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A Novel
by Ethan JoellaA heartbreaking, life-affirming new novel by Ethan Joella—author of the Read with Jenna Bonus Pick A Little Hope—about a young woman searching for answers about her brother's last days.
June 1975. Maggie Bishop has just graduated high school, the future hers to embrace—but she's still reeling from the death of her older brother, Chip. A devastating diagnosis the summer before prompted Chip to leave home for a few months, never revealing where he went. Maggie's search for clues leads her to The Red Maple Inn, a mountaintop resort in the Poconos.
At the Red Maple, Maggie is welcomed into a tight-knit community. As she unravels secrets about her brother's final days, she begins to connect with the people he loved, and whose lives he touched. Through the warmth of strangers, Maggie begins to heal and is able to help others cope with loss.
Set in a nostalgic resort town over two transformative summers, this dual-narrative novel explores sibling relationships, coming of age, and the quiet power of human connection. Perfect for fans of emotional storytelling and small-town summer books, The Top of the World is a timeless story about memory, grief, second chances, and hope.
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (6/25/2026)
...y'all about those starting tomorrow. I'll start https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/25146/the-top-of-the-world The Top of the World by Ethan Joella tomorrow for review, followed by https://www.bookbrowse.com/bb_briefs/detail/index.cfm/ezine_preview_number/26049/inspiration-from-9000-miles-away In...
-kim.kovacs
Liz Moore, author of The God of the Woods
I loved following the moving story of Maggie and Chip, two characters I won't be forgetting anytime soon. The Top of the World is a pleasure to read from start to finish. Megha Majumdar, author of A Guardian and a Thief and A Burning
An immensely affecting novel about living with zeal and approaching life's end on one's own terms, The Top of the World gifted me both courage and comfort.
If you liked The Top of the World, try these:
L.A. Women by Ella Berman
Two ambitious writers in 1960s LA face betrayal when one writes a novel based on the other's life.
