Jack Armstrong is dying and he knows it. He has been living with terminal cancer for weeks, and just wants to make it to Christmas with his family. His wife, Liz, has been the backbone of the family, dealing with their rebellious teenaged daughter, and two rambunctious boys, as well as taking care of Jack. They have prepared for Jack's inevitable death, but the unthinkable occurs instead. As Liz makes a last minute pharmacy run on Christmas Eve for Jack's medication, she is killed in a car accident. The family, who has already suffered so much tragedy, is sent into a tailspin once again.

Knowing that Jack will not be able to care for his kids, his in-laws place him in hospice to await his death and the children are divided up between three different family members. Once again, Jack finds himself waiting but this time he is all alone. But just when he has finally given up all hope, Jack finds himself inexplicably suddenly getting better and stronger. The doctors have no explanation for this sudden recovery, only that it could possibly be an unheard-of miracle. Jack himself doesn't know what to call it, but he grabs hold of what could be his second chance at life and sets out to redeem himself in his children's eyes and to bring them together as a family once again.

Top Site Streaming

Regaining his strength, Jack reclaims his kids and moves them to the South Carolina home where his wife Lizzie grew up. It had been her wish to take the kids there, and Jack was determined to fulfill that wish. The old plantation- style home is in shambles, but Jack sets out to use his contractor's skills to restore both the house, and Lizzie's beloved lighthouse, as a tribute to her memory. But his obsessive pursuit of restoration almost causes Jack to begin to lose his tentative new relationship with his kids, and it's not until his mother-in-law turns up with the intention of removing the children once again that Jack wakes up and realizes that he is about to blow his second chance. This is a summer for the Armstrong's to learn how to be a family again and in the slow, but steady process, they all realize just how precious life is when you are surrounded by the ones you love.

Author David Baldacci steps out of his usual role as a gritty mystery/thriller author to bring his readers an emotional but heartwarming tale in ONE SUMMER. Baldacci takes his characters on a journey to find hope and happiness among the haze of overwhelming grief, and with his gifted storytelling skills crafts a story that is both optimistic and soul-satisfying. This is a story of conviction, faith, and the importance of family, and is one that will resonant with readers long after the book is closed.

Book Summary

Read an Excerpt