Life Without Summer

by Lynne Griffin

Life Without Summer tells the story of Tessa, a mother who has just lost her four-year-old daughter in a hit-and-run accident and the grief counselor, Celia, who tries to help her to put her life back together. When their lives begin to intersect in powerful and unexpected ways, they discover that the answers one needs might be the other’s only chance for peace. Each woman’s intensely personal journey reverberates with universal themes about the connections between love, marriage, truth, and forgiveness that no reader will forget.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Realistic Fiction, Womens Fiction, Adult, Summer Reads, Book Club

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

AVAILABLE NOW | Lynne's next novel of domestic suspense: DARK RIVERS TO CROSS

ALSO AVAILABLE: Lynne's novel of domestic suspense: THE DANGERS OF AN ORDINARY NIGHT

Follow Lynne on Instagram

Follow Lynne on Twitter

LYNNE REEVES GRIFFIN is a novelist and a nationally recognized expert on family life. She is the author of the novels, LIFE WITHOUT SUMMER (St. Martin’s Press, 2009), SEA ESCAPE (Simon & Schuster, 2010) and GIRL SENT AWAY (SixOneSeven, 2015).

Writing as LYNNE REEVES, her novel of domestic suspense, THE DANGERS OF AN ORDINARY NIGHT will be published by Crooked Lane Books in November 2021. AVAILABLE NOW

Lynne is also the author of the nonfiction parenting guide NEGOTIATION GENERATION: Take Back Your Parental Authority Without Punishment (Penguin, 2007).

Lynne teaches writing at Grub Street Writers in Boston, and works with writers to development their book length work. Her short fiction, essays, and articles have appeared in Solstice Literary Magazine; Cognoscenti, The Chautauqua Journal; Craft Literary; Brain, Child; Parenting Magazine, Scholastic Parent & Child, The Writer Magazine, Psychology Today, and more.

Lynne writes regularly for Psychology Today. To learn more about her work, visit Lynne's Website

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I slogged through the first 50 pages and decided to finish the book to give it a chance. What I’d felt in those first pages still resonated after I read the last word. The characters are unsympathetic and one-dimensional. The plot is predictable and like much of Dickens, involves a lot of coincidence as the author tries to parallel the stories of a young mother whose 4-year-old daughter is killed by a hit-and-run driver, and the therapist who is supposed to help her through the trauma. The writing is maudlin and, as someone who has worked with numerous grieving parents, not realistic to most parents’ experience in losing a child. Despite an occasional insight, the book fails to engage.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Primary cast of characters: Tessa [grieving mother]; Ethan [grieving father]; Celia [therapist]; Alden [Celia's priggish second husband]; Harry [Celia's alcoholic ex-husband]; Ian [Celia & Harry's teenage son]; and Caufield [policeman preparing for retirement].

I did not like this book. It is laden with grief. There is Tessa and Ethan who are grieving the loss of their daughter. It appears as if Tessa is the one who openly bears this loss while Ethan quietly grieves. [This couple is most sympathetic.] Abby, their 4-year-old is the victim of a `hit and run' driving accident. The reader is lead to believe that this was a DUI accident. Tessa seeks therapy. It is through Tessa's journaling that her story unveils. We also met Celia, a therapist, and her story unveils through her notes. At first, this seems to be a clever writing device. However, as time passed and pages flew by, this reader became increasingly frustrated.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Life Without Summer tells the story of two women: Tessa, who's daughter was killed by a hit-and-run driver, and Celia,a therapist, who is struggling to make her new marriage to Alden work while trying to keep her teenage son Ian from feeling excluded. These two lives intersect as Tessa seeks counseling from Celia.

The beginning of this book was so intense that I didn't think I could finish reading it. The devastation of a child's death in one family along with the single-handed struggle of Celia holding her family together was close to unbearable. Author Lynne Griffin, provides detailed insight to the feelings and struggles of these two women.

Getting past the first 20 pages, a subplot involving possible police corruption allows the reader to breathe a bit, getting away from the intense emotions of the two women.

At that point the plot takes over, and the search for the driver balances the intensity of the emotions. Griffin throws a few red herrings in for good measure, and even the title takes on new meaning by the end of the book. My only complaint was that the ending tied things up a bit too neatly: these people and their lives were much more complicated to end so "happily ever after".

This was a great first effort by this author. The characters were believable and the story compelling.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book. It was definitely a tough subject to read about being a mother and I can't imagine how one would go through life after dealing with such a tragic accident but it's written so beautifully and poignant. There are some bright spots amidst the dark and troubled relationships which makes it all the more touching. I felt optimistic for the characters and how things were going to work out in some way. It really is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. I couldn't put this down! I read it through within a days time. You'll cry through it but somehow the author does such an amazing job at weaving the cast of characters and each persons dilemma that you become so engrossed in each one. I love how it's told in a diary format going back and forth between each of the two main storytellers. So many things are going on but it was told in a fluid way that I got so quickly absorbed in each character and couldn't wait to see what else was going to happen. What a great first book for this author. I look forward to reading her next one!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me reading over 100 pages (and other books in between) to finally commit to finishing this book. The only reason why I continued to give it a chance was due to the numerous four and five stars it received on goodreads....thinking, it had to get better, right? Not really. The characters in this book are extremely flat and not likeable. I found the two main characters' interactions with their family members to be frustrating, and particularly found the therapist to be weak as a mother, wife and professional.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's really hard to move on after losing a loved one.

[Imari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heavy but good read. Would be a 5 star read, but I guessed the major twist about 50 pages in.

[Joan Mauricio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Begins with Abby's death....being hit by a car. Mother is extremely devastated. She finally decided to find out how it happened and by whom. Through many twists and turns, the truth finally comes out. Heartbreak for all. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won't go into a summary since there's one posted for the book and others have also done so in their reviews.

I was immediately drawn to this book at the library 2 weeks ago while browsing through the 'new arrivals' section. I didn't even finish reading the jacket when I clutched it to my chest and decided it was coming home with me, knowing it would most likely be a painful read at times. This was an absorbing novel. I felt much as I read it. Also, I thought I knew fairly early on what was going to happen with respect to one aspect of the plot and the suspense of waiting for it to happen was incredible! Then I thought I had been wrong, thinking something else would happen instead. What actually happened threw me for a loop!

Painful, gut wrenching, heart breaking, tearful, it was. But it was also comforting sharing in the kind of grief you feel no one else in the world understands or feels (because unfortunately there are those who do). Wonderful achievement for a first novel and I look forward to more from Lynne.

[01andrezzah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life Without Summer, is an amazing book about a mother who looses her, four year old daughter, Abby, in a hit in run accident. As the mother, Tessa goes through her grieving process she finds that she can't get over it. She want to hold on to every last memory she has of Abby. Her husband, Ethan, Talks Tessa into seeing a therapist.
Celia, Tessa's therapist is a very proper woman who is going through a hard time but won't let anyone know about it, because she doesn't want her personal life to interfere with her work life, and vice versa. Celia is divorced and her son doesn't like her new husband, after going to the mountains for Thanksgiving, her son declares that he's moving in with his alcoholic father. This breaks Celia's heart and she start to let her feelings interfere with her work life.
I haven't finished the book yet, but I'm hoping that Tessa ends up getting pregnant with another child to help her out of her grieving, and that Celia relizes that her new husband is not the best for her and her son. I think in the end that both women will end up helping each other out.

[Randy]

Life Without Summer by Lynne Griffin deals with that most difficult of topics, the death of a child and brought this reader (and mother) through this most intense nightmare intact, though shaken. She begins her novel with this first line, which I read about twenty times before continuing:

There’s a thus as her little body collides with the steel fender. No scream. Just a soft sigh, a surprised breath inhaled as she’s lifted from the ground only to be returned there. I hear it happen. I see it happen. And I wasn’t even there.

Like the main characters, the grieving mother and her quietly tortured therapist, the reader recovers from the book’s tragedies bit by bit. This is a painful yet ultimately hopeful book, which brings both the characters and the reader to their knees. Writing about this topic is brave. Lynne Griffin handles it with warmth and caring, and without skimming the horror inherent in the story

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some books are just so stinking sad. Tessa's world shatters when her young daughter is hit and killed by a driver outside the girl's preschool. She's obsessed with finding out who killed her little girl--was he drunk? high? What other excuse would someone have for hitting a little girl and not stopping? In the meantime, though, her marriage is falling apart, too.

Tessa begins seeing a therapist, Celia, and about half the book is from her point-of-view. Celia is remarried after divorcing a drunk, but her new husband and teenage son don't get along. Celia needs a therapist herself--she's not handing her teenager well, she doesn't tell her new husband some of her secrets, and she focuses so much on solving the problems of others that she ignores herself.

The two women become close through therapy and eventually their personal lives intermingle, too. But, oh, prepare to cry. Any book about a mother losing a child chokes me up. :(

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tessa's four-year-old daughter is killed in a hit-and-run accident outside her preschool. She is devastated and unable to cope, so she goes to a therapist at the suggestion of her husband.

Celia, the therapist, is having her own difficulties---she has an alcoholic ex-husband, a new husband, and a teenage son with his own share of attitudes and problems.

This is written in journal style, alternating between the two women. It is a wonderful story, woven together very well, yet is unpredictable and interesting, keeps you turning the pages. Even the title has new meaning by the end of the story. Very good, recommended reading.

one quote:

"I can't think of one way in which Alden resembles Harry, and yet, there I sat on the furniture of both marriages feeling as diminished in one man's company as I had in the other's."

[Missi Martin (Stockwell) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I was a little concerned regarding the storyline of Life Without Summer where a mother has to deal with the hit and run death of her 4-year old daughter, I was still intrigued. Not only do you see the viewpoint from the grieving mother but you also see the side of the counselor that she enlists to help her with her difficult situation. Along with the counselor's narrative dialect you get pulled into her disfunctional family life. While reading the book you will see the mother become a very strong protective and confident woman that the counselor ends up learning so much. You will be extremely surprised and total captivated when you get to the end of the book. I am looking forward to reading more of Lynne Griffin's books.

[Pamela Houlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I realized the book was written with two people telling their stories, everything else fell into place.

Tessa had lost her 4 yr. old child in a hit-and-run accident and Celia was her grief counselor. Tessa is stuck in finding the driver who hit her daughter and Celia is in denial about the loss of her own daughter. It is very interesting how the writer brings them together to heal and how their lives actually affect one another to bring peace to both of them.

It was well written, made me want to keep reading, and I could actually feel the pain of the women in the story.

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a few slow parts in the first half of the book, but it could have been slow to me and not to others.

There are a few mysteries in this book. The main one I had figured out early on (or thought I did. (I was correct.)), but there were other things the author chose to keep from us for some time. We were calmly led to assume/feel one way, then she'd drop in the facts and you'd see that the way you were passively led was a dead end.

It was a solid read for me. I will look for more from this author.

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I, too, wondered if this book would be too intense and emotional for me. A reader must certainly decide that for themselves. Having said that, it was a great book. A true page turner. One might think they have it all figured out but I don't think you will figure out the end until the author herself closes the story. Great creative plot, engaging reading, and certainly an avenue to understand emotions you may or may not ever feel.

[Charity · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am drawn to and really enjoy books whose characters wind in and out of one another's lives without revealing too early on how they are actually connected. This book deals with some heavy issues (addiction, fatal accidents, childhood illnesses, divorce, blended families, infertility, etc.) and does so in an engaging way without being so heavy that it's hard to wade through.

[Teresa Gamble · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got very caught up in this book and had hard time putting it down, it was a really good book with tragic storylines and I thought it was written very well. I look forward to other books by this author.

[Sue (booknbeachbag) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so disturbing to me on so many levels.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read in a long time! I almost never give a book a 5 star rating...usually 4 is the limit...but this book was fantastic!!!

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read. While it was a novel it was so poignantly written you would think it was an autobiography. I have never read this author but definitely hope to read more.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a good book!

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most heart-wrenching book I have read in a long time. It touched me to the core. It was extremely well-written. I finished it in two sittings, as I could not put it down.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good but sad story

[DJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible story. I loved every minute of it! Should be a movie. The ending will totally is phenomenal!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars-another excellent book. This is a debut for this author and it was very well written, and the characters came to life.

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be good if adapted for film and shown on the Lifetime Channel.

[Emmy de Reus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boeiende inkijk in het leven van twee vrouwen die als gevolg van een afschuwelijk ongeval met elkaar in contact komen.
Tessa verliest op een tragische dag vroeg in oktober haar 4-jarige dochter Abby als gevolg van een auto-ongeluk in de straat vlak voor haar kleuterschool terwijl haar kleuterjuf haar even uit het oog had verloren en haar klas na een uitstapje al naar binnen had geleid zonder Abby, die achterop was geraakt, te missen. Niemand was getuige van de aanrijding en de bestuurder van de auto is doorgereden... Tessa heeft ontzettend veel moeite het gebeuren te verwerken, wil absoluut de toedracht van het ongeluk én de dader achterhalen, is fel in haar optreden met vaak oplaaiende emoties van woede.
Als ze hulp zoekt bij een psycholoog, komt ze in aanraking met Celia, pas sinds enkele maanden hertrouwd met Alden nadat ze eerder is gescheiden van Harry, een alcoholist, met wie ze een 15-jarige zoon Ian heeft. Celia heeft zelf ook de nodige problemen: het botert helemaal niet tussen Ian en zijn stiefvader en Celia worstelt om de onderlinge sfeer goed te houden; sinds kort bivakkeert Ian vaak op zijn kamer onder het mom 'studie' maar zijn schoolresultaten zijn slecht, aan tafel speelt hij maar wat met zijn eten en op een gegeven moment besluit hij zelfs dat hij liever bij zijn vader Harry intrekt. Ook Harry en Alden liggen elkaar helemaal niet, wat zich uit in sneren over en weer in de spaarzame momenten dat Celia een poging doet om het gezin bijeen te houden en Ian quality time te schenken met beide ouders zonder Alden daarbij tekort te doen.
De therapiesessies die Celia met Tessa voert, maken duidelijk hoe verschillend beide vrouwen in hun reacties zijn, zeker als blijkt dat Celia en Harry in hun gezamenlijk gezinsverleden ook een triest verlies hebben moeten incasseren en hoe zij daarmee destijds zijn omgegaan...

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really grew on me as I read it. The stars just kept rising, and quickly. It felt like I MYSELF grew as I read this book. As life's storms and treachery tear you apart or knock you down, you DO haze your way through, fight and claw, resolve and remind, remember and weep...and seek ...and usually always FIND, if you're really seeking...HOPE! I definitely recommend this one. I did see some of it coming, but when it does, there are all kinds of other details so you don't feel disappointed or anything about already knowing, and you wish it wasn't, but it is, and so you're there, and you're just WITH the characters, some you want to be with more than others, but all play their part, and she plays them out there on the pages so well. Very well done, Lynne Griffin. Congrats on a story you and your team worked so hard on and eventually had the honor of getting out there to readers like me. I'll go see what else you've written. And to think, I saved the life of this book. I found it in the recycle and did some diving. It will live on. I'll pass it on to readers who will love it, and pass it on!