Vacationland

Louisa has come to her parents’ house in Maine this summer with her three kids, a barely written book that has a looming deadline, and a trunkful of resentment. She is hoping the crisp breeze will blow away her irritation for her life choices and replace it with enthusiasm for both her family and her writing—but all is not well in Maine.

Louisa’s father, a retired judge and pillar of the community, is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Louisa’s mother is alternately pretending everything is fine and not pretending at all. And one of Louisa’s children happens upon a very confusing and heartfelt letter referring to something Louisa does not think her father could possibly have done. She is not the only one searching for something in Maine this summer.

Kristie took the Greyhound bus from Pennsylvania with the $761 left in her bank account and a whole lot of emotional baggage. She has a past she is trying to outrun, a secret she is trying to unpack, and a new boyfriend who is so kind she cannot figure out what she did to deserve him. As June turns to July turns to August, secrets will be unearthed; betrayals will come to light; and both Louisa and Kristie will ask themselves what they are owed and what they owe others.