One Summer by David Baldacci

Facing a terminal illness and a vindictive mother-in-law who seizes control of his three children after the death of his wife , Jack Armstrong anticipates dying alone in an Ohio hospice. Shocking doctors, he slowly starts to improve, and the disease that no one ever survives finally leaves his body. As he regains his health, he takes steps to recover his children and rebuild the happy family they'd had before the death of their mother. While they'd prepared for Jack's imminent death his wife, Lizzie and he had talked about how she would carry on without him. Knowing his wife had planned to spend the coming summer with her children at her childhood home he gets his children back and moves to the oceanfront home in South Carolina that Lizzie had loved as a child. The property features an old lighthouse that had held special fascination for Lizzie, because she'd spent so much time there, believing she could search Heaven for her dead twin sister. Finding the lighthouse in disrepair, Jack begins the seemingly impossible task of restoring it to its fully functioning former glory. However, his obsession with his quest threatens to destroy the family he'd so recently regained. Although Jack finds himself in one dire and often dangerous situation after another, he remains open to the miracles that occur around him.

With this heart-breaking story, David Baldacci proves that one of the world's best mystery writers can also write a beautiful love story. He shows how the power of love gives people the hope, courage, and determination to confront and conquer seemingly insurmountable obstacles. He also shows that true and deep love knows no boundaries, either of time, distance or physical presence. Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy share narration credits for this audio book, adding to the realism and poignancy of Baldacci's text. Listening to their presentations is like eavesdropping on conversations between Jack and the women in his life. Moving background music makes the production even more entertaining.

One Summer is an enchanting story of survival. As Jack and his family grieve their losses and rebuild their lives, they are not immune to other pressures of everyday existence. Adapting to life in a southern community and dealing with childhood anxieties become even harder for the wounded father and children, because of their emotional vulnerability. Baldacci's remarkable ability to let the reader get inside the characters and understand their pain and triumphs makes this a very personal experience. This is a book that will touch your heart and restore your faith in the amazing ability to heal.

One Summer by David Baldacci
Read by Ron McLarty with Orlagh Cassidy
Hachette Audio, unabridged: 8 hours on 7 CDs