"Gehrman's writing is crisp, her observations astute, and her story utterly absorbing and affecting."
--Booklist
"Her characters are confused, believable and utterly human, which is one of the main reasons the book strikes so many lonely, bewildered and true note."
--Publisher's Weekly
Twenty-five-year-old Anna Medina abandons her life in California and arrives emotionally numb in Bellingham, Washington to make peace with her father's death. Seeking out his former best friend--a fellow guitar maker, Bender--Anna hopes to reconnect with her father and gain insight into his past. As an observer of life, Anna spends the beginning of her time in Bellingham glued to her window soaking up the scene, until she actually becomes part of it. Falling in with a captivating couple, Lucy and Arlan, Anna takes up permanent residence on their couch. So begins a summer filled with drinking, music, and--most important--the discovery that the only way to get free of her past is to embrace it.
From the Publisher, Red Dress Ink:
Summer in the Land of Skin is a poignant and brilliantly written coming-of-age story about a 25-year-old who travels to Bellingham, Washington to discover the truth about her father's suicide. Gritty, uninhibited and compelling, this winning first novel will appeal to female readers of any age.