The Summer Boy
The essential literary beach read from the author of Lie With Me
Will be published approx. on 18. June 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-1-3985-5668-3 (ISBN)
Description
Tell me, do you know why the most beautiful love stories must always end badly?
In the summer of 1985, on the Ile de Re just off the west coast of France, six teenagers - five boys and one girl - band together for a final golden season before adulthood. Their days are drenched in sun and freedom, and their nights simmer with secrets, jealousy, and longing. Philippe is drawn to Nicolas, the quiet new boy who sees him in a way that no
one else does. As their bond deepens, part of Nicolas remains unreachable - until a sudden tragedy brings their summer to a brutal end.
The Summer Boy is a lush and unforgettable autobiographical tale, capturing the ineffable summers of youth in amber. Celebrated novelist Philippe Besson has shaped his memories into an aching meditation on how one summer night - and one fierce connection - can echo across a lifetime.
In the summer of 1985, on the Ile de Re just off the west coast of France, six teenagers - five boys and one girl - band together for a final golden season before adulthood. Their days are drenched in sun and freedom, and their nights simmer with secrets, jealousy, and longing. Philippe is drawn to Nicolas, the quiet new boy who sees him in a way that no
one else does. As their bond deepens, part of Nicolas remains unreachable - until a sudden tragedy brings their summer to a brutal end.
The Summer Boy is a lush and unforgettable autobiographical tale, capturing the ineffable summers of youth in amber. Celebrated novelist Philippe Besson has shaped his memories into an aching meditation on how one summer night - and one fierce connection - can echo across a lifetime.
More details
Edition
ANZ Only
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Simon & Schuster Ltd
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 135 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-3985-5668-3 (9781398556683)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Philippe Besson is a prizewinning author, screenwriter, and playwright. His first novel, In the Absence of Men, was awarded the Emmanuel-Robles Prize in 2001, and he is also the author of Lie with Me, a #1 French bestseller. His novels have been translated into twenty different languages.