Emily Giffin

In the wake of a tragic death, three college friends make a pact that will reunite them a decade later for an adventure that changes all of their lives—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Meant to Be.

Four students arrive at college from completely different worlds: Lainey, an affable Californian primed for Hollywood; Tyson, a brilliant law school hopeful from DC; Summer, a Midwestern athlete and perfectionist; and Hannah, an introvert from Atlanta, Georgia. One late night, a week into freshman year, they strike up a conversation during a night in at their co-ed residence hall—and a deep, inseparable friendship is born.

For Hannah, their bond is one of the few bright spots in her otherwise uneventful life. As graduation nears, she makes a plan with Lainey and Tyson to live together in New York City. Their futures lay ahead of them, full of promise…until their lives are forever changed after a desperate and irreversible act leads to Summer’s death.

Stunned and heartbroken, the trio feel deeply guilty that they did not sense Summer had reached this point and that she did not call on them for help. They swear that should any one of them ever reach such a low, they must let the other two know. And if this happens, they will take the person out of their circumstances and on the road in search of healing, to whatever destination each thinks would be most transformative.

Three destinations. One last chance. They call it the Summer Pact, and they hope it will never be invoked.

Until ten years later, when it is.

In this tender exploration of grief, love and hope, Emily Giffin asks: What happens when we become submerged in the darkness, and who will be there, battling to guide us out?