The Summer of the Bear Paperback / softback

A Richard and Judy Book Club selection, The Summer of the Bear is a gripping tale of grief, secrets, and a family's love. In the summer of 1979, a tamed grizzly bear is tempted by the lure of freedom and the wild open sea . . . Letty Fleming, relocated from Cold-War Germany to the solitude of the Scottish Outer Hebrides, is haunted by a personal tragedy - the unexpected death of her husband, diplomat Nicky Fleming. With his death shrouded in mystery and allegations of national betrayal, Letty must grapple with the truth while protecting her three children from its harsh realities. As Letty's probes into Nicky's demise, she neglects their children's inner struggles.

As the family’s secrets threaten to tear them apart, it is only the strange but brilliant Jamie who manages to hold on to the one thing he knows for sure: his father has promised to return, and Nicky Fleming was a man who never broke a promise . . . Bella Pollen, celebrated author of Hunting Unicorns, delves into the heart of familial bonds and the depth of personal loss in her highly acclaimed novel, The Summer of the Bear.