書中的男孩Jeff的母親，在他七歲時便棄他而去，而當教授的父親整天除了吃飯，大部份的時間都關在自己的房間裏做研究，這樣的生活過了好幾年，直到他六年級的那一場病，讓他父親開始驚覺他的需要，也在升上七年級的暑假，他到了南部跟父親及外曾祖母度過了一個愉快的夏天，也讓他對隔年的暑假有了特別的期待，然而，那一年夏天完全不一樣了，母親成日與男友在一起，外曾祖母也因生病而脾氣格外暴躁，他自己孤單地在那裏度過了一個令人失望的暑假。在回到巴爾的摩之後，彷彿變了一個人，他把自己關在自己的小世界裏，甚至開始逃學，而他的父親也在那時真正開始學習與他溝通，重新建立父子的關係，而他也慢慢地敞開心胸，開始接受自己及母親無止盡的欺騙，同時也開始了解自己木訥而寡言的父親，開始另一種不同的生活。適合13歲以上兒童閱讀。Jeff Greene was only seven when Melody, his mother, left him with his reserved, undemonstrative father, the Professor. So when she reenters his life years later with an invitation to spend the summer with her in Charleston, Jeff is captivated by her free spirit and warmth, and he eagerly looks forward to returning for another visit the following year.
But Jeff's second summer in Charleston ends with a devastating betrayal, and he returns to his father wounded almost beyond bearing. But out of Jeff's pain grows a deepening awareness of the unexpected and complicated ways of love and loss and of family and friendship -- and the strength to understand his father, his mother, and especially himself.
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