One Summer

By: David Baldacci

Narrated by: Ron McLarty, Orlagh Cassidy

Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

David Baldacci delivers a moving, family drama about learning to love again after terrible heartbreak and loss in this classic New York Times best seller - soon to be a Hallmark original movie.

It's almost Christmas, but there is no joy in the house of terminally ill Jack and his family. With only a short time left to live, he spends his last days preparing to say goodbye to his devoted wife, Lizzie, and their three children. Then, unthinkably, tragedy strikes again: Lizzie is killed in a car accident. With no one able to care for them, the children are separated from each other and sent to live with family members around the country.

Just when all seems lost, Jack begins to recover in a miraculous turn of events. He rises from what should have been his deathbed, determined to bring his fractured family back together. Struggling to rebuild their lives after Lizzie's death, he reunites everyone at Lizzie's childhood home on the oceanfront in South Carolina. And there, over one unforgettable summer, Jack will begin to learn to love again, and he and his children will learn how to become a family once more.

©2011 David Baldacci (P)2011 Hachette

Heart lifting.

I love David's work. I passed by this title many times as it was not like his others. I am really glad I finally took the chance. I cried through much of it. so much heartbreak and loss, and yet also uplifting and filled with great lessons for love, parenting and family. My one regret is that it ended so soon. I yearn to learn how Jack, Jenna, Mick, Liam, Cory, and little Jack lived out the remainder of their lives.
The letters were a great device to carry so much of the heart of the story. I love the performances of the voice actors. They make a great team.

Great story about priorities in life

Life can change in an instant. The story is about loss, grief, and what’s important in life, and the conscious decision to live life to the fullest.

Where are the tissues?

A great listen, didn’t want it to end. This book is right up there with WISH YOU WELL. I love it when an author steps out of the box and he does it so well:)

Just a little hokey.

The book was fun to read for the most part. The author tried to take a great subject and make it too complicated. The family court was very unrealistic but when writing the author can have it be any way they want for the book to work.

Masterful work

I have read or listened to almost every book David Balddaci has written and immensely enjoy his writing style. The research he does into the technical aspects of each story is superb. Additionally, the visuals he creates , enhanced by the vocal talents of Ron McClarty and Orlagh Cassidy allows me to step out of my everyday life and feel the emotions, joy, sadness and frustrations experienced by the characters he writes about. This book is no exception, I had tears in my eyes when Jack read the letters he had written to his wife, Lizzy, and experience the anguish he felt as the court system failed to see the parental love and caring he had for his children. Every word of Jack's letters is what I feel for my wife and even though I am much older than Jack's character I want my wife to know those same sentiments. So David, my hat is off to you with this book. Hoping you will write more of this type.

Not tipical Baldacci

Any additional comments?

This is more like "I Wish You Well", which was a very good listen.
If you enjoy Sparks, you will like this.
I liked this as much as "Last Man Standing", My first Baldacci book. Two totoaly different stories, both excelant reads.

Excellent Book

Where does One Summer rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It ranks in the top 25

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jack.. Because he was so real and down to earth

What about Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy ’s performance did you like?

Excellent narrators...

If you could rename One Summer, what would you call it?

Would not rename it.

Any additional comments?

NONE

WOW! In my top 5 all time favorites

I listen to books and have heard some wonderful stories. Especially like Baldacci but this one was amazing for me. Usually I listen and remember most of the highlights but for this, I'm still playing the story in full. Had to wait to listen to anything else since for me this left such an impression.

It has everything. Something for everyone. This is absolutely the best book I've listened to. Different for Baldacci but a great different. I've seen the book but passed it by until now. I loved the book and could go on and on but to what end. It's simply a book about life with experiences I think most of us have touched or lived.

So of course I think it's well worth the listen.

One summer was amazing

I loved this book! It is so very sad when Lizzie dies in the car accident, but I know the whole book wouldn’t have happened if Lizzie hadn’t died.

Inspirational “spoiler alert”

I have listened to a lot of books here on audible over 400. Then I came across this book very not the typical Baldacci book but I figured couldn’t be that bad. I was on the verge of tears in the first 10 mins and most of the book happy tears and sad. It was not your typical nonfiction that seams to good to be true. After losing by dad this year this book really hit home in places and then hearing Jack come to his revaluation about his family has really inspired me to make changes in my own life things I didn’t even realize I was doing . This will be in my top ten books I will come back too in years to come.