A naive girl from a humble background meets an ambitious city boy, and a torrid romance ensues. Despite her pride, independence, and honesty, Charity Royall feels shadowed by her past, especially in her ardent relationship with the educated and refined Lucius Harney. Can passion overcome the effects of heredity and environment? With its frank treatment of a woman's sexual awakening, 'Summer' created a sensation upon its 1917 publication and completely shattered the standards of conventional love stories with this novel's candor and realism.
