This is a sweet, emotional story of a woman who has to rebuild everything she’s known while trying to carry her loss on her shoulders for both herself and her two children, something I truly cannot imagine doing. The setting details are also phenomenal, transporting me directly to the Oregon coast from my sticky, humid suburban suburb. I don’t want to give too much away, but what I will say is that Caitlin is SO good at crafting characters that feel like real people.

I loved this because it allowed me to learn about Tate and their relationship with the knowledge that she lost him in the back of my mind, making the experience all the more emotional and surreal.Īnd then, there’s the present day story. Caitlin sets the book up by telling the reader about the day Tabitha’s world changed forever as a result of a mundane errand, and then she alternates the chapters by telling Tabitha and Tate’s story going backwards (starting with summer 16) and telling Tabitha’s present-day story without Tate. Something else I really love is the structure. And Caitlin handles grief and loss incredibly well, shining a light on how it can completely upend a person and impact how they live and interact with others, even and especially with their children. She experiences one of my worst nightmares as a wife and mother. It’s no secret (it’s in the synopsis) that the main character, Tabitha (not Tabby), experiences enormous loss and grief from the beginning of the book. I was sucked into the characters and their stories from the very first page. The second thing you should know is that Caitlin Moss is a masterful storyteller and character development pro. The first thing you should know is that I cried within the first 20 pages.

Sixteen Summers by Caitlin Moss