The Summer Pact

Giffin’s (Meant To Be) latest is a story of an enduring friendship stretched to the breaking point. Three young women (California girl Lainey, Midwest athlete Summer, and Southerner Hannah) and one young man (law student Tyler) met as freshmen at the University of Virginia. They became best friends, but then Summer unexpectedly ends her life just before graduation. The surviving three make what they call “the Summer Pact,” vowing to be there for one another if any of them are in crisis. A decade later, when Hannah’s engagement disintegrates, they keep their promise and come together. Lainey, Tyler, and Hannah set off on a disastrous trip to Texas, then an exotic voyage to Capri. Giffin brings the world of her thirtysomethings to life with many references to clothing, music, and influencers. Told in alternating viewpoints, the novel conveys how the three friends care about each other but how being true to oneself can feel like abandonment to loved ones. Ultimately, the three must learn to communicate and accept each other while keeping their promises to be there.