The Summer Place: A Novel

Sarah Danhauser is surprised when her twenty-two-year-old stepdaughter Ruby announces her engagement to her pandemic boyfriend. Ruby insists on a wedding in just three months at the family's beach house in Cape Cod. While Sarah has reservations, her mother Veronica is eager to host the event before selling the property. As the wedding approaches, family tensions surface. Ruby confronts unresolved feelings about her mother, who left when Ruby was a baby. Veronica receives unexpected news and must reckon with past decisions. Sarah's twin brother Sam, grieving a recent loss, grapples with questions about his identity. Sarah's husband Eli faces consequences from a past mistake. Meanwhile, Sarah herself is drawn to someone from her past while struggling with pandemic fatigue and family stress. When the wedding day arrives, hidden truths emerge. Confrontations and revelations affect each family member, transforming their relationships in ways that cannot be undone.