Cece Downing's Start Over Summer Paperback by Soon Wiley

Product Details

• Publisher: Viking (2026-06-16)
• Language: English
• Paperback: 368 pages
• ISBN-13: 9780735241664
• Item Weight: 289.17 grams
• Dimensions: 20.27 x 13.11 x 2.49 cm

A witty, heartfelt novel about a young woman who leaves everything behind to work on an oyster farm in a small New England town.

Recently fired from her dependable career as an actuary, and recovering from a messy breakup with her fiancé, thirty-two-year-old Cece Downing is holed up for the summer in New London, Connecticut, without a plan. Mounting financial debts soon force Cece to take the first job opportunity that comes her way—one she’s wholly unsuited for—as a deckhand on an oyster boat.

Surprisingly, Cece finds herself loving the job: working with her hands, breathing the fresh sea air, and learning the ins and outs of oyster farming. And despite her overbearing mother’s pleas to get a “real” job and reunite with her wealthy fiancé, Cece plunges headlong into an ill-advised romance with her neighbor, a shipyard worker named Morgan.

When a proposal for a new oyster farm off the town’s coastline throws the community into an uproar, pitting wealthy waterfront owners against blue collar workers, Cece finds herself caught in the middle. And as a family crisis forces her to reevaluate her reckless choices Cece must come to terms with what she’s willing to sacrifice for the life she wants to live.

About the Author

A native of Nyack, New York, SSOON WILEY received his BA in English & Philosophy from Connecticut College. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Wichita State University. His writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and earned him fellowships in Wyoming and France. He resides in Connecticut with his wife and their two cats.