strongLife is fleeting. Love is a gift.strongpbrppIn this coming-of-age novel set in the 1970s, Gene Hull is whitewashing the trunks of Arizona citrus trees when he spots a beautiful girl and falls instantly in love. The girl is vulnerable and shy. Though Gene breaks through her reserve, a date at a wave park turns into a near disaster, and Gene must call on the one person he can always rely on-his doctor father.ppbrppAlthough the girl survives and Gene wins her over, what will happen when they leave for college Is she truly the one, or strongwill distance drive them apartstrongppbrppWhen a freak accident blows a hole in Gene's freshman year, his grades tank, and he bobbles the ball with the love of his life. She's gone forever. Not only that, but he'll never get into med school on grades alone.ppbrppHoping to improve his chances of admission, he spends the summer trailing a famous heart surgeon. But can Gene, determined to live up to his father's legacy, turn his strongsummer in the H