BY SUMMER'S END

Morsi's smart, funny story of a widowed mother dealing with cancer is endearingly upbeat. After the accidental death of her husband, Sonny, 13 years earlier, Dawn Leland left Knoxville, Tenn., with her two young daughters, Sierra and Dakota, vowing never to return. She'd had no reason to stay since Sonny's parents considered her socially inferior and blamed her for their son's death. Now, diagnosed with cancer, Dawn has no choice but to go back to Knoxville to live with the Lelands while she undergoes treatment. Sixteen-year-old Sierra views the move as a grand adventure and settles in to stay, but 13-year-old Dakota, a "physics geek," wants nothing to do with the grandparents who didn't want her, and is unwavering in her desire to hit the road as soon as Dawn recovers. Drawing loosely on chaos theory, Morsi (Suburban Renewal ) skillfully layers chapter upon chapter with scenes that illustrate the past, the present and what could have been if Sonny had lived. This fascinating and poignant read will leave readers pondering this: "In the long run, the universe and everything in it proceeds exactly as it was meant to all along." Agent, Andrea Cirillo at the Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Feb.)