Subjective and objective nature of the story really attracts our attention when we start reading this book by Elin Hilderbrand who brands it as a historical novel but along with the history of the country there is also a story of a family’s personal affairs that appear to be far more important for them than the man landing on the moon.
The Levin family at the beginning of the story is described as a bunch of people who are facing the toughest summer of their lives. Each and every family member is stuck somewhere from where the return is impossible especially for the summer in their grandmother’s house. All of them want o spend the summer at the historic house of their grandmother that serves as a central point for the whole family but they cannot return in time as they are a part of certain historical events that are happening in the country. The eldest sister or the most senior member in the family is pregnant and hopeful of getting twins this time because of which traveling is banned for her for the rest of the period.
Kirby is fighting for human rights and thus cannot leave the protest in order to return to her home. Their brother is in the army and is at present stationed at Vietnam so his return is also impossible Jessie the only child in the house suffers isolation. Thus the novel works on different levels talking about wars, human rights and the birth of the new generation and the approach of the previous one. The story is quite different from the novels like The Perfect Couple and Winter in Paradise but the style of writing is the same. The narration works well as Erin Bennett has seriousness in the voice which was needed for this historical novel.
