THE SUMMER WE RAN
Does your past define your destiny? Told through multiple perspectives, rich with emotion and immersive dual timelines, The Summer We Ran weaves together a story of lost love, devastating secrets, shocking sabotage, and the painstaking decision two people must make in order to fulfill the futures they each desire.
In the summer of 1996, Tess Murphy’s mom gave her two rules to abide by: keep quiet and stay out of trouble. Her mother landed a new job as a cook at an affluent Virginia estate and didn’t want anything to risk the opportunity, least of all her outspoken teenage daughter.
Does your past define your destiny? Told through multiple perspectives, rich with emotion and immersive dual timelines, The Summer We Ran weaves together a story of lost love, devastating secrets, shocking sabotage, and the painstaking decision two people must make in order to fulfill the futures they each desire.
In the summer of 1996, Tess Murphy’s mom gave her two rules to abide by: keep quiet and stay out of trouble. Her mother landed a new job as a cook at an affluent Virginia estate and didn’t want anything to risk the opportunity, least of all her outspoken teenage daughter. What no one saw coming was Tess falling deeply in love with the boy next door, high-society Grant Alexander.
Over a few wondrous and heat-filled months, Tess and Grant’s love blooms so ferociously it feels utterly impossible that anything can keep them apart, until tragedy strikes.
Now, more than two decades after their epic teenage romance, Tess and Grant are both running for governor of Virginia, and secrets from that summer threaten to shatter their families, their political futures, and the memory of the first love that shaped their lives.
- Zibby Publishing
- Paperback
- June 2025
- 336 Pages
- 9798989923069
Buy the Book
$17.99
About Audrey Ingram
Audrey Ingram is the author of The River Runs South and The Group Trip. She is a graduate of Middlebury College and Georgetown University Law Center, and she practiced law in Washington, D.C., for fifteen years. When not writing, she can be found digging in her garden or hiking the Blue Ridge mountains. An Alabama native, Audrey currently lives in Virginia with her husband and three children.
Praise
“The Summer We Ran is a perfectly nostalgic story of love, loss, and secrets that refuse to stay buried. It’s exactly what I hope for in a summertime read.” —Annabel Monaghan, author of Same Time Next Summer
“Audrey Ingram’s The Summer We Ran is an exquisitely crafted tale of love, ambition, and the secrets that shape us. Weaving together past and present, rising political star Tess Murphy grapples with memories of a youthful, bittersweet summer romance with a man who is now her fierce professional rival. Perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Summer We Ran is a page-turning, tender exploration of class, ambition, and the resilience of the human heart.” —Jamie Brenner, author of A Novel Summer
“First loves turn political rivals in The Summer We Ran, a glorious exploration of nostalgia, ambition, and the complexities of the human heart. Smart, poignant, and beautifully crafted–book clubs will devour it!” —Emma Grey, author of Pictures of You
“At once a tender portrait of first love and a captivating tale of long-buried secrets, The Summer We Ran follows the upstairs/downstairs former couple, Tess and Grant, as they’re unexpectedly pitted against each other as political rivals. A heartfelt story that explores how we never quite let go of the people we love when we’re young, Audrey Ingram shows us, one revelation at a time, how it may be possible to forgive the crush of the past, even if we carry the pain for a lifetime. I flew through it!” —Brooke Lea Foster, author of All the Summers in Between
“The Summer We Ran is a mesmerizing buffet of mystery, lost love, beautifully realized settings, and intriguing characters. Audrey Ingram weaves a story between past and present that you will not be able to put down. Please tell me a sequel is in the works.” —Ethan Joella, author of The Same Bright Stars