Lucas Painter is a child. Only fourteen years old and he already has the weight of the world on his shoulders. At least that is the way it turns out in the summer of 1969. His parents are constantly yelling. His brother is in Vietnam. His best friend is so messed up he doesn’t ever leave his house unless Lucas can convince him too. Then just for short periods of time. Lucas is a good boy. He never lies. He’s fair to everyone. He tries so hard to be the kind of kid people like. One day he decides to take a shortcut home and his life is never the same.
Lucas thinks he has to be strong for everyone but himself. He gives. He gives without expectations. He is always there to listen. To help anyone who may need him. The day he takes this shortcut is the beginning of a summer that will shape him, his brother, his best friend and a woman, Zoe, who thought it was time to go. But Lucas helped her to STAY!! He convinces her to STAY! Everyday Lucas goes running with Zoe’s dogs. They love to run, he loves to run. It helps him release stress and he definitely has a lot of that. Then one day he meets Zoe. Zoe has a whole story of her own and Lucas finally gets to know it all.
Throughout this story you learn more and more about the characters and it will touch your heart in ways you may not have experienced with a book. Though I have felt every emotion there is while reading, this one gives me every single one of those feels. The loneliness, sadness, happiness, tears, laughter, love, despair, need, wanting, you name it it’s in here. This is one book that truly is a page turner. Once you start it you will not want to put it down. It’s by far my favorite book by this author and I have read and loved several.
You’ll love the characters. The time frame. The town. Most of the people. The descriptions. You’ll feel like you are right beside Lucas during all of this. It starts going back in time to the summer of 1969 then in the end goes fifty years ahead to let you know what happened to everyone and I do mean everyone. It does not leave you guessing or hanging. It has the perfect ending to what to me is the perfect book.. I honestly loved this book so much. I won’t be forgetting this story. It did make me do some ugly crying but it was so worth it.
Thank you #NetGalley, Lake Union and Catherine Ryan Hyde for this beautiful ARC. This is my own true review.
It’s a huge 5 stars and I most highly recommend it to everyone.
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