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Dandelion Summer (Blue Sky Hill)

by Lisa Wingate (Goodreads Author)

4.27 of 5 stars 4.27 · rating details · 391 ratings · 102 reviews

The latest in the inspirational and heartwarming Blue Sky Hill series from Lisa Wingate.

All her life, Epiphany Salerno has been tossed like a dandelion seed on the wind. Now, at sixteen, she must move to the low-rent side of Blue Sky Hill and work where she's not wanted: in an upscale home on The Hill.

J. Norman Alvord's daughter has hired a teenager to stay with him in...more

Paperback, 381 pages

Published July 5th 2011 by NAL Trade

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Apr 05, 2013 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I literally stayed up until 4:00 in the morning reading Dandelion Summer all the way through. (Didn't have to work the next day!) Wonderful, wonderful book. The development of the relationship between Epiphany and J. Norm touched me deeply. I never had a relationship with either of my grandfathers, and my father and I have been estranged for years. I've felt God tugging at my heart to try again to get passed old wounds, and He used Dandelion Summer to gently whisper encouragement in my ear. I ha...more

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Sep 18, 2012 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

After struggling through the first couple chapters, I dove headlong into this book, loving every second thereafter! I love the relationship between Epiphany and J. Norm, especially since they fit each others' needs so perfectly. A great book to get lost in. I truly appreciate "happy endings" and clean stories. Will probably read more of Wingate's novels after this.

Favorite quotes:

"So many things are impossible only because we limit ourselves to what others tell us we are capable of." --J. Norm...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Jodi rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had trouble getting into this book. I had heard it was really good, but after a James Patterson book everything seems slower. I had a ton of books waiting behind this one and I struggled to finish. It was a really good book. The main character Epiphany Jones is a 15 year old girl struggling to find her way in life and in a new high school. She tries to fit in and makes poor choices because she is lonely. She gets a job making meals for an elderly male. The male, J. Norman Alvord is a cranky ol...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Jackie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I first discovered Ms. Wingate in "Good Hope Road" which lingers in my mind as one of most enjoyable books I've read. Some of her books I like better than others and I often wonder how much my own circumstances at any given time color my response.

I enjoyed reading this one. I still like Ms. Wingate's writing and her approach. Too much of life is filled with negativity. It is nice to know that when I pick up anything by this author, I will be treated - as the reader - as though I'm intelligent, a...more I first discovered Ms. Wingate in "Good Hope Road" which lingers in my mind as one of most enjoyable books I've read. Some of her books I like better than others and I often wonder how much my own circumstances at any given time color my response.

I enjoyed reading this one. I still like Ms. Wingate's writing and her approach. Too much of life is filled with negativity. It is nice to know that when I pick up anything by this author, I will be treated - as the reader - as though I'm intelligent, and worthy of the author's best efforts. How nice to know that the book will be filled with clean language and uplifting themes without being too preachy.

I wasn't quite as taken this time, with the subject matter, though I can't necessarily define why. I've decided that most people have "back stories" - things that perhaps aren't as they would have wished, or things that they don't want to shout from the rooftops. Epiphany's mother is one of those characters whose back-story I wish was a bit more fully developed, although that might be a story for another time, another book.

It is also interesting to discover, as an adult, that things in your own (or your immediate family's) life aren't always as they've been presented. People keep secrets. I would have liked to discover more of the details of Mr. Alvord's first five years. But, there again, maybe Ms. Wingate has plans for that for the future. Or not.

And although I enjoyed the reading of this book, I'm not sure it will remain with me. It was a pleasant enough way to spend my reading over the last two days, but not much more than that.

A few stand out passages:

"There are no walls for hanging accolades in heaven."

"God has a way of putting a thumb on those who take undue liberties."

"My mind went back, and I smelled the orange groves, the scent of blossoms hanging so sweet and thick that the air itself was a pleasant drink."

"...but it's a foolish man who willingly tastes the dish of regret once he knows how bitter it is."

"Maybe she was telling him never to let other people tell you when to give up hope."(less)

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Aug 04, 2011 Whitney rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dandelion Summer
Lisa Wingate
Contemporary Fiction
5 out of 5

There are some books that you read and enjoy and then promptly forget about them once they are finished. Then there are those books that linger for days, weeks, even years. All you need to do is see the cover or hear the title and you will be brought right back to what you felt while reading that particular book. Dandelion Summer is destined to be one of the lingering books for me.

I can’t even begin to tell you the amount of people that I...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a wonderful book! This is my first book by Lisa Wingate, but it will not be my last. I know I’ve said it before, but I’m a character-driven reader, and this book has two wonderful characters. Epiphany is a teenager who doesn’t quite fit in anywhere. Her mother never wanted her, and for her sixteen years, she’s been trying to find her place in life. When she gets a job looking after an elderly man on the rich side of town, she’s sure she won’t fit in there either. Except J. Norman Alvord isn...more What a wonderful book! This is my first book by Lisa Wingate, but it will not be my last. I know I’ve said it before, but I’m a character-driven reader, and this book has two wonderful characters. Epiphany is a teenager who doesn’t quite fit in anywhere. Her mother never wanted her, and for her sixteen years, she’s been trying to find her place in life. When she gets a job looking after an elderly man on the rich side of town, she’s sure she won’t fit in there either. Except J. Norman Alvord isn’t a typical old man. He’s a grumpy man who is desperate to maintain his independence, and that means running of the teenager his daughter hired to help look after him. Both of them struggle to find their place in the world: Epiphany isn’t sure about her future, and J. Norman isn’t sure about his past. Can they work together to find the answers?

I think I enjoyed this book so much because I have taught hundreds of Epiphanys in my nine years working in low-income schools. Kids who are trapped in poverty, trapped in a school where it’s not cool to want to succeed, trapped in an environment that seems hopeless. This character captured my heart, and I was rooting for her to beat the odds from the beginning. J. Norm, as Epiphany calls him, is a cantankerous old man, and the two of them together create some funny scenes, which balance out the serious theme of the book.

One short passage stands out to me. It’s from a section of the book where J. Norm are on the run and he shows her Saturn in the sky. As she relaxes and looks at the massive sky, she thinks, “Maybe not everyone got the mom who baked cupcakes and showed up at all the school parties. There weren’t enough of those to go around, so maybe God used other people, like Mrs. Lora and J. Norm, to make sure you learned how to shell a purple hull pea or find Saturn in the night sky.” So while this book is a work of fiction, it is a beautiful reminder of how as God’s children, we need to be involved in other people’s lives, especially when they have been forsaken by the ones who should be there.
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Feb 19, 2013 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

The characters in this book drew me in: J. Norman Alvord and Epiphany Jones. Conflict is certain between J. Norm, a rocket engineer, retired because of heart problems, and Ephiphany, a teenager with a chip on her shoulder as result of a mom who won't tell her who her father is or where she came from. Ephany's mom is white and her father, obviously, was black, and even though that is not frowned on like it used to be, it's still not quite aqccepted. Plus, Epiphany lives in a trailer, and J. Norm...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Mayda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian

To paraphrase a famous movie, “Well, everybody has problems. Yours may work out.” In Dandelion Summer, everybody has problems, but it seems there are no solutions. Teenager Epiphany hates her new school and is unhappy at home with her neglectful mom and new stepdad. Retired widower J. Norman is fighting with his grown daughter to stay independent and in his home. He is plagued with vague memories that are becoming more real each day, memories of a life that can’t possibly be his life. Or can it?...more

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Nov 11, 2012 (Lonestarlibrarian) Keddy Ann Outlaw rated it 3 of 5 stars

Kind of a middling read for me.... Two lost souls find each other; one an elderly man, J. Norman Alvord; the other a 16 year-old named Epiphany Jones hired to keep him company. Neither feels needed or validated. But then they fall into cahoots with each other and their relationship proves healing. Alvord has been having strange dreams about his childhood and starts down a long road towards figuring out the true story of his childhood. Epiphany also has unanswered questions about the stories her...more

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Jan 22, 2013 PJ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved it!! At first, it was a little confusing getting to know the two characters because they both spoke in first person in their respective chapters. But once I got into it, I was hooked!! I wanted to know more about both characters and how their lives intertwined. And I loved hearing their stories in 1st person!! I wanted to know what they were thinking and feeling and only 1st person can tell you that!!

I am so amazed at Lisa's talent and ability to write heart-warming stories with so much de...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Fiona rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

Wonderful story on so many different levels.
This is a story of a father-daughter relationship. It's never too late to mend broken relationships.
This is a story of an old curmudgeon and a young girl ridding themselves of hate & spitefulness to form a meaningful relationship.
This is a story of the engineers who built Surveyor I in the race to the moon.
This is a story of finding out who we are by tracing our roots.

"Only impossible journeys achieve the impossible."

I liked how Epiphany related...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. My mother recommended it. Two people from different social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds trying to find out who they really are. Tettering on the edge of death with his bad ticker, J. Norman is in a race to the death literally to find out why buried memories are surfacing now. Epiphany a mixed race girl on the brink of becoming an adult wants to figure out where she fits in the world. Their journey together is delightful.
I look forward to seeing what else Lisa Win...more

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Apr 05, 2013 J.N. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, 2013-reading-list, own

Many thanks to Penguin Group for giving me the chance to read and review this from the Goodreads First Reads program.

Dandelion Summer is filled with beautiful writing, intriguing characters, and a neat story that made putting it down very difficult. This story is told from two very different points-of-view. One is an elderly man trying to solve a mystery that he believes only exists within his mind at first and the other is a struggling, mixed teenager. Two very unlikely characters make a surpri...more Many thanks to Penguin Group for giving me the chance to read and review this from the Goodreads First Reads program.

Dandelion Summer is filled with beautiful writing, intriguing characters, and a neat story that made putting it down very difficult. This story is told from two very different points-of-view. One is an elderly man trying to solve a mystery that he believes only exists within his mind at first and the other is a struggling, mixed teenager. Two very unlikely characters make a surprisingly good team.

The author did a terrific job with the point-of-views. Half of the time I didn't even glance to see whose POV I was on because I could tell just from reading it. Both J. Norman and Epiphany are endearing characters, but it's even more so when they are together.

The other characters were also well portrayed, but I am still in awe of how powerful the two main characters and their relationship to one another was and how well developed they were. If either of the characters had been taken from me, I honestly would have probably put the book down. They felt like real people.

I could have loved this just for the characters, but the author has also crafted a very intriguing story that is part drama, part mystery. It also seemed fairly realistic. My only faults with the book is that I didn't care too much for Epiphany's name and sometimes I felt like the characters used one another's names a lot more than people seem to do in real life. However, I adored how Epiphany called her elder "J. Norm" throughout the entire book instead of "Mr. Alvord", like he originally wanted.

Reading Dandelion Summer was an beautiful adventure that I will never forget. I definitely recommend this book, especially if you enjoy books that fill you with hope and characters that you can't help but root for.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher (Penguin Group) for this review. These opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated for this review. (less)

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Mar 19, 2012 Kristalyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

OK- so I'm glad that I decided to do this for book club. It's great. Lisa Wingate does a great job swapping chapters with each character, like in "The Help", and you really learn to love both of the main characters so much, and appreciate their plight. The relationships in the story are so sweet and believable, in my opinion - although the premise of this book this so basic and predictable, "the unlikely bond" between 2 unsuspecting people, but it's believable and heartwarming. Lisa W. does a su...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Dana rated it 5 of 5 stars

So, I just finished reading Lisa Wingate's award winning "Dandelion Summer". READER ADVISORY. This book is un-put-downable. Do not start if you have any work in process. This is paradoxically a book you never want to end. I'm not telling you what it's about - just read for 15 minutes and see if you can put it down. Now I'm moping around, wondering if there's any point to getting back to writing my own book. TO MY WRITING FRIENDS - have you ever felt this way? To Lisa Wingate - What a wonderful s...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Jen added it

Lisa Wingate is one of my favorite authors. Her stories deal with actual issues in our society and I always find myself identifying with them. The characters often times seem so real that I know they must be based on actual people. This one was and she even gives us a chance to know him at the end of the book.

This book has two protagonists. An old man who helped pioneer the space program (yeah, I found it ironic that I was currently reading this book while shuttle was on it's last mission) find...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Shauna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book! Author does a great job of introducing the characters than intertwining them in an adventure. J Norm is an elderly man who recently lost his wife and just had a heart attack. His daughter is trying to talk him into a retirement facility. Epiphany is a girl with a Mom who cleans University classrooms, is currently living with Russ and finds Epiphany bothersome. J Norm and Epiphany come together and go on a geneology adventure.

This book is full of "life-isms".

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Oct 02, 2012 Catherine Richmond added it

Wow! I can see why this earned a perfect score in the Carol awards!
J. Norman Alvord worked in the space program. His daughter, concerned about his declining health, is trying to get him to move into a retirement community. When he refuses, she hires teenager Epiphany Jones to prepare meals for him after school. Norm and Epiphany begin a journey of discovery about each other and themselves. Author Lisa Wingate did a great job keeping these two characters' voices distinct. Wonderful story!

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Oct 25, 2011 Guna rated it 4 of 5 stars

A beautifully told story. J Norm's daughter is trying to get him to go to a nursing home so he could get good care. However, he resists, and a poor teenager is hired to come in several times a week. J Norm forges a relationship with Epiphany, and they go in search of his past. J Norm has dreams in which he realizes he once had another life - with brothers and sisters. Wingate writes very compassionately about all the characters and the situations they find themselves in.

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Apr 10, 2013 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everybody

Recommended to Mary by: read Lisa Wingate before

Loved this book from the first page to the last. I forced myself to put it down when the clock said bedtime, but I wanted to read it through without stopping. I'd read Tending Roses several years ago & really enjoyed it, but if anything this one is even better. I can't remember for sure, so I'm going to read Tending Roses again now. But the light suspense added into Wingate's endearing & wholesome story here seemed an added bonus in this book. Highly recommend.

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Sep 25, 2011 Susan Tiritilli rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was the first book I have read by Lisa Wingate. After reading the first chapter I was hooked. I felt like the author was able to understand the struggles of an elderly man who had been a rocket scientist and the experience of a bi-racial girl who felt unloved by her mother. I loved the mystery of the book, but also J. Norms tenderness towareds Ephinany as he grows to know and nurture her. The characters are intelligent, and funny. This was uplifting without being sappy.

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Jul 20, 2011 Debra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lisa Wingate books always give me hope, make me want to be a better person, and entertain me in the process. Dandelion Summer, the third in the Blue Sky series, is no exception. J. Norm, a crockety difficult old man, is trying to hold on to his independence while delving into mainly lost memory. Epiphany Jones, a bi-racial misfit at the local high school, has been hired to cook him supper a couple nights a week. They spar, form an attachment, and come out the better for it all.

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Mar 16, 2013 Deb rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: If you like strong characters, a little mystery, and happy endings, you will enjoy this one.

Shelves: book-group

I loved the two alternating characters, Norman and Epiphany,...for the first half of the book. About the time they started their trip, things got a little preposterous. At that point,the book seemed more and more like it was written for young adults and got a little "preachy" (which was just NOT peachy with me!) Too many Christian authors feel they need to keep hammering the morals and "rah, rah, you as a disadvantaged person can do it."

I like happy endings, but this one was TOO saccharine - li...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a quick and easy read for this hot, humid summer. Wingate weaves a good tale about two people searching for who they are and their roots. One is a 16 year old and the other an elderly man. By luck they hook up and become friends after they drop their defences and find out about each other. They take an incredible journey together and are ready to accept whatever they uncover about their missing families.

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Mar 18, 2013 Shellie Webb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: series, won-giveaway, 2013-tbr

Dandelion Summer is the forth book in the Blue Sky Hills series. I have read other books from Lisa Wingate that were very light-hearted and expected the same type of writing with this series. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In each of the four books, Lisa wrote about a current issue in our society and challenges that these issues make in our lives. She covered: being the primary care-giver for aging parents, reconciling with a parent who left the family, working with homeless in our nei...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars

An interesting story about an old white man who had been involved in the space race and a young mixed girl having trouble fitting in to her new school. They meet by chance and become something resembling both friends and family as they embark on an adventure to uncover their separately mysterious pasts. The concept was interesting and the writing was well-done, but the story ran a little long and fell apart in the last few chapters.

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Mar 24, 2013 Zan Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-ve-read

This is part of Wingate's Blue Sky Hill Series. I've never read any of her books before, but I will seek them out now. Dandelion Summer has a light touch with the inspirational part of the story. What's most impressive is the fully-realized characters of J. Norman Alvord and Epiphany Jones who both learn the importance of family and that it's not too late to connect. Great read.

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Jul 06, 2011 Helen Thompson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved, loved, loved this book! It's very sentimental, but then again, so am I. Lisa Wingate returns to her "Summer" series with a wonderful tale about a cranky,retired rocket engineer and a teenager searching for a better life. The two form a close friendship and the adventure begins. Like her other Blue Sky books, Wingate left me feeling like I had been visiting old friends.

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Dec 01, 2012 Robin Patchen rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I first opened Dandelion Summer, I wasn't quite sure what to think. An old white guy and a young, self-described "toffee-colored" girl. What could they possibly have in common? Wow, was I in for a surprise. The characters in this book are so real, so stubborn, and ultimately, so willing to grow, it is a blessing to watch the story unfold. I highly recommend it.

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Aug 24, 2012 Tyra rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book alternates chapters between J. Norman Alvord age 70ish (who is based on a real person rocket scienctist) and Epiphany Jones a 16 year girl who has a tough home life.

Norm's part of the book rang true, parts of Epiphany's story drove me crazy but I still enjoyed the book.

Lots of things to think about, hidden family secrets, changes in race relations, family dysfunction, etc

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About Lisa Wingate

Lisa Wingate is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist, and national bestselling author of several books, including Tending Roses, Good Hope Road, The Language of Sycamores, and Drenched in Light. Her work was recently honored by the Americans for More Civility for promoting greater kindness and civility in American life. Lisa and her family live in Central Texas.

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Dandelion Summer (Blue Sky Hill)

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