The Cottonwood Chronicles is a sweeping young adult trilogy set in a time before cell phones, social media, and the internet—when summer meant freedom, friendship meant everything, and growing up meant learning hard lessons as childhood slipped away.
In the small town of Cottonwood, Nebraska, three teenagers come of age over consecutive Fourth of July holidays, where fireworks in the sky echo the turmoil in their hearts. The story starts with America’s 1976 Bicentennial Summer, an innocent season of first loves and family secrets that is torn apart, slowly giving way to a life more complicated.
In 1977’s Burning Summer, the stakes are higher, the consequences more lasting. Family loyalties are tested, choices carry weight, and relationships that once felt endless now feel fragile.
And in 1978’s Bye, Bye Summer, everything comes to a head. On the precipice of adulthood, the trio must face life-or-death decisions about who they want to be—and what they’re willing to leave behind.
Poignant, nostalgic, and emotionally honest, The Cottonwood Chronicles captures the thrill, ache, and magic of growing up in a forgotten time, and is perfect for fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Outsiders, and Daisy Jones & The Six.
- Bicentennial Summer (out now)
- Burning Summer (fall 2025)
- Bye, Bye Summer (fall 2026)