Jenna Bush Hager has selected Judy Blume’s Summer Sisters as the latest pick for her Today show book club.
Blume’s novel was originally published in 1998 and reissued in May by Random House for its 25th anniversary. The book, written for adults, tells the story of a complicated relationship between two women, Vix and Caitlin, who first meet as sixth graders. A critic for Kirkus wrote of the book, “The dark and light sides of friendship breathlessly explored in a novel best saved for summer beachside reading.”
Hager said Blume’s book is “about that time in your life where you’re trying to figure out who you’re going to be.”
“It is the perfect, perfect beach read but that doesn’t mean that it’s an easy read,” she said. “It’s a beautiful read and it will make you think about growing up and that friend of yours who you adored, but maybe didn’t know if they were good for you.”
On the show, Hager interviewed Blume at Books & Books, her store in Key West, Florida. Blume talked about her reasons for moving to the town.
“We came here for a month because I was trying to finish Summer Sisters,” Blume said. “It was just, Put yourself someplace else and forget all your troubles.”
Hager also revealed that she and Blume are working on a television adaptation of Summer Sisters with Universal, “when all these strikes are over.”
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
