It is a tale of the Underground Railroad, featuring President James Buchanan and his niece, Harriet Lane, set in 1859.

As the nation teeters on the edge of civil war, three women converge at the elegant Bedford Springs Hotel in Pennsylvania.

Harriet Lane, strongminded and vivacious niece to President James Buchanan and the nation’s “Democratic Queen,” begins to question the cost of loyalty as her uncle’s stance on slavery casts a long shadow. Anne McCoy, a quiet Quaker widow, carries the scars of loss and dangerous secrets.

Juba, an enslaved nursemaid to a presidential guest, dreams of freedom and the family torn from her.

When a chance encounter with local agents of the Underground Railroad sparks a daring escape plan, loyalties are tested and lives are forever changed. Meanwhile as scandal brews and radical abolitionist John Brown plots revolution nearby, these women must decide what they’re willing to risk for justice and each other.

Set against the backdrop of a divided America, “Summer of Meteors” is a powerful tale of courage, sacrifice and the bonds forged in the fight for freedom. A forgotten summer where history burned across the sky and nothing, not even the stars, would ever look the same.

The book ($19.95), published by Catamount Press, is 238 pages and was released Sept. 16, 2025. It is available in paperback, ebook and audiobook

About the author

Kris Schaale is a novelist interested in a wide array of genres, though her love of history and psychology always seems to find a way into her work. Having lived across the U.S., she fell in love with and now resides in Bedford, Pennsylvania, with her partner, John, and two adult sons, Sam and Max. When not living vicariously through her characters, she enjoys the outdoors, skiing, hiking and kayaking. She uses her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology from Penn State University to study and write about people’s behavior, motivations and life journeys. Through story, she hopes her readers will learn and be enriched in their own understanding of people and life.