On the Thursday before Labor Day, in the summer of 1987, thirteen-year-old Henry convinces his reclusive, divorced mother Adele to take him to the local Pricemart to get school supplies and clothes. While there, they meet Frank, a bleeding man that asks for their help. To Henry’s surprise, his mother agrees to take Frank to their house. Over the next few days, Henry and Adele learn of Frank’s troubled past and his recent escape from prison. With all of the odds against them, these three lost souls find love and understanding as they dare to imagine life as a family–all while there is manhunt seeking Frank’s capture.

Labor Day is a beautifully written story of love and loss, adolescence and jealousy, and the longing to belong.