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WORK TITLE: Cicada Summer
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.maureenleurck.com/
CITY: Chicago [suburb of]
STATE: IL
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/31869
RESEARCHER NOTES:
Significant Web bios and reviews added by sketchwriter.
PERSONAL
Married; children: three.
EDUCATION:Miami University, Oxford, OH, graduated.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Maureen Leurck is a product of the American Midwest. She attended college in Ohio and settled down in a suburb of Chicago to raise her family of three. When time permits, she vacations in Wisconsin, and that is the setting of her first novel.
Cicada Summer is set in Lake Geneva, a resort community on Geneva Lake, located about eighty miles north and a bit west of Chicago, just across the state line with Wisconsin. It is a quaint community, with a history that goes back to the late 1800s. The town is dotted with historic structures and period homes, some of them in better condition than others. Single mom Alex Proctor earns a modest living by purchasing rundown houses and restoring them for profit.
Alex almost lost the house on Maple Street to a developer who wanted to demolish it, but she is convinced that the dilapidated shell of a home deserves a second chance. Past the overgrown yard, beyond the peeling paint and drafty windows, she finds both trash and treasure. There are pocket doors concealed within adjacent walls and hardwood floors buried under generations of linoleum. There is also damage from rodents and raccoons and the passage of time, but Alex is eager to get started. She hopes to have the renovated house ready for sale when the cicadas arrive a few weeks hence, as they have done every seventeen years from time immemorial. The return of the cicadas is regarded as a sign of renewal, even as far back in time as ancient Greece, and Alex is energized by the symbolism.
Alex has spent her whole life in Lake Geneva. That is where she married Matt and became a mother to little Abby. A few years later the marriage drifted into idle mode and finally ended in divorce. While working on the house, Alex’s mind turns to second chances–for houses and people alike. She thinks about her failed marriage, which seems beyond reconstruction now that her ex-husband is moving into the future with a new girlfriend. Alex’s train of thought is derailed when she discovers carved initials that hint at a much older love story gone awry, and it involves Elsie, the elderly neighbor who still lives nearby.
Elsie shares her memories of the people who once lived in the house on Maple Street and, eventually, reveals a secret of her own. She asks Alex to help her find the child she gave up so long ago. Alex finds herself pondering her own past and dredges up feelings she thought she had put behind her. As the day approaches when the cicadas will emerge from seventeen years underground to burst into the sunlight fully grown, she gives second thoughts to a second chance for herself.
Cicada Summer succeeded with fans of do-it-yourself projects in general and house restorations in particular. A reviewer at Rainy Day Ramblings enjoyed “learning about all that goes into a restoration.” The house on Maple Street is not Alex’s only challenge. Her timeline is disrupted when an unexpected storm triggers new water damage, and the project is further delayed by a fire in her current home, but she perseveres. Could that same determination be applied to the restoration of her marriage?
The reviewer at Rainy Day Ramblings “loved the theme of second chances” and the unexpected ending, which she described as “sweet and satisfying.” Jaime A. Geraldi observed in RT Book Reviews: “The story of the cicadas coming out of hibernation just to start their journey all over again resonates with the storyline perfectly.” A Publishers Weekly commentator called Cicada Summer “a gem” that is “rich with believable characters and an evocative setting.” The author of Linda’s Book Obsession commented: “I love the way the author describes the crisp blue water of the lake, the boats, the people in this town.” The reviewer at She Reads with Cats summarized: “This novel is witty, charming, and romantic,” the ideal “summer read!”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, June 19, 2017, review of Cicada Summer, p. 88.
ONLINE
Linda’s Book Obsession, https://lindasbookobsession.blog/ (April 27, 2018), review of Cicada Summer.
Maureen Leurck Website, http://www.maureenleurck.com (April 27, 2018).
Night Owl Reviews, https://www.nightowlreviews.com/ (April 27, 2018), review of Cicada Summer.
Rainy Day Ramblings, http://www.rainydayramblings.com/ (August 24, 2017), review of Cicada Summer.
RT Book Reviews, https://www.rtbookreviews.com/ (April 27,2018), Jaime A. Geraldi, review of Cicada Summer.
She Reads with Cats, https://shereadswithcats.com/ (September 1, 2017), review of Cicada Summer.
ABOUT:
Maureen Leurck graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and currently resides in a suburb of Chicago with her husband and three children. She escapes up to the Lake Geneva area when she can for a good fish fry. Visit her at maureenleurck.com.
OFFICIAL BIO
Maureen Leurck graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and three children. She escapes up to Wisconsin for a good fish fry as often as possible.
Cicada Summer
Publishers Weekly. 264.25 (June 19, 2017): p88.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Cicada Summer
Maureen Leurck. Kensington, $15 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-1-4967-0652-2
Leurck reveals the hidden depths of one woman's heart as she struggles with loneliness and the fact that she still harbors feelings for her ex-husband. Alex Proctor has lived in the resort town of Geneva Lake, Wise., her entire life and enjoys her work seeking out old homes and restoring them for sale. Her latest find is a hundred-year-old home not far from the popular resort destination of Lake Geneva. Taking her five-year-old daughter, Abby, to visit Matt, her ex-husband, Alex recalls how she and Matt gradually drifted apart as their once-happy marriage ended in divorce. Yet she finds it difficult to move on and struggles with her emotions now that Matt is with a new girlfriend. Alex encounters unexpected setbacks to finishing her restoration of the house and enjoys the friendship of Elsie, who has lived next door to the home her whole life and tells tales of happier times when the house was in its prime. As Alex remembers the summer 17 years earlier when the soon-to-arrive cicadas last appeared, she tries to come to terms with the difficulties of her past with Matt and forge ahead toward a new future. <
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Cicada Summer." Publishers Weekly, 19 June 2017, p. 88. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A496643850/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6eee74e2. Accessed 24 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A496643850
08/24/2017
Review: Cicada Summer by Maureen Leurck
32920018
In this moving, witty novel, author Maureen Leurck explores the intricacies and joys of renovation and rediscovery as one woman s improvement project promises to transform much more than a home . . People keep a house alive, not the other way around. Alex Proctor has seen the truth of this in every empty, rundown property she s bought and renovated since her divorce almost three years ago. She s also experienced the thrill of making each one into a home. Her newest project is a dilapidated, century-old house just a few blocks from Geneva Lake, Wisconsin. Time and neglect, along with rats and raccoons, have ravaged it inside and out. Only Alex can see the beauty of what it once was and might become again. In just a few weeks by the time the cicadas make their scheduled reappearance after seventeen years underground the house should be ready to sell. In the meantime, there are construction disasters, and surprises, to contend with. Amid overgrown grounds and rooms brimming with debris, Alex finds treasures pocket doors, hardwood floors hidden beneath layers of linoleum and grime and carved initials that reveal a long-ago love story involving Alex’s elderly neighbor, Elsie, and another cicada summer. At the same time, Alex finds herself searching for a way to reconcile her new life with lingering feelings for her ex-husband. For so long she felt sure that moving on was the only option, but maybe this house, and everything she s learning in it, could give Alex room for a second chance . . .
Paperback, 320 pages
Published July 25th 2017 by Kensington Publishing Corporation
Source: Publisher
Buy4._V192207739_Goodreads-badge-add-plus
04
Four stars: A delightful summer read all about second chances.
Alex has been peering in the windows of the dilapidated house on Maple Street for weeks, eagerly planning her restoration. When it is time to bid for the property, she finds herself in a bidding war against a man who wants to tear it down. Alex wins the property but at a much higher price than she planned. Quickly she tears into the restoration, hoping to flip the house and make some money. Unfortunately, the house is one disaster after another. While working on the house, Alex meets Elsie, the neighbor across the street. Elsie knew the family who lived in the house, and she hopes to see it restored. Elsie and Alex quickly become friends, and soon Elsie asks Alex to help her reconcile her past. As Alex works to restore the house and to help Elsie, she reexamines her past. Is it too late for second chances?
What I Liked:
The Cicada Summer is a nice, uplifting read all about second chances. I loved the themes, the story, the house restoration and the cicadas. This is a perfect read for summer.
The story is centered around the restoration of the run down and abandoned house on Maple Street. The house is nearly a hundred years old, and on its last leg. Many want to tear it down, but Alex believes that houses have a soul, and she is determined to save it. I loved <
I <
The cicadas were another interesting part of the story. The cicadas also fit into the second chance theme. Every seventeen years they hatch and take over the lake community. I am usually squeamish when it comes to anything that is grasshopper like, but surprisingly, I was intrigued by the cicadas. I liked their inclusion in the story.
The romance was a surprise. I wasn’t expecting it to turn out the way it did, but then when it happened, I was thrilled to see it go in that direction. The romance fits into the second chance theme, and I loved it.
The ending is <
And The Not So Much:
After all the buildup, I felt like the ending was rushed. I wanted more of Elsie’s story, especially when it came to Corinne. What was Corinne’s life like? I wish that more of her had been included. I also wish that there had been a tiny bit more of the romance.
Usually when reading a book, I grow to like a character more and more, but that wasn’t the case with this one. In fact, as the book went on, I found myself liking Alex a bit less. Mostly I disliked her when I found out about her divorce. I thought she behaved rash and childlike. A lot of her behavior was immature. I didn’t hate her, but I didn’t like her ridiculous behavior. Thankfully, she grew and changed. Perhaps it would have been better to disclose her past up front so the reader can grow to like her more and more.
Cicada Summer was a lovely summer read all about second chances. I loved the themes and the house restoration in this one. It was light and easy, perfect for a summer read. My only hesitation is that I didn’t like that the more I read about Alex and her past decisions the less I liked her. If you want a nice book for a summer day, this is one to try.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
I think that “Cicada Summer” by Maureen Leurck is a novel about hope, love, perseverance, starting over, and second chances at life. In more ways than one, Ms. Leurck gives the reader a glimpse at obstacles that can be overcome and the endurance to find other ways to succeed.
Alex Proctor is a single mom, sharing her daughter with the father, Matt on every other weekend and designated custody days. She is providing for her daughter by renovating old houses into homes anyone would love to live in. This last home that she purchased has no limit on problems and unseen structural disintegration. I love to watch the Reno shows that are so prevalent now and found that this book capitalized on this popular theme of these shows. This house comes alive as we find out more and more about past inhabitants. Can she use this same stubbornness to make her life right again? Can she begin to start a new life without constantly thinking of her ex-husband?
Of course, the title has something to do with the theme of the novel. Cicadas lives are in a seventeen year cycle. Every seventeen years cicadas come out of their hibernating grounds, cover the area with their sounds and bodies until they mate, lay the eggs and die. The eggs hatch and the nymphs burrow underground to feed on plant roots. They re-emerge after another seventeen year to start the cycle all over again. I would say that the comparison to
Alex’s life is the stubbornness, hope and renewal that the cicada experience brings to the dedication to starting over again.
I thought the characters were very real and that Ms. Leurck did a wonderful job of tying up all the threads that ran through the novel. I would recommend this book highly.
This lovely story about second chances will appeal to readers of all ages. Alex is a strong character, and although she is indecisive at times, she embraces this quirk of hers. <
Recently divorced, Alex Proctor finds herself keeping busy by transforming old properties into new beauties. Her latest in Geneva Lake, Wisconsin, is over a hundred years old and could be her biggest challenge to date. Once the cicadas return and make their appearance after 17 long years, she may finally get the house on the market. As in any transformation, there are one too many bumps in the road, including construction mishaps and a few kinks to work out along the way. Secrets and treasures are found in the process, including the resurfacing of an old love involving her neighbor. All of this prompts Alex to reconsider her feelings for her ex-husband. Maybe she ended the marriage too quickly. But is she too late to rekindle the emotions they originally felt when they tied the knot? (KENSINGTON, Jul., 320 pp., $15.00)
Reviewed by:
Jaime A. Geraldi
I’m not going to lie… I’m a huge fan of Fixer Upper on HGTV so I was ALL about this book!! This story is about second chances, hope, and renewal. In beautiful Geneva Lake, Wisconsin, Alex decides to renovate an old home and bring it back to life. She’s been renovating homes for three years since her divorce and this one is her biggest project yet. She pays more than she expected for the house and gets in a little over her head. Also, things are even more complicated because she and her ex-husband have joint-custody of their daughter, Abby and he’s moved on where she hasn’t. During the project she befriends her neighbor, Elsie, who tells stories about the house’s past. This gives her even more motivation to restore this house to the dignity it deserves. I loved reading about the cicadas and how they appear every seventeen years known as the “cicada summers” – I love how they represent starting over, rebirth. The home renovation descriptions are SO good, you can visualize EVERY detail.
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“Cicada Summer” by Maureen Leurck is such an entertaining and enjoyable story that I finished reading this in one sitting. “Cicada Summer” was published July 25, 2017 by Kensington. The genres for this story are Fiction, Women’s Fiction, with a dash of Historical Fiction and Romance thrown in. The story takes place mostly in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. <> The timeline in the story varies between the present and past, and is described in “Cicada Years”. Every 17 years cicadas (insects) arrive for a period of a few weeks. Some people regard a “Cicada Summer” as a period of renewal or second chances.
The author describes her characters as complex, complicated and determined. Alex Proctor is a single mother to a 5-year-old and has joint custody of her daughter with her ex-husband.Alex’s relationship with her ex-husband is complicated.She has problems moving forward to another relationship, and she has problems with the past.
Alex befriends an older neighbor, Elise, who shares some history and secrets about the older house that Alex is renovating. They develop a friendship. Elise also bonds with Alex’s daughter.
Alex’s love and job is to buy and restore damaged, old houses, and try to retain the original history and dignity of the house. To quote the author,”People keep a house alive, not the other way around,” Alex tries to envision how the house she renovates will make a home for a family to appreciate.
To restore these houses requires a tremendous amount of work, endurance and stress that comes with problems. Most of these houses have dead animals, or living ones to deal with bats, feral cats, dead rodents. There is rot from water damage, The plumbing, and electrical work has to be updated to code. Alex sees this as a challenge, and tries to maintain whatever structure from the past that she can. To Alex, these house hold family secrets, and treasures. Her workers are loyal and protective.
There are other people in the real estate business, that would love to tear Alex’s recent house down, and build a new house. There are major big companies that eye that land that is near the water for a new development. There is a terrible storm that causes more water damage and then a fire to Alex’s current property. How will Alex deal with these problems?
But this is going to be a Cicada Summer, and with that there could be change and second chances. What do you think this will mean for Alex? I enjoyed this captivating and intriguing novel and would highly recommend it. I received copy of this novel for my honest review. I look forward to reading more of Maureen Leurck’s books.