After fifteen years away, Joe finds himself back in his home town of Burns Valley, Minnesota helping his mother, Ida Mae, run The Diner. Divorced, recently sacked, and embarrassed to be slinging hash again, Joe is determined to make his time in Burns Valley as brief and painless as possible. Ida Mae is well aware that Joe isn't happy to be back, but to keep The Diner going she realized she needed his help or keel over dead. Her customers are the old-time townies who look with derision at the local college. Kandi, Joe's 14-year-old daughter, is spending the summer with him because she's not happy about her mother's recent remarriage. A mysterious Irish woman arrives in town and opens a small coffeehouse near campus, and the 'town and gown' war is on. A series of mysterious fires also helps heat up the Minnesota summer as the ugly side of Burns Valley surfaces. The future of both The Diner and the coffeehouse come to rest in Joe's hands, and he must decide what's best for his family, his home town, and himself. ""Summer for the Taking" is a bighearted look at a family and a Midwestern town in the throes of transition. Fans of Jane Smiley and Richard Russo will recognize the quiet moments and profound choices people make in order to change their lives. Those same fans will marvel at the rich cast of characters Kathleen Peterson has set loose in this resplendent debut novel." - Peter Geye, author of "Safe from the Sea" and "The Lighthouse Road"