That Silent Summer

Lesley Shortt is an elementary-school teacher in Milton, Ontario.

Minnow has been sent to Birch Lake to spend her summer with three
elderly relatives she hardly knows: Yanny, her lovable, eccentric
grandmother, who makes the world’s best pies; Uncliff, who is
determined to write a 100-page poem, but don’t ask him when it will be
finished; and Aunt Anna, who has not uttered a word since her husband
died just six months after their marriage.

Minnow is shocked and dismayed at how primitive their little cottage
is, with no television or indoor bathroom. But as she gets to know her
elderly relatives, she discovers some positive aspects to their
lifestyle. One day, Aunt Anna coaches Minnow in a swim across the lake
to Picnic Island, something her mother had done at her age. This simple
event brings Minnow’s mother to the lake—which she has not visited
for more than 30 years—and wondrous things happen.

That Silent Summer takes readers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions
from start to finish. Characters are so wonderfully developed and scenes
so vividly portrayed that each chapter leaves the reader wanting more.
Highly recommended.