Summer Solstice

In the Coldest Place on Earth, Can Grief Melt into Hope?

Elliot Blake didn’t ask to spend months at the bottom of the world. But when his mom takes a position on a remote Antarctic base, he has no choice but to tag along, still raw with grief after losing his dad.

Everything feels frozen. The ice. The silence. Even Elliot’s heart.

Then he meets Olivia Alvarez, the cheerful, curious daughter of another scientist. Olivia has lived on research bases before and knows how to find adventure in the coldest corners of the world. She’s determined to help Elliot see that this frozen place might hold more than just sadness.
When Elliot discovers an injured albatross tangled in fishing wire, he names her Solstice, and something inside him shifts. As he works to nurse the bird back to health, he starts to thaw, too. But the more he opens up, the more he realizes healing isn’t simple. His sadness hasn’t vanished, but it’s changing… and the Antarctic isn’t just beautiful and mysterious - it can also be dangerous.
With his time on the base running out and Solstice’s life hanging in the balance, Elliot must decide if he’s ready to let go of what was, so he can embrace what’s ahead. Will he?

Summer Solstice is a powerful coming-of-age story about grief, friendship, and the quiet courage it takes to heal, even in the most unlikely places.