Evocative. The Myth of Perpetual Summer drips with the sweat of a Mississippi summer, wrapped up in family mysteries and regrets, set against the backdrop of the late 60s, early 70s. Susan Crandall is a truly gifted storyteller, painting images with prose. A murder draws Tallulah back to her childhood home in the South to deal with the secrets that drove her to progressive California to begin with; to beg for help after years of no communication for a brother of which she still feels great responsibility. A dual storyline pulls us from Tallulah's past and the lead up to her escape to California, to the present day and her return to Lamoyne. The book didn't deal with her brother Walden's trial as much as I thought it would, it was much more focused on Tallulah and the James family history, including a time period that treated mental illness like an embarrassment instead of the medical diagnosis it is. Steeped in the oppression of the South, and hiding family secrets at the cost of everything, this book is on my list of all time favorites!