End of August - by Paige Dinneny (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A captivating, multigenerational debut novel of a young woman navigating the personal trauma that ties herself, her nomadic mother, and her alcoholic grandmother together, perfect for fans of Ask Again, Yes and What the Fireflies Knew.

1979. Fifteen-year-old Aurora Taylor's single mother prefers to leave when things get hard. She's spent years abandoning bad boyfriends and dead-end jobs, without so much as a glance in the rearview mirror. After fifteen years in the passenger seat, Aurora needs more than two hands to count the towns she's lived in. She's learned to live small--it's easier to leave when you don't need to say goodbye. So when her mother, Laine, shows up at school with the car loaded, Aurora assumes her latest fling has run its course. Instead, it's her grandpa Jay's death calling them back to the town Laine has spent fifteen years running from.

Every visit to Monroe, Indiana, ends in an explosive fight. Her mother and her Gran are oil and water, and it doesn't take Aurora long to realize Gran has fallen off the wagon--again. With Gran drinking and Laine's discomfort in the little blue house, Aurora gives their visit a week, tops. But when Laine begins an affair with the town's married mailman, everything changes. While her mom falls in love with a man she can't have, Aurora has time to fall in love with the town. Her life begins to feel full--she has a friend to call her own, a gran who loves her, and a picture-perfect pastor's son who sees Aurora as more than "Laine's daughter." It's everything she never let herself dream about.

As the summer months march on, and her mom's happiness becomes even more dependent on her unstable new relationship, Aurora worries the dream she allowed herself will end in heartbreak. This isn't just another map dot on their endless journey, and Laine won't just burn a bridge this time. Her choices threaten to light the town on fire, burning Gran's hope, Aurora's future, and her own chance at redemption to the ground with it.

Review Quotes

Praise for End of August
"A strong debut . . . with compelling prose and complex characters that readers will wish the best for despite their flaws. Perfect for fans of Anne Brashares' The Last Summer (of You and Me) or Jessica Anya Blau's Mary Jane."
--Booklist, starred review

"A tenderly drawn, redemptive family saga centered on what divides and unites three generations of strong, independent Midwestern women."
--Shelf Awareness

"A bittersweet coming-of-age story that heats to bursting like a sweltering summer day, hauntingly familiar for anyone from a small town. Tender, moody, and exquisitely told, End of August reads like the novel version of a favorite song."
--Susan Donovan Bernhard, author of Winter Loon

"Filled with complex characters, a lovingly rendered coming-of-age story, and a tight-knit community that pulls you into its familiar customs and lore, End of August is a remarkable depiction of young love, flawed mother-daughter relationships, and the fight for a place to call home in a small town where summer days feel like a lifetime, and it's never too late to chase the joys of adolescence. This is a beautiful debut novel with an unforgettable protagonist who I wanted a happy ending for, just as much as she wanted it for herself."
--Kai Harris, author of What the Fireflies Knew

"This debut novel deftly pulls you into the world of Aurora Taylor, a teenage girl whose dysfunctional family often places her at the precipice of danger with nothing but her own instincts to keep her safe. And yet, although they don't always make the best choices, Aurora's mother and grandmother clearly love her as best they can, messy and imperfect as love sometimes is. And as each family member faces their demons - sometimes winning those battles and sometimes not - this family shows us that sometimes we don't get a fairytale ending, but there is always hope in a new beginning."
--Bobi Conn, author of Someplace Like Home

About the Author

Paige Dinneny was born and raised in Southern California. She earned her MFA in creative writing from Cal State Long Beach where she began drafting her debut novel. She now lives in Spring Hill, Tennessee, working as a store manager by day, writer by night. Her stories often explore the complexities of family dynamics--specifically, the relationships between mothers and daughters. When she's not working or writing, she's drinking way too much coffee and spending time with her two cats, Ernest and Marilynne.