What Is This One Summer About?
The premise of This One Summer in 287 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In the sun‑kissed pine forests of the French southwest, summer stretches out like a golden ribbon, inviting a ten‑year‑old explorer to trace its edges. Dune arrives each July with her family, drawn by the rhythm of waves, clouds, and the quiet promise of a cottage that feels both timeless and intimate. Here, the cadence of childhood is marked by simple, vivid rituals: wandering among the towering trees, watching the sky rewrite itself, and slipping away to share secret horror movies that flicker in the dim of a hidden attic. The landscape itself becomes a character, its salty breezes and rustling needles echoing the restless curiosity of youth.
Reuniting with her longtime friend Mathilde, Dune finds the familiar bond of shared adventure instantly reignited. Together they trail older teenagers, eavesdrop on hushed conversations, and map the invisible borders between innocence and the adult world that looms just beyond the dunes. The duo’s playful investigations are tinged with a gentle sense of mystery, as each new observation nudges them toward questions they have never dared to ask before. The film rests in this tender space where friendship feels both a sanctuary and a launchpad for deeper understanding.
Yet this particular summer carries an undercurrent of unease. Dune notices that her family’s annual pilgrimage has a missing year, an unexplained gap that hangs like a shadow over the familiar routine. As she watches the adults and the teenagers around her, a subtle shift begins: the world she thought she knew starts to look different, and the line between childlike wonder and adult complexity blurs. The story hovers on the edge of that transition, inviting the audience to glimpse a coming‑of‑age moment where curiosity meets the first hints of hidden truths.
What Happens in This One Summer?
The complete story of This One Summer, from the first scene to the last, in 348 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 1 cast member page.
Spoilers ahead
Every summer, Rose, Rose Pou Pellicer, returns to a cottage in Awago where she and her friend Windy spend long days and nights testing the edges of growing up. Rose is about eighteen months older than Windy, and she serves as the story’s narrator, quietly guiding us through their observations and questions as the days unfold.
As the girls begin to explore their budding interest in boys, they also start paying attention to the emotional lives of the adults around them. The village forms a kind of rogues’ gallery of sad and burnt-out would-be role models, a backdrop that sharpens the girls’ own curiosity and sense of what adulthood might look like. Rose’s growing awareness is sharpened by a troubling realization about her mother, Alice, who is dealing with depression following infertility issues. The tension at home thickens, and Rose’s frustration boils over one night as she yells at Alice, blaming her for the family’s reluctance to go to the beach and for the arguments with her husband, Evan, who leaves for the city for several days.
In Awago, the girls also meet Jenny, a teenager who has unexpectedly become pregnant. The news unsettles the community, and after a heated argument with the father of the child—who has ignored both Jenny and the baby since the revelation—Jenny drinks, and Alice steps in to save her from a desperate act by attempting to drown herself. The encounter casts a harsher light on the fragility of the relationships surrounding them and deepens Rose’s sense of responsibility and worry.
The book’s close returns to the core cause behind Alice’s marital and emotional troubles: a miscarriage she endured in a lake the summer before, right there in Awago. As Rose and Windy’s mothers recount the events, the story settles into a sober reflection on loss, memory, and how early life’s shocks ripple through families. What began as a summer of innocent questions about romance and friendship becomes a quiet meditation on grief, resilience, and the ways people cope with pain while trying to protect the younger generation from repeating the same hurts.
This One Summer Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Summer at the Awago cottage with Windy” to “Closing reflection on growing up in Awago”. 12 events name a place, across 7 locations.
- 1
Summer at the Awago cottage with Windy
Rose and Windy spend summers at a cottage in Awago, where Rose serves as the narrator and is about eighteen months older than Windy. The two girls begin to test their growing interest in boys and start paying attention to the emotional lives of the adults around them. The setting underscores their coming-of-age among a community of imperfect role models.
When:This summer Where:Awago
- 2
Observing a rogues' gallery of adults
They notice that most adults and teenagers in the village are a rogues' gallery of sad and burnt-out would-be role models. The girls watch these flawed adults as templates for how maturity can go wrong. Their observations color how they view romance and responsibility during the season.
When:This summer Where:Awago
- 3
Rose notices her mother’s depression
Rose begins to realize that her mother, Alice, is depressed following infertility issues. The insight unsettles her as the summer wears on. It adds a private storm to the girls’ experiences of growing up.
When:This summer Where:Alice's home, Awago
- 4
Rose’s confrontation with Alice
One night Rose yells at Alice, blaming her for constantly refusing to go to the beach. The argument exposes growing strain in the family, including tension with Rose’s father, Evan. The moment marks a turning point in their relationship during the summer.
When:One night during the summer Where:Rose's home, Awago
- 5
Evan leaves for the city
Following the confrontation, Evan leaves for the city for several days, taking himself away from the household’s mounting tensions. His absence heightens the emotional strain on Alice and Rose. The family’s dynamic feels unsettled as the summer continues.
When:During this summer Where:Rose's home, Awago
- 6
Meeting Jenny, the pregnant teen
In the Awago village, Rose and Windy meet Jenny, a teenager who has unexpectedly become pregnant. Jenny’s situation introduces another layer of turmoil in the community and in the girls’ awareness of adult life. The encounter expands the scope of the girls’ observations about responsibility and desire.
When:Summer Where:Awago village
- 7
Jenny's conflict with the baby's father
Jenny argues with the father of her child, who has ignored her and the baby since the discovery. The dispute underscores the neglect and emotional distance surrounding young parenthood. The episode heightens Jenny’s vulnerability during the season.
When:Summer Where:Jenny's life in Awago
- 8
Alice saves Jenny from a drown attempt
After Jenny has an argument with the baby's father, she becomes drunk and attempts to drown herself. Alice saves her from the attempt, revealing the fragile boundaries of care in the community. The rescue brings the girls face to face with the consequences of distress and neglect.
When:Summer Where:Lakeside near Awago
- 9
Rose's growing emotional burden
As the summer wears on, Rose grows more troubled, watching the adults’ struggles and her mother’s depression. The emotional weight begins to press on her sense of safety and family harmony. These observations sharpen her coming-of-age awareness.
When:This summer Where:Awago
- 10
Alice’s miscarriage last summer
The novel reveals that Alice’s infertility problems stem from a miscarriage she suffered in a lake last summer in Awago. That event lies at the root of her emotional and marital troubles and helps explain her withdrawal. The memory casts long shadows over the current summer’s events.
When:Last summer Where:Awago lake
- 11
Recounting the cause by mothers
At the end of the summer, Rose and Windy’s mothers recount the main cause of Alice’s troubles — the miscarriage — and her reluctance to go to the beach. The revelation reframes the adults’ behavior and the girls’ understanding of family history. It ties together the threads of heartbreak, fear, and resilience in the story.
When:End of summer Where:Awago
- 12
Closing reflection on growing up in Awago
The summer closes with Rose and Windy reflecting on the emotional lessons learned from the village’s blurred lines between adults and teenagers. The revelation about Alice’s miscarriage gives them perspective on love, loss, and responsibility. They leave Awago with a more nuanced sense of adulthood ahead.
When:End of summer Where:Awago
Who Are the Main Characters in This One Summer?
5 characters, among them Rose, Windy and Alice: who each one is and the part they play in the story.
- R
Rose
The narrator, about eighteen months older than Windy, observant and increasingly troubled by her mother's depression and the couple's tensions. She questions adult life while trying to protect her friend and herself as the summer unfolds.
- 📝 Narrator
- 🌱 Coming-of-age
- 💬 Observant
- W
Windy
Rose's summer friend who joins her in exploring their growing interest in boys and in paying attention to the emotional lives of adults. She provides companionship and a practical counterpoint to Rose's introspection.
- 🧭 Friend
- 🌱 Coming-of-age
- 🗣️ Companion
- A
Alice
Rose's mother, whose depression and infertility issues strain the marriage. Her behavior provokes anger and blame from Rose, highlighting how parental suffering affects family dynamics.
- 💔 Mother
- 🧠 Mental health
- 👩👧 Family
- E
Evan
Rose's father, whose absence during a period of marital tension underscores the fragility of the family unit. His leaving creates emotional distance and adds to Rose's sense of instability.
- 👨 Father
- 🏃 Absence
- 💬 Tension
- J
Jenny
A teenage girl in Awago who becomes pregnant and faces social and personal pressures. After an argument with the father of her child, she is abandoned by some adults and is rescued by Alice in a moment of crisis.
- 👧 Teenage pregnancy
- 💬 Crisis
- 👫 Relationships
Where and When Is This One Summer Set?
This One Summer is set in Awago Cottage (Summer, contemporary era). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Summer, contemporary era
The events unfold over a single Awago summer in the present day, with the days marked by heat, small-town routines, and the social currents of adolescence. The summer serves as a crucible where young love, curiosity, and adult troubles surface. The narrative voice tracks how time feels stretched as emotions intensify.
Where
Awago Cottage
Awago is a lakeside village where Rose and Windy spend their summers at a cottage by the lake. The setting is intimate and quiet, a place that heightens the emotional undercurrents of adolescence. Its seasonal rhythms—hot days, walks along the shore, and late-night conversations—frame the story's focus on family and friendship.
- 🏖️ Lakeside village
- 🏡 Summer retreat
- 👧 Small-town vibes
What Are the Themes of This One Summer?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Coming-of-age, Parental Depression and Small-Town Realism.
-
01
Coming-of-age
Rose and Windy navigate the threshold between childhood and adulthood, observing love, desire, and disappointment in the adults around them. The summer becomes a lens through which they test boundaries and form ideas about relationships and responsibility. The story emphasizes growth, curiosity, and the messy process of forming identity.
-
02
Parental Depression
Alice's depression and infertility issues illuminate a fragile family dynamic. The tension between Rose and her mother reflects how emotional pain shapes actions and choices. As blame and frustration surface, the sisters and parents reveal the quiet costs of unspoken grief.
-
03
Small-Town Realism
The village portrait portrays flawed, exhausted adults and a social environment where expectations clash with personal failings. The teenagers absorb these realities, forming impressions about love, responsibility, and resilience. The setting acts as a mirror for the characters' inner lives.
What Kind of Film Is This One Summer?
Bittersweet in tone, with slow pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Bittersweet
- Pacing
- Slow
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Bittersweet
A reflective and melancholic coming-of-age film that captures the bittersweet transition from childhood innocence to the complex awareness of adult problems, set against the nostalgic backdrop of a summer holiday.
- nostalgic
- melancholic
- reflective
- anxious
- contemplative
- somber
- coming of age
- female friendship
- family secrets
- grief and loss
Content notes: suicide attempt, miscarriage, depression.
Quiz
How well do you remember This One Summer? Test yourself on the story.
