Book Review on A Summer To Die By: Jesseca Louise Torren

Book Review on A Summer To Die
Jesseca Louise Guibani Torren

Lois Lowry (born Lois Ann Hammersburg on March 20, 1973) is an American author of children's literature. She began her career as a photographer and a freelance journalist during the early 1970s. Her work as a journalist drew the attention of Houghton Mifflin and they encouraged her to write her first children's book, A Summer To Die, which was published in 1977. She has since written more than 30 books for children and published an autobiography. Two of her works have been awarded the prestigious New berry: Number the Stars in 1990, and The Giver in 1994. Lowry's first book A Summer To Die is about a young girl who tragically loses her older sister (which is also a subplot of Number the Stars). Lowry's brother Jon is six years younger than her and grew up to be a doctor. He and Lois continue to enjoy a close relationship.

Meg, the younger of the two sisters, is the story's narrator and primary protagonist. Their father, an English professor at a university, has decided to take a year off from teaching to write a book that he claims will shake the world of literature--only half jokingly. This means the family relocates to a small country house where his daughters are upset they will be sharing a room. Like most sisters, the two girls quarrel over silly things, and Meg is jealous of her sister's blond curls and long eyelashes.

The owner of the house the family is renting lives down the road in a smaller house on the same property. The sisters soon establish a rapport with the elderly Will Banks, who learns about photography with Meg and teaches Molly about the abundant wildflowers covering the estate. A few months after coming to the country, Molly begins having constant nosebleeds the doctor blames on the cold weather. Unfortunately, he wasn't aware of the underlying cause, and it is not until Molly's bed is soaked in blood that she is rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with the ultimately fatal disease leukemia. She seems to recover slightly, though the pills she's taking are causing her hair to fall out.

Shortly thereafter, Ben Brady and a very pregnant Maria Abbott, who the townspeople assume incorrectly that they are not married, arrive to make the third Banks house their home, and all the inhabitants of the property enjoy each other's company for a while. Then the unthinkable happens, and Molly is rushed back to the hospital. She asks Meg to tell the baby to wait to be born until she comes home, and Meg obliges her, and also asks the baby to be born in the daytime since she's been invited to take pictures of the birth. They named it Happy William Abbot-Brady. In the end, Molly dies and the family moves back to the city.

Through it all, and with help from those who love her, Meg finds the jealousy she once had for her sister has changed into pure love, and eventually she must choose to accept that bad things happen to good people. In the end, she does.

The story is so amazing. It will make people realize how important your siblings are. Lowry narrated the story in a simple and clear way. It is very realistic knowing that siblings always have misunderstanding and non sense fights. I think that the camera always used by Meg is symbolizes something. It captures all the good and happy memories.

Even though the story is very interesting, still, there are boring parts. The author always narrates about the happenings in Meg’s life. It discussed very little about what is happening to Molly. The death of Molly just came in a rush. I think that the author was so eager to finish the book that is why it does not elaborate about that part. It is not convincing but the ending is kind of unpredictable. I am thinking of an ending that will make the sisters be bonded with each other but then, it is the other way around. It is a very inspirational book for those people who are taking there sisters for granted. Overall, it is an amazing book.