Summer in the Land of Skin

Summer In The Land Of Skin follows the quest of Anna Medina to wake up, put down her binoculars, and actually live her life instead of living it through the people she watches through her beige apartment window in San Francisco. Her expedition starts in Bellingham, Washington to which she moves to learn the truth about her father's suicide while learning his trade of making guitars. This book forces the reader to look deep into the hearts of it's characters as they are presented, to look far beneath the surface. Gehrman does an excellent job presenting the characters with just enough clues to let you figure them out for yourself. Summer is a very accurate character study of the 25 year-old; a sonorous depiction of the inner struggle between the drive for success and the devastating fear of failure. Her characters want so badly for their dreams to come true, but are far too afraid that they won't to even dare believe they will. The quirky sense of humor, intense characters, and emotional plot make this book hard to put down. And after the last page, Gehrman's language is so well-crafted and her images so vivid that the impact they create last long after. Overall, I had to give this book five stars because I read it all at once and then had to go back and read my favorite parts all over again. I can't wait to read Gehrman's next book, Tart.

Summer in the Land of Skin became a transcendental trip for me. A trip to a State I've never been, but real all the same. Jody Gehrman takes the reader, along with her main character, on a journey of self-discovery, one that isn't compromised by fairy tale endings and magical revelations. But one of truth and searching which rings home to this reader. The characters became so real that I'm left searching at the end of the book for more information about their lives:"Lucy remained in Washington to eventually take a college correspondence....". Along with Anna, I also became enamored with Arlan. Gehrman's analogy is musical in its substance and drifts into your mind like a memorable melody. Thank you, Ms. Gehrman for giving my mind a vacation this summer.

I was very impressed with Jody's first novel. I feel as though I've spent a few days in Bellingham myself and am looking forward to another trip soon. I was given this wonderful book by a friend who said it was the best book of the year. I have to second that. When is the movie? Robert Cooper Middlefork, CA

This is a unique story of a girl coming of age. It shows you how she comes out of her shell through her relationship with very interesting characters. And it is all told so beautifully. Great read for anyone of any age interested in initiation themes.

This book is beautifully written, it was hard to put down to get something to drink. I still find myself thinking about the characters and what they're doing now. Cant wait for "tart" to come out! I highly recomend it to anyone with a free afternoon!