This is a book about schizophrenia, but more than that, it is about family, and the devotion of sisters. 1955, Flint, Michigan’s Centennial year, is the backdrop of this story. It is authentic. I was thirteen when my family and I moved there from the hills of Virginia, hoping for a better life. Many of the details of those early months are crystal clear in my memory today.
In 2005, the Flint Public Library chose Memories of Summer as their One Book, One Community read, and I was honored to be invited to speak with the people of Flint about my story. I welcomed the opportunity to go back there and re-visit the place that held such bittersweet memories for me. Many of the people in the audience remembered that Centennial year when the city was a vital, energetic place, happily celebrating its history, and we had a nostalgic visit, remembering the time and the place and the changes that came with the years.
I hope you will appreciate this new edition of Memories of Summer, only slightly revised.
Ruth White, Hershey, PA
