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Across the Inlet, A Story about Unconditional Love in Alaska The Alyeska Saga:Book 1
Anger is easier than forgiveness—but at what cost?
There’s much Abby has tried to forget in her life, including her biological father who, besides crueler things, labeled her a “dumbass girl.” Her stepdad, Bill, on the other hand, Abby doesn’t ever want to forget. So when her sister Aurora informs her that he only has days to live, Abby hops on a plane to Alaska.
But Aurora lied. While Bill is dying, his is a lingering death, the wearisome kind marked by bedsores and soiled sheets. As days turn into weeks, Abby discovers that, among other things, Aurora has been stealing money from their parents, and her anger begins to harden into hatred. Although Abby’s central desire is to protect Bill from needless suffering, the discord between her and her sisters threatens to destroy the peace she longs to offer him.
A remarkable work of literature, Across the Inlet is a raw, lyrical tale that plunges you into the turbulent waters of a family in crisis as they struggle to stop measuring the future by the past.
There’s much Abby has tried to forget in her life, including her biological father who, besides crueler things, labeled her a “dumbass girl.” Her stepdad, Bill, on the other hand, Abby doesn’t ever want to forget. So when her sister Aurora informs her that he only has days to live, Abby hops on a plane to Alaska.
But Aurora lied. While Bill is dying, his is a lingering death, the wearisome kind marked by bedsores and soiled sheets. As days turn into weeks, Abby discovers that, among other things, Aurora has been stealing money from their parents, and her anger begins to harden into hatred. Although Abby’s central desire is to protect Bill from needless suffering, the discord between her and her sisters threatens to destroy the peace she longs to offer him.
A remarkable work of literature, Across the Inlet is a raw, lyrical tale that plunges you into the turbulent waters of a family in crisis as they struggle to stop measuring the future by the past.
264 pages, Paperback
First published February 3, 2015
13 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Gail Summers
4 books2 followersGail is a professional coach, consultant and emerging writer. As a writer Gail is interested in capturing how people think, creating language that is lyrical and using the landscape to convey meaning to the story. She is especially interested in developing characters that convey emotional authenticity and go on a journey, willingly or not, that changes them. Her first novel is Across the Inlet, A Story of Unconditional Love in Alaska.
Her coaching specialty is in leadership and helping people transform their lives, change direction, start over or somehow re-invent themselves. She is a certified coach from the Hudson Institute of Coaching and an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation.
In the consulting arena, Gail focuses on performance improvement which usually involves helping people do “do better at work.” Her clients have included both individuals and corporate clients such as Sandia National Labs, the U.S. Forest Service, large hospitals and private industry.
Gail has a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Learning & Instructional Technologies from the University of New Mexico. She is originally from the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska and now lives in Edgewood, New Mexico with her husband Ken and his airplane.
Her coaching specialty is in leadership and helping people transform their lives, change direction, start over or somehow re-invent themselves. She is a certified coach from the Hudson Institute of Coaching and an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation.
In the consulting arena, Gail focuses on performance improvement which usually involves helping people do “do better at work.” Her clients have included both individuals and corporate clients such as Sandia National Labs, the U.S. Forest Service, large hospitals and private industry.
Gail has a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Learning & Instructional Technologies from the University of New Mexico. She is originally from the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska and now lives in Edgewood, New Mexico with her husband Ken and his airplane.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 31, 2020
A Powerful, Realistic, and Moving Read.
Eventually, everyone confronts death. Waiting for a loved one’s end to come is physically and mentally painful and exhausting. Powerful emotions and difficult choices bring out the worst, and sometimes best, in everyone involved. In Across the Inlet, author Gail Summers tells the story of Abby, her sisters, and the decline and death of her Air Force pilot stepfather Bill. Summers convincingly shows us Abby’s pain, frustration, and small victories as she comes to terms with Bill’s good and bad hospice days and the tension between her and her sisters as they each deal with Bill’s death.
Summers has created realistic characters in a crisp, often moving narrative that shows us how Abby and her sisters react to Bill’s final days in Alaska in a way that is relatable and emotionally charged.
Readers interested in stories that examine relationships or who enjoy a strong, well-written story, or novels set in Alaska will enjoy this book. Those wrestling with grief or about to enter the hospice process may find this book helpful. This book offers a book club many points of discussion.
Across the Inlet tackles a tough, meaningful subject in a way that was hard to put down.
Eventually, everyone confronts death. Waiting for a loved one’s end to come is physically and mentally painful and exhausting. Powerful emotions and difficult choices bring out the worst, and sometimes best, in everyone involved. In Across the Inlet, author Gail Summers tells the story of Abby, her sisters, and the decline and death of her Air Force pilot stepfather Bill. Summers convincingly shows us Abby’s pain, frustration, and small victories as she comes to terms with Bill’s good and bad hospice days and the tension between her and her sisters as they each deal with Bill’s death.
Summers has created realistic characters in a crisp, often moving narrative that shows us how Abby and her sisters react to Bill’s final days in Alaska in a way that is relatable and emotionally charged.
Readers interested in stories that examine relationships or who enjoy a strong, well-written story, or novels set in Alaska will enjoy this book. Those wrestling with grief or about to enter the hospice process may find this book helpful. This book offers a book club many points of discussion.
Across the Inlet tackles a tough, meaningful subject in a way that was hard to put down.
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July 10, 2019MWSA Review
Across the Inlet by Gail Summers is a novel for today. As baby boomers age to the point where they must address the care of their elderly and ill parents, this novel shines an unapologetically realistic light on family dynamics and end-of-life issues. Admittedly, the family in the novel is more dysfunctional than most, but their interactions show the range of emotional responses and reactions that we all might experience. The characters drive the novel, and the ensemble is well developed and believable.
I especially like the way the author reveals the individuals’ backgrounds as the novel wears on, rather than dumping it all in the first few chapters. It’s a sophisticated way to deal with the varying motives and past experiences, shifting loyalties and agonizing separations. And it demonstrates how we can at the same time both love and hate our family members. Also impressive is the author’s choice to use first person point of view and present tense. It places the reader squarely in the middle of the drama and gives a sense of immediacy and intimacy that allows readers to share the characters’ emotions. The author used dialogue and email correspondence as well as first person observations of the narrator to develop and reveal the other characters, so I never felt that the narrator violated the mandate that she only share the things she could know.
The novel is organized chronologically, dating each entry as the narrator’s stepfather progresses slowly from life to death. The use of flashback, sometimes sudden and startling, mimics the way our minds cannot easily focus on the present when the present is painful and difficult. I had a hard time putting this book down because I was never sure where the next page would take me. I also found the choice of setting to be significant. The backdrop of the beauty of Alaska’s natural features contrasted sharply with the psychological angst of the characters, showing that we can appreciate beauty even when we are in pain and that nature can bring respite in times of despair. Although I have yet to travel to our 49th state, this novel put Alaska higher on my list of places to go.
Review by Betsy Beard (July 2019)
Across the Inlet by Gail Summers is a novel for today. As baby boomers age to the point where they must address the care of their elderly and ill parents, this novel shines an unapologetically realistic light on family dynamics and end-of-life issues. Admittedly, the family in the novel is more dysfunctional than most, but their interactions show the range of emotional responses and reactions that we all might experience. The characters drive the novel, and the ensemble is well developed and believable.
I especially like the way the author reveals the individuals’ backgrounds as the novel wears on, rather than dumping it all in the first few chapters. It’s a sophisticated way to deal with the varying motives and past experiences, shifting loyalties and agonizing separations. And it demonstrates how we can at the same time both love and hate our family members. Also impressive is the author’s choice to use first person point of view and present tense. It places the reader squarely in the middle of the drama and gives a sense of immediacy and intimacy that allows readers to share the characters’ emotions. The author used dialogue and email correspondence as well as first person observations of the narrator to develop and reveal the other characters, so I never felt that the narrator violated the mandate that she only share the things she could know.
The novel is organized chronologically, dating each entry as the narrator’s stepfather progresses slowly from life to death. The use of flashback, sometimes sudden and startling, mimics the way our minds cannot easily focus on the present when the present is painful and difficult. I had a hard time putting this book down because I was never sure where the next page would take me. I also found the choice of setting to be significant. The backdrop of the beauty of Alaska’s natural features contrasted sharply with the psychological angst of the characters, showing that we can appreciate beauty even when we are in pain and that nature can bring respite in times of despair. Although I have yet to travel to our 49th state, this novel put Alaska higher on my list of places to go.
Review by Betsy Beard (July 2019)
February 26, 2015
Across the Inlet is a realistic and gritty portrayal of what a family goes through during a time of transition. In this case, the transition is someone dying - not an easy topic to read about, but it's handled in such a skillful way that the story becomes more about the family dynamics than death. The relationships of the family members, and how those relationships evolve, is the heart of the book. I also loved how the stark beauty of Alaska is woven throughout the story. SUCH a good read!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews