She's Back! The Return of Summer's Child
Win one of two autographed copies of Summer’s Child! I’ll select at random two people who comment on this blog post by Saturday April 3rd at midnight EST. Good luck!
When I was a kid, my grandmother told me about a friend who was walking across a field when she saw an overturned basin. She kicked the basin over and was horrified to discover a dead baby beneath it. I never forgot that terrible story (thanks, Gram), but I always wondered who that baby was and what would have happened had she been alive? That’s where the idea for Summer’s Child came from. Eleven-year-old Daria Cato kicks over a horseshoe crab shell on the beach and discovers a baby who changes her life and the lives of many other people in Kill Devil Hills, a town on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Summer’s Child was originally published in 2000 and I’m so pleased it’s getting this second life. It’s the third of my older books to be reissued recently (the other two are Breaking the Silence and The Courage Tree). Other reissues will be coming in the next couple of years, so those of you who’ve been struggling to find my older books are finally in luck.
Readers have asked me if the reissued books are exactly like the originals. The answer: it depends. In Summer’s Child, I did a little updating of styles and technology. The story, though, is untouched. The “packaging” is totally different, however. ![summerschild150[1]](https://dianechamberlain.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/summerschild15011.jpg "summerschild150[1]")
Summer’s Child was originally published in mass market (grocery store size) paperback. Here’s the old cover. I thought it was pretty, but definitely not coastal North Carolina! The new cover got it right and it’s also a more readable, attractive and sturdy trade paperback size.
You can read chapter one of Summer’s Child on my website here, as well as read a little about the research I did and some nice things reviewers had to say about the book. Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy. (If you’ve already bought Summer’s Child, leave a comment anyway. You can give your copy to a friend and keep the autographed one I send you!)
Good luck!
wow congrats and many more books to come for us to read. thanks for entering me into the contest.
j.
I’m very excited to read this book. My mom has read it and loved it.
I love the cover.
Aubrey
After reading the first chapter I’m hooked. I can’t wait to read the rest of the story. Thanks, Diane
I’m looking forward to reading it – missed it the first time around. Thanks for dropping my name into the “pot”!
The difference in the covers is interesting. I like the new cover. Updating the story must have been fun!!!!
This was my first and favorite of your books. Thanks for all that you give to your readers.
Even though I have an autographed copy of the old edition, I would love an autographed copy of the new one. If I don’t win one, I’m sure I’ll buy one and ask you to sign it the next time I see you. I love your books!! You know that! Thanks for all the wonderful people and stories you create for us…
oops..should have said “signed copy” instead of “autographed” copy…:>)
I was one of the people that were looking for books you had written earlier. I really do love how you wind all the characters around each other to make such heartrending novels. I love each and every one. I didn’t think I was going to like the Hunchback Whale one. It was the first book I read of yours. And you know how it is with a author you haven’t read. You are kind of wary. But from that moment on I was hooked on every book I could get my hands on that had Diane Chamberlain on the front cover……grins. I would be honored to have a autographed copy of your book.
I am so excited to read another one of your books! You are such an amazing author. (:
Cant wait to read this Diane! Working in the bookstore has enabled me to tell others about your work so that they can enjoy it as much as i have, and do! looking forward to the new one to….. Starbucks writing :)i went to my local cafe the other day to write, no computer, just pen and paper…. sat by myself, enjoyed the sun and allowed myself to be inspired by everyone around me…. Loving my new writing course, it has also given me a huge appreciation for published authors, its a hard world out there!
Glad to see these reissued an updated. It’s a beautiful new cover. All the best.
Love all your books.Looked for this at the store last night,not in yet. Thanks for giving me some great reading material.
I love your books and am looking forward to re-reading this one! The new cover is great, too!
Keep writing those novels for us!
I’m so excited to purchase the new edition today!…if I win, I will give my store bought copy to a friend…Diane, as you know I have the original copy and will keep it forever but I love the looks of the new trade and have to add it to my library…I can hardly wait to reread this (-O:
I love all these comments and it’s fun to hear from some of you who are new to the blog. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I’m sorry if you’ve looked for the book and your store doesn’t have it yet. Not every store will get it in, so do call first to save yourself a wasted trip–and ask them to order it for you. They’ll do so at no charge to you.
Naomi, hang in there with your writing! I’m off to Starbucks, pen in hand, right now!
I cannot WAIT to read it! You are truly gifted and I hope I can evolve to be half the writer that you are.
Cindy- the Humpback Whale one is Jodi Picoult, unfortunately not Diane.
DIane- Summer’s Child is next up on my “to be re-read” pile as I wait for all the new releases to come out. Can’t wait!
I don’t mind being mixed up with Jodi. I thought Cindy was referring to the whale in Before the Storm. 🙂
Just got back from Borders with SUMMERS CHILD…also bought a copy for my friend who went to the hospital today…she’ll love it.
As soon as I logged off, I remembered the whale in Before the Storm.. which now makes it the next next choice of books to be re-read 😛
I love this book-the cover is beautiful…I love the story…
This is one of my favorite books by any author. I would love a new copy as my old one is quite worn and has been read by many of my friends [to introduce them to your books].
I just found 5 of your older books at a trade bookstore! I’m sooo excited to start reading them. One is Summer’s Child, but I think I’ll hold off and wait till I can buy the new reissue of that. Or maybe I’ll get lucky and win an autographed copy! 🙂
By the way, my name’s Jodi and my best friend is named Diane. And we’re both Creative Writing majors! Hopefully one day we’ll also be successful authors.
I LOVE your blog! It’s so wonderful how you connect with your fans, and let us a bit on the crazy writing process.
– Jodi
Hi Ann…I agree with you…SUMMERS CHILD was one of my favorites…KEEPER OF THE LIGHT was my absolute favorite novel of all time but SUMMERS CHILD is next…Jodi, you will absolutely love it!! (-O:
Diane, my mother and I took SUMMERS CHILD to our friend in the hospital last nite and it cheered her up so much…the cover alone put a huge smile on her face and she said ‘another Diane Chamberlain book…I can hardly wait to start it’!…as we were leaving we turned around and she had started reading. (-O:
Margo, thanks for giving your friend Summer’s Child. I hope she enjoys it and that she heals quickly.
Jodi, welcome to the blog! I like that you have the Jodi and Diane thing going! Good luck with your writing.I never had any schoolin’ in creative writing and am a little envious!
Love your books but have a hard time finding the older ones. Hope to win a signed copy of Summers Child!!!
I love the cover. The summary sounds wonderful.
I’ve always read so much about your books, but I’m ashamed to say I haven’t actually read any. I have an ARC of The Lies We Told and I’m seriously considering dropping everything and just reading it right now.
I can’t even tell you how much I want to. :]
Robby, as a long time fan of Diane’s I have to say you have so much to look forward to with her books!!…I was ‘hooked’ over 15 years ago when I read KEEPER OF THE LIGHT and she has been my fav author ever since…enjoy (-O:
Yes, the new cover is definitely more North Carolina! I hope no one came to our coast looking for those rocky ledges! haha
I can’t wait to add this book to my Diane Chamberlain library! I’m always disappointed when I finish one of your books – because it’s over and I have to move on – but knowing there are others out there that I haven’t read makes it a little easier to bear!
Keeper of the Light was my first book by Diane…I immediately searched and bought every one of her books…they are worn and reread…love them…love the new covers too.
Diane-my friends are going to Topsail again-this time in July I think…she wants to know where ON EARTH the eating places are on Topsail…
Brenda, I’ll email you my list of favorite restaurants.
The two randomly selected winners of a copy of Summer’s Child are Jan and Ashley. Congratulations, you two! And thanks for playing, everyone.
Thanks for the well-thought article. I am actually at work at the moment! So I need to go off without reading all I’d like. But, I put your blog on my yahoo feed so that I can read more.
The new cover though, if it’s suppose to be a picture of Daria, shouldn’t she have brown hair?
I think it’s supposed to be Shelley.
What happened when Grace and her husband went to see the nurse that took her baby away? I love your books, what a great writer you are. I wii
I just finished reading Summer’s Child as a Kindle book. I enjoyed it immensely. As I was reading it I formulated several different scenarios of the outcome. I could not put this book down and when I reached the conclusion, it was unlike all my scenarios. What a page turner this book is. I would very much like to know if there is a sequel to this book as I would love to know more and would surely purchase it. It would be an honor to own an autographed copy of this book. Thank you for this compelling story.