THE BLOSSOMING SUMMER, by Anna Rose Johnson, Holiday House, July 29, 2025, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 8-12)
A teen uncovers a family secret when she is evacuated to America at the start of World War II in The Blossoming Summer, by Anna Rose Johnson.
Life in England is all Rosemary has ever known. . . but as WWII changes the world, no one’s life is left unscathed. Suddenly, she’s sent away to escape the devastation of London. Her grandmother’s house on Lake Superior is safe, but unfamiliar, especially as she discovers her parents have kept a tremendous secret.
Rosemary and her family are Anishinaabe—and no one is supposed to know.
Far from home but newly connected to a once-hidden part of her family, Rosemary develops a warm, close relationship with her grandmother… and a local boy whose love of gardening helps her to see the beauty in her unexpected circumstances. As Rosemary grows into her new life like a flower in bloom, she realizes that maybe she’s not as far from home as she thought. —Synopsis provided by Holiday House
The Blossoming Summer stars Rosemary, a girl who dreams of a life reunited with her family. With money tight, she and her brothers have been living under different roofs. But when war breaks out in Europe, her father takes those dreams to the extreme, moving the entire family to Wisconsin, where he grew up. There, they will live with Rosemary’s grandmother, aunt and cousin.
When Rosemary arrives at her grandmother’s, she immediately feels at home. Grandmother’s garden is paradise. As Rosemary grows closer to her grandmother, she begins to learn of her family’s Anishinaabe roots. If only her father would do the same.
The Blossoming Summer is a gentle read that touches on family, identity, generational trauma and the love of nature. It moves at a comfortable pace, though it might be too slow for readers looking for a more dynamic story.
Author Anna Rose Johnson’s text has a tender quality as she explores what it’s like to grow up in a new place and learning of a hidden identity. While written for middle readers, The Blossoming Summer will likely call to adults who loved books by L.M. Montgomery and Frances Hodgson Burnett.
The Blossoming Summer is the second book I’ve read by Anna Rose Johnson. Her YA novel, The Star That Always Stays, is also a fantastic coming-of-age story.
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