Summer 1974. The high school diploma is achieved. The life that lies ahead for Mario and his friend Mike seems vast and promising. Mario, the son of Italian guest workers, has grown up between two worlds. In the large factory, he earns his first own money, saves for a motorcycle, and falls in love with Barbara. He wants more than what seems to be laid out for him - more freedom, more closeness, more future. It is the time of army jackets and long hair, souped-up mopeds and smoky party basements, music from the cassette player, and the dream of heading south. Between factory shifts and ice cream parlors, first political discussions and nights without parents, the possibilities seem endless - as if one could leave everything behind if only they were brave enough. When the two friends finally set off for Italy, the carefree summer turns into a time of decision. Friendship wavers, illusions lose their shine, and Mario realizes that growing up means finding oneself. Forever Summer is a quiet coming-of-age novel about origins and new beginnings, about first love and a summer that feels like a whole lifetime.