The Summer Kitchen — Lisa Wingate

Sometimes hope springs up in unlikely places. SandraKaye Darden certainly never expects to find it in the little pink house left by her uncle Poppy. With her adopted son, Jake, missing thousands of miles away, and her family life disintegrating in the comfortable suburban home that once seemed perfect, Sandra feels as if her world is falling apart. A decaying house in a struggling Dallas neighborhood just adds to her burden. But what begins for Sandra as a simple painting project to help sell the house becomes a secret venture that starts to change everything.

When runaway Cass Blue sees the uptown lady chasing kids out of the nearby Dumpster, she figures it's best to lie low. Cass and her brother have enough trouble keeping a roof over their heads and food on the table since they ditched foster care. When the stranger shows up with free sandwiches, Cass has no way of knowing that one lunch will lead to an unexpected partnership, and the creation of a place of refuge that could reunite a divided community.

In this moving story of second chances, an unlikely pair of friends will realize the ability of one person to make a difference -- and the power of what becomes known as the Summer Kitchen to nourish the soul.