The Summons: A Call to Love

by Kathy Joy La Plante

Espionage, forbidden love, and found family: a story of queer resistance and healing, told with intimacy and urgency

At the edge of ruin, Noel "El" De la Mare has lost everything—her job, her home, and
the last shreds of her self-worth. Haunted by a dishonorable discharge and a lifetime
of rejection, she is ready to disappear. But a single letter from a mysterious great-aunt
in France changes everything. With nothing left to lose, Noel boards a plane to La
Rochelle, where she is swept into a world of secrets, resilience, and unexpected
kinship.

In the sun-drenched gardens of Laleu, Noel finds herself drawn into the extraordinary
lives of Catherine and Colette—two women whose love and courage defied the
darkness of war and the weight of family shame. As she helps them unearth their
intertwined pasts, Noel discovers a legacy of bravery, forbidden love, and the power
to reclaim her own story.

The Summons: A Call to Love is a sweeping, emotionally charged novel about the ties
that bind us across generations, the healing found in truth, and the courage it takes to
answer the call of your own heart. For anyone who has ever felt lost or alone, this is a
story of hope, belonging, and the transformative power of love.