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A Novel

, instructor English and psychology in the Associate in Arts Program presents his fourth novel, The Top of the World (Scribner, June 30, 2026). 

June 1975. Maggie Bishop has just graduated high school, the future hers to embrace鈥攂ut she鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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.

Joella鈥檚 previous novels are The Same Bright Stars and A Quiet Life and A Little Hope.