Summer to Fall

by Albert Waitt

"If you want to escape to the coast of Maine, and want a little intrigue along the way, this book is for you!" --Steven Riley. Twenty-five year old Cam Preston tries to navigate the riptides of change cutting through the coastal town of Laurel, Maine. It should have been Cam and his family would lay his grandmother to rest by releasing her ashes into the waters off of Gray Gull Beach. But the boat pivots at just the wrong moment and her remains are blown back onto the deck. Cam does not fail to see the symbolism. The four years he’s spent working as a carpenter since graduating from college are considered “extended summer” by his parents. And his Boston-based girlfriend is auditioning more upwardly mobile prospects. When Cam takes a chance on a job turning a derelict bait shed on Laurel Harbor Pier into an upscale restaurant for a trust fund-fed artist and her bartender ex-boyfriend, he’s propelled into a summer where even his best decisions seem to only stave off disaster.SUMMER TO FALL is a compelling story of transition and redemption.

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2013

About the author

Flood Tide, the second book in Albert Waitt's L.T. Nichols mystery series, was published by Level Best Books in April 2024. The Ruins of Woodman’s Village, the first in the series, was released in 2023. Set on the Maine coast in the 1980's, they feature small town police chief LT Nichols.
The Portland Press Herald stated: "Maine writer Waitt reveals a great talent for crafting a provocative, compelling mystery in 'The Ruins of Woodman’s Village.' He exhibits masterful confidence in pacing, taking time to lay out all the pieces, then deeply setting the hook to reel in the ending without a snag. It is a story with social substance, making it all the more engaging."
Waitt’s first novel, Summer to Fall, was published in 2013 by Barrel Fire Press. His short fiction has appeared in The Literary Review, Third Coast, The Beloit Fiction Journal, Words and Images, Stymie: A journal of sport and literature, and other publications. Waitt is a graduate of Bates College and the Creative Writing Program at Boston University.
Experiences ranging from tending bar, teaching writing, playing punk rock guitar, coaching, and frying clams can be found bleeding through his work.

Reviews

[Emily Hayden]

DNF

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 / 5.0

Engrossing story with lots of twists.

Depressing ending.