Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

Synopsis

“The summer of ’28 was a vintage season for a growing boy. A summer of green apple trees, mowed lawns, and new sneakers. Of half-burnt firecrackers, of gathering dandelions, of Grandma’s belly-busting dinner. It was a summer of sorrows and marvels and gold-fuzzed bees. A magical, timeless summer in the life of a twelve-year-old boy named Douglas Spaulding—remembered forever by the incomparable Ray Bradbury.”

-Synopsis from back cover

Review

Dandelion Wine was my final pick for the Summer Reading Challenge being hosted by Jules at The Literary Lifestyle. You can check out my first post about the challenge here.

I saw this book on Instagram a handful of times before finally deciding to read it. I listened to most of it on audio and read the rest from a paperback copy. It has been a long time since I have read anything by Ray Bradbury and his writing was so familiar and welcoming.

This book definitely transported me back in time to 1928. Greentown is so quaint as we see it from the point of view of Douglas, age twelve, but also the other residents both old and young. There is something to be learned from everyone, about things as complex as our life’s purpose to simple things like mowing the lawn. Each observation brought new insights and often made me laugh or smile with recognition.

If you are familiar with Ray Bradbury’s work, he has a way of describing things that is both funny and thoughtful. Each sentence is like a little surprise.

“Hold summer in your hand, pour summer in a glass,  a tiny glass of course, the smallest tingling sip, for children; change the season in your veins by raising glass to lip and tilting summer in.”

from Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

This book was nothing short of delightful. It was a great escape when I needed it most, and reminded me that I really need to get back to reading more of Ray Bradbury’s work.

With that I have completed the Summer Reading Challenge! Thanks so much to Jules for hosting it. The prompts got me out of my comfort zone and I’ve found some authors I’d like to read more of in the future.