Lesley Kagen Book order

For fans of Where the Crawdads Sing and This Tender Land.A heartfelt coming-of-age story about three young girls searching for adventure during the summer of 1960 from the New York Times bestselling author of Whistling in the Dark.The summer of 1960 was the hottest ever for Summit, Wisconsin. For kids seeking relief from the heat, there was a creek to be swum in, sprinklers to run through, and ice cream at Whitcomb's Drugstore. But for Frankie, Viv, and Biz, eleven-year-old best friends, it would forever be remembered as the summer that evil paid a visit to their small town--and took their young lives as they'd known them as a souvenir.With a to-do list in hand, the girls set forth from their hideout to make their mark on that summer, but when three patients escape from Broadhurst Mental Institution, their idyllic lives take a sinister turn. Determined to uncover long-held secrets, the girls have no idea that what they discover could cost them their lives and the ones they hold dear.Six decades later, Biz remembers that long ago summer and how it still haunts her and her lifelong friends in Every Now and Then. A story about ties that bind forever, the timelessness of guilt and grief, and the everlasting hope for redemption.

Set during a transformative summer on Vliet Street, the story explores the growing unease among residents as they begin to lock their doors, signaling a shift in their community's safety and trust. As tensions rise, the narrative delves into the lives of various characters, revealing their interconnected struggles and fears. The book captures themes of vulnerability, the impact of fear on relationships, and the search for security in an increasingly uncertain world.