The Summer Between

By: Robert Raasch

So much can be lost and found in one summer

​Set against the backdrop of New York City’s vibrant Greenwich Village in 1978, The Summer Between is the bittersweet, unsparingly honest coming-of-age saga of Andrew Jackson Pollock. Three days before high school graduation, Andy, a New Jersey teen who longs to break free of his suburban closet, confides in Elena Plesko, his ex-girlfriend, something he has suspected for a long time––that he’s gay. Abandoned as a child by his father, Andy begins to trade his unconventional family of women for the hopes of finding love in the newly liberated culture emerging in Greenwich Village. One night, a tragically misguided encounter leads him to Ben Hoppe, a savvy peer who becomes Andy’s protector as he navigates the meaningful romances, the brief encounters, and the enduring friendships that shape one’s character. Andy’s story brilliantly relates the confining emotions, confusion, panic, heartache, and joy of a young person’s coming to terms with their sexuality and defining their identity.