Book Review: The Summer My Mother Had Green Eyes by Tatiana Țîbuleac (contemporary fiction)

The Summer My Mother Had Green Eyes
Tatiana Țîbuleac
Deep Vellum Publishing
13 January 2026
175
eBook - PDF
Contemporary
ARC via Edelweiss

Aleksy still remembers the last summer he spent with his mother in Northern France. At eighteen, eager to fly the nest and escape a family still grief-stricken by the death of his sister years earlier, these lazy months in the countryside are akin to torture. And then, his mother tells him she’s dying.

Fourteen years later, at the urging of his psychiatrist, Aleksy relives the memory of the summer when everything changed, shaken once again by the emotions that besieged him when they arrived in that small French village. For fans of Claire Keegan and Elena Ferrante, this is a story of reconciliation, of three months in which mother and son finally lay down their weapons to make peace with each other and with themselves. 

 

The Summer My Mother Had Green Eyes was a compelling read from start to finish. From the first chapter I was caught up in the narration and the unfolding story. The prose was simple, easy reading but still managed to pack an emotional punch. I found it a sensitive and touching portrayal of the characters and their changing relationship as the summer progressed and they came to terms with both the past and the future. I am giving it 4.5 stars.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.