“I worked on a gubernatorial campaign in high school and fell hard for the drama and passion that surround elections. Nostalgic for shows like The West Wing and Scandal, I began weaving together an unlikely love story between opposing candidates forced to confront their past…This novel is about the experiences that bind us together and the differences that tear us apart as two people navigate the tension between love and ambition…To be loved is to be seen but for Tess and Grant, the person they love sees the world very differently.
I believe that stories are bridges, a way to find humanity, connection, and even love with the people with whom we disagree. Our backgrounds, families, experiences, fears, and dreams all swirl together to shape who we become.”
― Audrey Ingram, Interview, Deborah Kalb Books
What booksellers are saying about The Summer We Ran
- Audrey Ingram’s The Summer We Ran has set the bar high! It’s 1996. We’re all jamming out to Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason” or the entirety of Mariah Carey’s Daydream (or both). Working-class Tess and affluent Grant, two kids from opposite sides of the proverbial tracks, meet that summer and share a quick-ish but life-altering romance. 25 years later, while both are running for Governor of Virginia, secrets and truths from that summer rear their ugly heads, threatening both their private and political lives. And I. Was. CAPTIVATED! The whole time! The falling for your first love. The tragedy and tumult that ensues. The secrets buried so deep, even the ones who buried them forgot the impact. The having to come to terms with your past so you can be your best present and future. And to end so powerfully. This book packs a beautiful punch!
― Thomas Wallace, Reading Rock Books in Dickson, Tennessee | BUY
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The Summer We Ran reveals the powerful secrets and choices of first loves that we forever carry with us. Filled with family secrets, unexpected losses, and the hope of what could have been, you’ll be hard pressed to put this down until all the lies of been uncovered. Ingram balances the nostalgia of the 90s plus the timely political stage to remind us that the secrets we keep can’t stay hidden forever.
― Jenny Gilroy, E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia | BUY
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In the summer of 1996, 17 year old Tess and her mom move onto a Virginia estate as the help. When a neighbor asks Tess to help with her flowers, Tess meets her son, Grant Alexander. They spend the next few months falling in love and talking about the future. However, Grant’s perfect family is only that way on the outside. His father is controlling and does not want him to waste his life on a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, even if she does have high ambitions. Now, it’s 25 years later and Tess and Grant are running for governor against each other. Secrets of that summer threaten to ruin them both, and there are unresolved feelings to sort out. I was in from page one. I loved the dual timelines and multiple POVs. It’s coming of age and rich boy/poor girl with twists. I honestly chose it for my Book of the Month because I usually love the publisher Zibby Books, and it has a gorgeous cover. I loved Tess. I can’t decide if I love Grant.
― Karmen Somers, Court Street Books in Florence, Alabama | BUY
About Audrey Ingram
Audrey Ingram is the author of The River Runs South and The Group Trip. She is a graduate of Middlebury College and Georgetown University Law Center, and she practiced law in Washington, D.C., for fifteen years. When not writing, she can be found diffing in her garden or hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains. An Alabama native, she currently lives in Virgina with her husband and three children.
“There were many moments when I wondered if I was making Margo too despicable. But I hoped that building out her backstory and giving her a wicked sense of humor would generate some empathy and induce readers to stick around. Because yeah, she does some horrible things and has some appalling views, but funny people are usually at least a solid hang! She’s also self-made, having come from humble, somewhat tragic beginnings, which I personally admire about her and hoped others would, too.
