Last Summer at Eden

A Christian coming-of-age novel about grief, faith, first love, and one unforgettable summer at camp by author Christina Hergenrader.

At nineteen, Poppi has lost almost everything—her mom, her college plans, even her sense of what she believes about God. When she takes a job as Summer Director at Eden Lutheran Camp in the California mountains, she hopes for a fresh start. Instead, she finds a camp on the brink of closing, broke and crumbling, with plans to sell it by the end of the season.

Determined to save Eden, Poppi throws herself into camp life alongside a mismatched team of teen counselors, 46 energetic campers, and Jake, a frustrating, guarded counselor who challenges both her leadership and her faith. As the summer unfolds, Poppi navigates messy friendships, late-night campfires, pranks, first love, and the hard questions she can’t avoid about grief, doubt, and where God is in it all.

In a story that is both honest and hopeful, Last Summer at Eden explores what it means to trust God’s promises when life doesn’t unfold the way we expect and how the Lord is at work even in seasons of loss and uncertainty.

Readers will:

• See their own friendships, crushes, and struggles reflected on the page
• Walk with a heroine who wrestles honestly with grief and faith
• Experience the joy and unpredictability of summer camp life
• Be reminded of their identity in Christ, even in seasons of doubt

For readers who appreciate thoughtful Christian fiction, Last Summer at Eden offers a moving story of one summer marked by loss, first love, and the search for hope, pointing to the steady goodness of God even when life feels uncertain or unfinished.