New Novel Summer People Draws Critical Comparison to Olive Kitteridge

Rockport, Massachusetts Aug 20, 2025 (Issuewire.com) - Independent publisher Cobalt House today announced that their latest novel Summer People by L.H. Finigan will publish on September 15.

Kirkus Reviews calls the upcoming work reminiscent  of such short story cycles as Sherwood Andersons classic Winesburg, Ohio (1919) and Elizabeth Strouts Olive Kitteridge (2008), given its sweeping presentation of several characters in a small town. The online review, which will also appear in the magazines print edition, goes on to describe Summer People as An ambitious and affecting interweaving of troubled characters lives.

Catharine Osborne and her husband Tom find refuge in an old house in the small seacoast town of Belle Harbor, MA after a tumultuous first few years of marriage. Navigating grief over a miscarriage leads Catharine to befriend Emma Nolan, the former owner, who harbors tragedies of her own. The arrival of Tom and Catharines son, Toby, brings joy and stability, soon overshadowed by Toms mounting mental health struggles. While Tom vacillates between bursts of productivity and crippling lethargy, Catharine discovers purpose in her poetry. The contrasting landscapes of Belle Harbor, a vacationer's paradise, and the neighboring town of New Vernon, a struggling fishing community, form the backdrop to their story. Additional narratives emerge from the changing cast of characters at the seasonal rental cottage next door, bringing their own humor, discord, and, ultimately, tragedy.

L.H. Finigan is a Cape Ann novelist and playwright whose first book, Love and War, was an IndieReader Discovery Award finalist. Her fiction and essays have appeared in newspapers and literary journals across the country. Several of her short plays have been staged in and around Boston, including twice at the acclaimed Boston Theater Marathon. See more about her work at lhfinigan.com.

Unfolding across four decades and three generations, Summer People examines the intersection of our loves, choices, and legacies, and how they continue to define us even after were gone.

Summer People is available for pre-order now through independent bookstores, as well as Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org and Amazon.

For media inquiries, review copies and access to the full media kit, including author photos and cover images, please contact Kate Clinton at [email protected].