The family farm is facing a crisis. Gram and Gramps owe thousands of dollars in taxes, their septic system needs an upgrade, and the town of Oakville is looking to expand onto their land. This is the backdrop for A Summer in Oakville, which is actually four stories from the point of view of four different family members. First there is Tess. Her marriage is floundering and the re-entrance of an old flame accentuates her apparent mid-life crisis. Her daughter Lindsay is determined to fight for the farm, despite her attraction to a good-looking businessman bent on ‘progress’. Andy, Tess’s troubled teen nephew, has come to Oakville for the summer and gets involved with the wrong crowd, even though his attraction to the pastor’s daughter has his heart searching for meaning in life. His father and Tess’s brother, Art, comes home as well, still grieving over life’s losses and looking for a way to reconnect. Each family member brings a fresh perspective to the same storyline and each must deal with their own demons from the past as well as look to finding love and acceptance in the future. Ultimately, the book is about reliance on God. I enjoyed it very much and recommend it to readers who like contemporary drama that is heavy on characterization.