Lucas at 13 is excited about everything - swimming, fishing, skipping rocks, and searching for lucky stones - there's so much to do in two weeks at the lake.

Lucas at 14 is a little more jaded. And more interested in looking at the hot girl next door than in looking for rocks.

Lucas at 15 is a little more angry. The friend he brings along makes him see his summer haven with new - and less appreciative - eyes.

Lucas at 16 is in love - until he gets a break-up post card from his girlfriend, and then he wants to die.

Brent Runyon has crafted a remarkable portrait of a boy at four distinct points in his life and literally shows us his coming-of-age. It's a story about what is ever-changing and what is timeless, and how we are shaped by both the people and places we love.

Brent Runyon is the author of the highly acclaimed memoir, The Burn Journals, as well as a novel, Maybe. He lives in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.