What I Thought Was True

Starred review from January 20, 2014
Fitzpatrick’s thoughtful and genuine love story shows the clash between classes in a New England beach community that’s home to two types of people: those who live in mansions, and those who serve them. After junior year, Gwen, whose mother is a house cleaner, has done more “serving” than she’d like to admit, earning her a less-than-pristine reputation among the members of the boys’ swim team, including rich Cass, whom Gwen secretly admires. After a humiliating run-in with him at a party, it’s hard for Gwen to believe that he wants more from her than a quick fling, but over the course of the summer, he gradually wins her trust and her heart as their paths cross on the island. Meanwhile others—Gwen’s hardworking father, her ambitious cousin and his girlfriend, and her summer employer—shock and disappoint Gwen, further upending her life. Tracing Cass’s coming of age as she faces some harsh realities, Fitzpatrick (My Life Next Door) once again evokes the dizzying heights of adolescent passion while remaining down-to-earth. Ages 14–up. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency.