The Top of the World - by Ethan Joella (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

June 1975. Maggie Bishop has just graduated high school, the future hers to embrace--but she's still reeling from the death of her older brother, Chip. A devastating diagnosis the summer before prompted Chip to leave home for a few months, never revealing where he went. Maggie's search for clues leads her to The Red Maple Inn, a mountaintop resort in the Poconos.

At the Red Maple, Maggie is welcomed into a tight-knit community. As she unravels secrets about her brother's final days, she begins to connect with the people he loved, and whose lives he touched. Through the warmth of strangers, Maggie begins to heal and is able to help others cope with loss.

Set in a nostalgic resort town over two transformative summers, this dual-narrative novel explores sibling relationships, coming of age, and the quiet power of human connection. Perfect for fans of emotional storytelling and small-town summer books, The Top of the World is a timeless story about memory, grief, second chances, and hope.

Review Quotes

"A gentle story of one man's attempt to come to terms with his past and his present... Readers will savor the hours they spend in the company of Jack Schmidt and his friends." --BookPage

"Joella turns his trademark empathy to the precarious life of a restaurateur and is unfailingly kind to his narrator, contrasting the precariousness of his business and the fragility of aging with the excitement of an unexpected relationship. Fans of Jennifer Close's Marrying the Ketchups and Mary Beth Keane's The Half Moon will enjoy..." --Booklist

"A warm novel about possibilities in midlife and the power of community." --People's Most Anticipated Summer Books

"Colorful... Those in search of a feel-good summer tale will find what they're looking for." --Publisher's Weekly

"Joella again unfolds a story that illuminates the connections among people... There's so much to love about this gentle domestic drama... Both Joella and his protagonist show that nice guys sometimes finish first. About as dear as a novel can be." --Kirkus Reviews

"I recognized and rooted for all the wonderful small-town characters in this moving story about a man at a crossroads in his life. Ethan Joella skillfully explores how grief shapes us, and he captures those perfect moments of human connection we all crave." --Tracey Lange, author of We Are the Brennans

"Ethan Joella writes with wisdom and emotional precision about the ache to feel alive and the unexpected ways relationships comfort, devastate and transform us. Absorbing, tender and filled with heart, The Same Bright Stars moved me with its unwavering hope." --Hanna Halperin, author of I Could Live Here Forever

"With his signature heart, hopefulness and hard-won wisdom, Ethan Joella more than delivers in The Same Bright Stars. Readers will laugh, cry, and dream alongside the earnest, sentimental Jack and his instantly lovable, warm-hearted community of Rehoboth Beach natives, a town that sparkles to life from the very first page. With his story of family, grief, legacy, and perseverance, Joella has crafted a sensational summer read. I will forever feel lucky to read (and yes, unabashedly weep over!) anything Joella. writes." --Becky Chalsen, author of Kismet

Praise for The Top of the World

"I loved following the moving story of Maggie and Chip, two characters I won't be forgetting anytime soon. The Top of the World is a pleasure to read from start to finish." --Liz Moore, author of The God of the Woods

"An immensely affecting novel about living with zeal and approaching life's end on one's own terms, The Top of the World gifted me both courage and comfort." --Megha Majumdar, author of A Guardian and a Thief and A Burning

"Wise, kind-hearted, and propulsive, this elegiac novel is exactly what I want in a book right now. The Top of the World is Ethan Joella at the top of his game." --J. Ryan Stradal, author of Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club

"The Top of the World is a deeply moving novel of loss and legacy. Set in the picturesque landscape of a Poconos resort, Ethan Joella gives us a heartfelt story about what it truly means to live life to the fullest, the healing connection of found family, and the power of being remembered." --Allison Larkin, author of The People We Keep and Home of the American Circus

About the Author