Kat's Greek Summer: A Novel

For fans of Jenna Evans Welch and Barbara Dee, a timely and uplifting contemporary YA story of a young girl risking all for self-truth, family, and first love over one sun-drenched Greek summer.

Ready—set—look out, world! Kat Baker is about to explode . . . onto the high school scene, that is. All she has to do? Spend July and August training with New Canaan High’s cross-country team, become a running goddess and, come fall, claim her place as the team’s star freshman runner.

When her mom shocks her with the unwelcome news that the family will spend the summer exploring their roots in the rustic Greek village of Paralia, Kat’s sure her high school popularity plan is toast. Once in Paralia, punishing heat and cultural clashes force her to launch a risky and covert training strategy to keep her running-star dreams alive. And it is during these hidden sessions that Kat is swept into late-night encounters with Theofilus Zafirakis, a beautiful but off-limits Greek boy.

As Kat’s lies mount, her secret odyssey spirals out of control, finally putting one of her cousins in danger. In the end, it takes the unexpected meddling of a village full of crazy, wonderful—and not so wonderful—Greeks for her to open up to her Greek side and stand strong, discovering at last that the key to belonging anywhere is belonging first to herself.

Mima Tipper is half Greek and half American, and her writing reflects her heritage—a little bit old-country, a little bit rock and roll; one foot wandering through the dreamy realm of myths and faerie tales, the other running on the solid ground of fast-paced, contemporary story. She earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and has published YA fiction in Hunger Mountain and Sucker Literary magazine. When not working on her own writing, she is committed to promoting literacy and to supporting the writing community. Mima lives in Vermont.   

ISBN: 9781684633067
Format: Paperback
Pages: 256
Publisher: SparkPress
Published: May 13, 2025

"Kat’s Greek Summer is a charming tale of self-discovery, family, and first love set in a vibrant Greek village. With unforgettable characters and a touch of romance, it’s a perfect read for fans of heartfelt coming-of-age stories."—Keagan Calkins, Library Director of the Worthen Library“Family and friendship, especially the nuanced complications of generational love and devotion, are beautifully drawn in Kat's Greek Summer. Mima Tipper excels at bringing to life the gentleness and fire of first love, as well as Kat's dawning awareness that only she can stake her own claim in the world. A wise and charming debut.”—Alison McGhee, New York Times bestselling author Telephone of the Tree and Someday.“Kat's Greek Summer is the fantasy we all dream of . . . a secret romance in a Mediterranean paradise with the swooniest local boy on the Aegean Sea? Sign me up! And yet author Mima Tipper skillfully navigates the complexities of young love against a backdrop of stark inequality for women in Kat's new surroundings. With her unflinching portrayal of the challenges Kat faces, Tipper delivers a triumphant narrative that celebrates love and family while confronting the gritty truths of life.”—Kristin Nilsen, author of Worldwide Crush and The Scott Fenwick Diaries