know anything about New Yorks lifeguards, and it was interesting and eye-opening to say the least. That she was able to do her job for over 40 years is a show more testament to her strength. As someone who got pulled out of a rip current one summer by a lifeguard, I appreciate what they do. show less

I think the subtitle “A Love Story “ is a misnomer. Although the author obviously loved being a lifeguard, most of the book is about how dysfunctional and corrupt the New York City lifeguard system is. That said, I found the book an interesting read that held my attention.

I had reached an advanced reader copy and I appreciate the format of the book along with the stories that are told throughout. I think formatting wise some transitions to different stories and life experiences felt a little out of place in the flow of the memoir. But overall, I throughly enjoyed the book especially as someone from NYC myself!