The Summer of Letting Go

Book excerpt: Summer has begun, the beach is calling . . . . . . but Francesca Schnell is going nowhere. Four years ago, Francesca’s little brother, Simon, drowned when she should have been watching. Now she is about to turn sixteen, but guilt keeps her stuck in the past. Meanwhile, her best friend is moving on—with the boy Francesca secretly wants—and her father may be having an affair. Then Francesca begins babysitting Frankie Sky, a four-year-old who bears an almost eerie resemblance to Simon. She even wonders if Frankie could be Simon’s reincarnation. Their surprising friendship helps Francesca think she might begin to forgive herself, grow up, and even fall in love, whether or not she solves the riddle of Frankie Sky. “Resonates with real feeling.” —The New York Times Book Review “Haunting, heart-lifting, and impossible to put down.” —A. S. King, author of Please Ignore Vera Dietz “A beautiful story of heartbreak and hope.” —Daisy Whitney, author of The Mockingbirds