Starred review from March 7, 2022
Old wounds finally get a chance to heal in Fortune’s spectacular debut. At 13 years old, Persephone “Percy” Fraser spends the summer in Barry’s Bay, Ontario, aka “cottage country,” where she meets Sam and Charlie Florek. Percy and Sam form an immediate bond and, over the next six summers, fall deeply in love—until everything goes horribly wrong. Fortune teases out what happened during that last summer to tear Percy and Sam apart as Percy, now 30, returns to Barry’s Bay for the first time in 12 years to attend the funeral of Sam and Charlie’s mother, a woman she adored. She and Sam, who haven’t spoken since things ended, must finally confront their history and find the courage to accept responsibility for their mistakes. Alternating between the past and present, the story flawlessly conveys the lovers’ growth both together and apart, and the summery setting provides an idyllic backdrop to their path back to each other. Centered on redemption and forgiveness, this sweeping, heartfelt romance proves impossible to put down. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary.