In the quiet days before leaving for university, Martin Redmond finds himself caught in a summer of unexpected revelations. Set in a small coastal town, A Twice Lived Summer follows Martin as he stumbles upon an old novel whose mysterious parallels to his own life begin to make him question everything he thought he knew about himself.

While working at a secondhand shop and reconnecting with his emotionally distant father, Martin gets intertwined in a complex web of family expectations, buried pain, and emerging feelings that challenge his understanding of love and identity. His growing connections with the intriguing Kathleen and the enigmatic David, who returns to town for the summer, forces Martin to confront questions he’s never dared to ask.

Blending gentle humor, emotional depth, and sharp insight, Fran Leitner’s A Twice Lived Summer is a coming-of-age story about courage, self-acceptance, and the transformative power of honesty. It’s a heartfelt look at what it means to step into your own truth, even when it disrupts everything familiar.