Southern Summer: A Novel

Cathy Holton, the beloved author of the popular novel Beach Trip, returns with an intriguing and mysterious tale that delves into the dark deeds and family secrets lurking within a small Southern town. After a personal tragedy, Chicago writer Ava Dabrowski decides to quit her job and spend the summer in Woodburn, Tennessee, at the invitation of her old college friend, Will Fraser, and his two great-aunts, Josephine and Fanny Woodburn. Ava's charming hosts offer her the opportunity to relax at their idyllic ancestral estate, Woodburn Hall, while she works on her first novel.

However, Woodburn is anything but quiet. Ancient feuds lie just beneath the town's placid surface, and modern-day rivalries emerge as Ava finds herself caught between the competing attentions of Will and his black-sheep cousin, Jake. Fascinated by the family's impressive history – their imposing house filled with treasures, and their mingling with literary giants like Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and Faulkner – Ava stumbles upon rumors about the darker side of the Woodburns' legacy.

Putting aside her planned novel, Ava turns her creative attentions to the eccentric and tragic Woodburn clan, a family with more skeletons (and ghosts) in their closets than anyone could possibly imagine. As Ava struggles to write the true story of the Woodburns, she finds herself tangled in the tragic history of a mysterious Southern family whose secrets mirror her own.

The narrative deftly weaves together the threads of Ava's personal journey and the captivating history of the Woodburn family, creating a compelling and suspenseful tale that explores the complexities of the human experience. Holton's skillful storytelling transports the reader to the heart of the South, where the lines between past and present, truth and fiction, become blurred. This intriguing novel invites the reader to delve into the shadows of the Woodburn family's past and unravel the truth behind their enigmatic legacy.

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