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Lost Lake #1
Lost Lake
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fiction (2014)An enchantingly romantic and magical novel by the New York Times bestselling author of GARDEN SPELLS and THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON.
It happens one morning - Kate finally wakes up from the slumber she's been in since her husband's death a year ago. Feeling a fresh sense of desire to take control of her and her young daughter's life, she decides to visit Suley, Georgia - home to Lost Lake. It's where Kate spent one of the happiest summers of her life as a child. She's not sure what she expects to find there, but it's not a rundown place full of ghosts and other curious oddities. Kate's Aunt Eby, Lost Lake's owner, wants to sell the old place and move on. Lost Lake's magic is gone. As Kate discovers that time has a way of standing still at Lost Lake, can she bring the cottages - as well as her heart and the hearts of all the guests - back to life? Because sometimes lost loves aren't really lost. They're just waiting for you to find them again.
It happens one morning - Kate finally wakes up from the slumber she's been in since her husband's death a year ago. Feeling a fresh sense of desire to take control of her and her young daughter's life, she decides to visit Suley, Georgia - home to Lost Lake. It's where Kate spent one of the happiest summers of her life as a child. She's not sure what she expects to find there, but it's not a rundown place full of ghosts and other curious oddities. Kate's Aunt Eby, Lost Lake's owner, wants to sell the old place and move on. Lost Lake's magic is gone. As Kate discovers that time has a way of standing still at Lost Lake, can she bring the cottages - as well as her heart and the hearts of all the guests - back to life? Because sometimes lost loves aren't really lost. They're just waiting for you to find them again.
296 pages, Paperback
First published January 21, 2014
About the author
Sarah Addison Allen
42 books17.7k followersNew York Times Bestselling novelist Sarah Addison Allen brings the full flavor of her southern upbringing to bear on her fiction -- a captivating blend of magical realism, heartwarming romance, and small-town sensibility.
Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Allen grew up with a love of books and an appreciation of good food (she credits her journalist father for the former and her mother, a fabulous cook, for the latter). In college, she majored in literature -- because, as she puts it, "I thought it was amazing that I could get a diploma just for reading fiction. It was like being able to major in eating chocolate."
After graduation, Allen began writing seriously. Her big break occurred in 2007 with the publication of her first mainstream novel, Garden Spells, a modern-day fairy tale about an enchanted apple tree and the family of North Carolina women who tend it. Booklist called Allen's accomplished debut "spellbindingly charming." The novel became a Barnes & Noble Recommends selection, and then a New York Times Bestseller.
Allen continues to serve heaping helpings of the fantastic and the familiar in fiction she describes as "Southern-fried magic realism." Clearly, it's a recipe readers are happy to eat up as fast as she can dish it out.
Her published books to date are: Garden Spells (2007), The Sugar Queen (2008), The Girl Who Chased the Moon (2010), The Peach Keeper (2011), Lost Lake (2014), First Frost (2015) and Other Birds (August 30, 2022).
--From B&N.com
Born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Allen grew up with a love of books and an appreciation of good food (she credits her journalist father for the former and her mother, a fabulous cook, for the latter). In college, she majored in literature -- because, as she puts it, "I thought it was amazing that I could get a diploma just for reading fiction. It was like being able to major in eating chocolate."
After graduation, Allen began writing seriously. Her big break occurred in 2007 with the publication of her first mainstream novel, Garden Spells, a modern-day fairy tale about an enchanted apple tree and the family of North Carolina women who tend it. Booklist called Allen's accomplished debut "spellbindingly charming." The novel became a Barnes & Noble Recommends selection, and then a New York Times Bestseller.
Allen continues to serve heaping helpings of the fantastic and the familiar in fiction she describes as "Southern-fried magic realism." Clearly, it's a recipe readers are happy to eat up as fast as she can dish it out.
Her published books to date are: Garden Spells (2007), The Sugar Queen (2008), The Girl Who Chased the Moon (2010), The Peach Keeper (2011), Lost Lake (2014), First Frost (2015) and Other Birds (August 30, 2022).
--From B&N.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,001 reviews
February 17, 2014
5 Magical Stars
I don’t really know what this it with this author, but every book of her leaves me with a smile on my face and this book was no exception.
The stories have always some magical aspects, and backgrounds so sweet and perfect, that makes impossible not wanting to be a part of these book-worlds.
This was a beautiful story about a mother and a daughter, about a small town, about friendship and loyalty. About healing, and forgiving and romance and the magic that surrounds all of it.
I can’t say anything else except that I loved it.
Rating: 5 Stars.
Storyline: Light and fluffy. Magical, sweet and always with unexpected aspects.
Writing Style: Past tense, third person. Amazing writing style. If you’ve never read a book by this author, shame on you!
Character Development: Sweet and strong. Kate is great and her daughter is sweet. The supportive characters are also great.
Steam: Nope.
HEA:
I don’t really know what this it with this author, but every book of her leaves me with a smile on my face and this book was no exception.
The stories have always some magical aspects, and backgrounds so sweet and perfect, that makes impossible not wanting to be a part of these book-worlds.
This was a beautiful story about a mother and a daughter, about a small town, about friendship and loyalty. About healing, and forgiving and romance and the magic that surrounds all of it.
I can’t say anything else except that I loved it.
Rating: 5 Stars.
Storyline: Light and fluffy. Magical, sweet and always with unexpected aspects.
Writing Style: Past tense, third person. Amazing writing style. If you’ve never read a book by this author, shame on you!
Character Development: Sweet and strong. Kate is great and her daughter is sweet. The supportive characters are also great.
Steam: Nope.
HEA:
April 2, 2020
It was the last one. The last book by Sarah Addison Allen that I had the opportunity to read for the first time... and I waited a couple of years to do so, because I knew I would be sad!
It was another very good novel. The characters were moving, as usual, and I thought it was nice that the ending was unexpected on some aspects. I didn't think I would cry, but I did! The only flaw was that some of the elements of the magical realism were less my cup of tea, but that's really personal to me.
When I close Allen's books, I feel like I made some friends along the way. Now I just want to visit them to know how they've been doing since the end of their story! Would my GPS find Lost Lake? Because I would head over there right away if I could!
4.5
It was another very good novel. The characters were moving, as usual, and I thought it was nice that the ending was unexpected on some aspects. I didn't think I would cry, but I did! The only flaw was that some of the elements of the magical realism were less my cup of tea, but that's really personal to me.
When I close Allen's books, I feel like I made some friends along the way. Now I just want to visit them to know how they've been doing since the end of their story! Would my GPS find Lost Lake? Because I would head over there right away if I could!
4.5
August 16, 2016
Finally, I read it! I'll try to post my review soon, but I'll just say now that I really loved it :)
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I really can't wait for it! :D
And finally, there's a cover!
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I really can't wait for it! :D
And finally, there's a cover!
March 25, 2018
I cannot wait for this book - I love Sarah Addison Allen...her novels are like a great vacation at home for me :)
On a second reading, I increased my star rating - I really liked this book this time around!
On a second reading, I increased my star rating - I really liked this book this time around!
January 30, 2014
"You can't change where you come from, but you can change where you go from here. Just like a book. If you don't like the ending, you make up a new one." -- Lost Lake
I read so much heavy stuff that it was nice to escape into this lovely story about a woman trying to start a new life after her husband's death. Kate and her daughter, Devin, find an old postcard from Lost Lake, Georgia, which is where Kate spent a wonderful summer when she was a girl. On a whim, the pair drive down to see if her aunt is still renting out cabins there, and discover that the lake holds a bit of magic for them.
There's a colorful cast of characters at the lake that summer, including a woman who has special charms to seduce men, a French cook who can't speak but who has a persistent admirer, and a local handyman who fell in love with Kate when they were kids. Ooh la la!
Your enjoyment of this book will probably depend on how much you like the Women's Fiction genre. (I hate the term Chick Lit.) This is the fourth Sarah Addison Allen novel I've read, and it's filled with the same southern charm, magical realism, romance and family drama that are in her other stories. My favorite book of hers is still The Peach Keeper, but Lost Lake is a delightful read.
In the Acknowledgments, Allen says she was diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer in 2011 and has now had two years in remission. She wrote, "The year of horrible change brought me to an amazing place in my life." There was more grief in this novel than in her previous books, and the writing was deeper. Good for her for breaking through and finding the strength to write again.
My rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4
I read so much heavy stuff that it was nice to escape into this lovely story about a woman trying to start a new life after her husband's death. Kate and her daughter, Devin, find an old postcard from Lost Lake, Georgia, which is where Kate spent a wonderful summer when she was a girl. On a whim, the pair drive down to see if her aunt is still renting out cabins there, and discover that the lake holds a bit of magic for them.
There's a colorful cast of characters at the lake that summer, including a woman who has special charms to seduce men, a French cook who can't speak but who has a persistent admirer, and a local handyman who fell in love with Kate when they were kids. Ooh la la!
Your enjoyment of this book will probably depend on how much you like the Women's Fiction genre. (I hate the term Chick Lit.) This is the fourth Sarah Addison Allen novel I've read, and it's filled with the same southern charm, magical realism, romance and family drama that are in her other stories. My favorite book of hers is still The Peach Keeper, but Lost Lake is a delightful read.
In the Acknowledgments, Allen says she was diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer in 2011 and has now had two years in remission. She wrote, "The year of horrible change brought me to an amazing place in my life." There was more grief in this novel than in her previous books, and the writing was deeper. Good for her for breaking through and finding the strength to write again.
My rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4
February 26, 2014
Originally reviewed here @ Dear Author
I am a huge fan. There’s just no use starting out with any other introduction than that. A clever friend gifted me a copy of Garden Spells several years ago, and it was love at first sight. I quickly devoured each of your successive books, and while I can never quite decide if The Peach Keeper is my favorite or if The Sugar Queen owns that spot, what I do know is I have loved each one of your beautiful stories. So it was with great pleasure I sat down with this latest blend of magical realism and southern comfort. As a child, I spent several formative years in Virginia. My mother’s sister and her family lived a few hours away in North Carolina, and every spring and summer we eagerly climbed in the car and drove south to spend a few weeks with them. These trips were magical to me, and these novels, with their humid nights, slow-roasting barbecue, and softly lilting drawl send me right back to night games with my cousins and catching fireflies in cupped hands.
Eby Pim never expected to marry the man she did. Coming as she does from a long line of women determined to marry money, Eby was always the sad exception to the rule. Less lovely, less ambitious than her mother, sister, grandmother, she was perhaps the most surprised of all when she and George fell in love. He was rich. But the money was new and meant very little to either of them except as an escape from their interfering families. And so Eby and George embarked on an indefinite honeymoon, spending months and months in Europe. Paris, mostly, where they acquired a troubled young woman by the name of Lisette. Lisette never speaks, preferring to write her thoughts and questions down on a notebook she keeps around her neck. When word of a death in the family cuts their time in Europe short, Eby and George return home to Georgia with Lisette in tow. And when the lure of their money proves too much for Eby’s family, they decide to wash their hands of it, getting rid of it all and buying a stretch of land known as Lost Lake, where they set up a small summer resort amid the swamps and cypress knees. Years later, Eby’s widowed niece Kate finds her way back to Lost Lake. She brings with her her free spirited 8-year-old daughter Devin and a fledgling determination to take up and make some sense of the scattered threads of her life.
Lost Lake is very pleasant. It is a very pleasant novel. And there’s the rub. Pleasantness abounds, along with a very nice level of quirk and charm. But it never crosses over into deeper waters, at least not for me. Most of Ms. Allen’s novels trade point of view chapters back and forth between a couple or three “main” protagonists. Sometimes I gravitate more toward one than the others, and sometimes I fall for them equally. Either way the overall balance generally works for me. But in Lost Lake, quite a few different characters share the limelight (what there is of it), and I was never allowed to spend enough time with any one of them to develop genuine feelings for them and their fate. I wanted to. The chapters from Eby’s past are heady and lovely. I followed her through the streets and over the bridges of Paris and would have happily spent the rest of the novel unraveling the threads of Lisette’s mysterious past. Likewise, I was just as willing to accompany Kate on her journey to revive herself and her faltering relationship with her young daughter.
Goodness, it is lovely writing. Strong enough to see you through to the end even when you’re not as invested as you would have liked. In theory, I liked the idea of Kate and Eby (two women living under the same family curse) coming together in this place apart from the rest of the world and . . . figuring things out. In practice, its meaningfulness felt muffled. Neither story was given enough page time to really land. I didn’t dislike any of the wispy and enticing peripheral characters. In fact, I liked them all: brazen Bulahdeen, shameless Selma, diffident Jack, imperious Cricket, and the heartbreaking trio Wes, Luc, and Billy. I just didn’t love any of them. The painful part is that I could literally feel that potential love of mine ghosting out there on the horizon for the entire length of the book. I knew it was possible. It just never materialized. Instead I felt distracted and removed, not disgruntled per se, but just gently fond when I wanted to be infatuated, like I was reading an abridged version of the full story.
I am a huge fan. There’s just no use starting out with any other introduction than that. A clever friend gifted me a copy of Garden Spells several years ago, and it was love at first sight. I quickly devoured each of your successive books, and while I can never quite decide if The Peach Keeper is my favorite or if The Sugar Queen owns that spot, what I do know is I have loved each one of your beautiful stories. So it was with great pleasure I sat down with this latest blend of magical realism and southern comfort. As a child, I spent several formative years in Virginia. My mother’s sister and her family lived a few hours away in North Carolina, and every spring and summer we eagerly climbed in the car and drove south to spend a few weeks with them. These trips were magical to me, and these novels, with their humid nights, slow-roasting barbecue, and softly lilting drawl send me right back to night games with my cousins and catching fireflies in cupped hands.
Eby Pim never expected to marry the man she did. Coming as she does from a long line of women determined to marry money, Eby was always the sad exception to the rule. Less lovely, less ambitious than her mother, sister, grandmother, she was perhaps the most surprised of all when she and George fell in love. He was rich. But the money was new and meant very little to either of them except as an escape from their interfering families. And so Eby and George embarked on an indefinite honeymoon, spending months and months in Europe. Paris, mostly, where they acquired a troubled young woman by the name of Lisette. Lisette never speaks, preferring to write her thoughts and questions down on a notebook she keeps around her neck. When word of a death in the family cuts their time in Europe short, Eby and George return home to Georgia with Lisette in tow. And when the lure of their money proves too much for Eby’s family, they decide to wash their hands of it, getting rid of it all and buying a stretch of land known as Lost Lake, where they set up a small summer resort amid the swamps and cypress knees. Years later, Eby’s widowed niece Kate finds her way back to Lost Lake. She brings with her her free spirited 8-year-old daughter Devin and a fledgling determination to take up and make some sense of the scattered threads of her life.
Lost Lake is very pleasant. It is a very pleasant novel. And there’s the rub. Pleasantness abounds, along with a very nice level of quirk and charm. But it never crosses over into deeper waters, at least not for me. Most of Ms. Allen’s novels trade point of view chapters back and forth between a couple or three “main” protagonists. Sometimes I gravitate more toward one than the others, and sometimes I fall for them equally. Either way the overall balance generally works for me. But in Lost Lake, quite a few different characters share the limelight (what there is of it), and I was never allowed to spend enough time with any one of them to develop genuine feelings for them and their fate. I wanted to. The chapters from Eby’s past are heady and lovely. I followed her through the streets and over the bridges of Paris and would have happily spent the rest of the novel unraveling the threads of Lisette’s mysterious past. Likewise, I was just as willing to accompany Kate on her journey to revive herself and her faltering relationship with her young daughter.
Kate had been thirteen when her father died. No more weekend road trips. No more hours spent after school in her father’s video store, watching movie after movie. Her mother had gone a little crazy after that, like she’d pulled the in the event of an emergency switch that the women in her family told her to pull if her husband ever died, and this was what happened.
She wouldn’t come out of her room for months. Kate had lived on bagels, sandwich meat, and microwaved popcorn for most of eighth grade. She had hidden when well-meaning neighbors knocked on the door, after the first time she’d let them in and they’d worried why her mother wouldn’t see them.
There was still a place inside Kate that resented her mother’s grief when her father died. She still remembered what her mother had said to her on the day Kate and Matt went to the court house to get married. I hope you never lose him. It had felt like a portent. Kate hadn’t been as obvious about it as her mother, but, sure enough, she had still pulled that same switch. And she should have known that Devin had caught on. Children always know when their mothers are crazy—they just never admit it, not out loud, to anyone.
Goodness, it is lovely writing. Strong enough to see you through to the end even when you’re not as invested as you would have liked. In theory, I liked the idea of Kate and Eby (two women living under the same family curse) coming together in this place apart from the rest of the world and . . . figuring things out. In practice, its meaningfulness felt muffled. Neither story was given enough page time to really land. I didn’t dislike any of the wispy and enticing peripheral characters. In fact, I liked them all: brazen Bulahdeen, shameless Selma, diffident Jack, imperious Cricket, and the heartbreaking trio Wes, Luc, and Billy. I just didn’t love any of them. The painful part is that I could literally feel that potential love of mine ghosting out there on the horizon for the entire length of the book. I knew it was possible. It just never materialized. Instead I felt distracted and removed, not disgruntled per se, but just gently fond when I wanted to be infatuated, like I was reading an abridged version of the full story.
September 6, 2019
Kate Pheris lost her husband, Matt, in an accident over a year ago. She's just emerging from her fog of grief, tuning into the world around her for the first time since Matt's death, only to find that her mother-in-law has taken complete control of her life and her 8-year old daughter, Devin. When her daughter finds some old correspondence from her great aunt Eby Pim, Kate is reminded of the wonderful summer she spent with her at a place called Lost Lake. She suddenly decides to share that experience with Devin and they head for the lake. What was originally planned as an overnight trip blossoms into an indefinite stay.
This trip sets off a whole new path of self discovery for not only Kate but an interesting group of people connected to the lake and Aunt Eby. Lost Lake holds some wonderful memories for them as well as some tragedies. As each of them explore his or her past and connection to the place, some find redemption and others new beginnings. There's also something mystical in the air, subtle but definitely ethereal.
I was captivated by this story with it's eclectic mix of characters. It was lovely to see Kate use the lake as her anchor to restore herself, rekindling a romance from her past and letting her daughter be a child again through the magic of Lost Lake.
The secondary characters play strong roles in this story, often colorful and always complicated. The stories oddly but effectively converge at Lost Lake and blend beautifully.
The narration is superb as there were several Southern dialects, one French character, many male roles and a child. All were delivered flawlessly and I was able to distinguish each easily.
I enjoyed the story, writing style, narration and the twinge of mysticism. It's lovely and I look forward to reading more from this author.
(I received an ARC from the publisher)
September 10, 2017
A delightful story, beautifully told, about love and life and death. The author knows how to write interesting characters who are all just a little quirky or original. As a reader you care about them and need them to form relationships and live happily ever after.
As usual in her books the author writes several 'magical' scenes. The most important of these take place on the dock where there may or may not be an alligator trying to communicate something urgent and important. There is also a ghost sitting in a chair in the kitchen. And why not!
This is a fairly light read and it is very enjoyable and entertaining
As usual in her books the author writes several 'magical' scenes. The most important of these take place on the dock where there may or may not be an alligator trying to communicate something urgent and important. There is also a ghost sitting in a chair in the kitchen. And why not!
This is a fairly light read and it is very enjoyable and entertaining
February 10, 2017
This book was okay, but didn't pull me in like I was hoping it would. To me, Sarah Addison Allen's books always look good on the outside with their pretty covers and titles, I mean just look at "The Girl Who Chased The Moon". Pretty! Sometimes my judging a book by it's cover pays off. Other times, the old adage has it right. I was hoping to get some of that prettiness and southern charm in "Lost Lake" but I didn't really feel connected to the characters. There were quite a few who each needed more time to be developed to make me feel like I know them and like them. Not only that but there were scenes in the book where I wished the author had done more show and less tell. I would like to see for myself how everyone had a good time and got along instead of just being told it happened and they did. As for the plot, it was a little slow. I was expecting more and when stuff finally happened and the book ended, I was like, "That was it?". I like neat and happy endings, but I guess I was set up for more opposition. Oh well. Still glad that I won this in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway though, and if this book is ever made into a Hallmark movie, which her books remind me of, I'll probably tune in to see how it is. Sometimes movies, even TV movies, turn out better than the book. This is all just my opinion. Others may love this book and good for them, but it didn't live up to my expectations of an enchanting read.
January 14, 2014
It is impossible for me to give this book any lower than a four star rating. Her characters are so interesting, have very poignant back stories and are always fully fleshed people brought to life among the pages. Her books are quirky, magical, and comforting. I finished this with a smile on my face and a big awwwwwww. Love the cover, the title and the place itself. Love the little girl Devon and all her amazing outfits. This author's novels always have such a unique touch, something that makes them so alive and vibrant. Heart warming and heartbreaking all at the same time Aaazing talent.
Had a summer cottage like this that I stayed at summers with my cousins. Not quite as magical but enough for all of us to remember those times fondly.
ARC from publisher.
Had a summer cottage like this that I stayed at summers with my cousins. Not quite as magical but enough for all of us to remember those times fondly.
ARC from publisher.
October 12, 2013
In 2011 Sarah Addison Allen was shocked to hear that she had advanced stages of breast cancer. In the acknowledgments she speaks about how that frightening diagnosis brought her to an amazing place in life. She happily reports that she is in her second year of clear scans.
This books feels like her journey to healing. The themes deal with overcoming insurmountable obstacles, healing emotional scars, and redemption. There is a magical quality, not only in the actual story, but in the writing as well.
Widow Kate and her 8 year old daughter need to heal. Kate makes in impromptu decision to take her daughter to the Lost Lake in Suley, Georgia. A place where Kate spent one very unforgettable childhood summer with her family when she was young. It was a place where strangers were family, and where she almost had her first kiss.
“Why do you keep coming back here, when everyone else stopped?”
“Because life is my books these days. And every summer here is a new chapter. Ever read a story that you simply can’t imagine how it wail end? This place is like that. The best things in life are like that.”
It reminded me of Fried Green Tomatoes, the strong female companionships, the love, the bantering...
“Bulahdeen put her notebook in her purse, then stood stiffly. “Selma, we’re going to the store. I need to get more wine.”
Selma was filing her nails at the next table. “Why do you need so much wine? Doesn’t alcohol interfere with your medication?”
“I don't take any medication.”
“That explains a lot, “ Selma said, blowing emery-board dust off her fingertips.”
It was Selma and Bulahdeen’s stories that I enjoyed the most. Selma with her 8 charms for 8 husbands, and Bulahdeen, well...her story is a surprise.
The story builds just like you imagined and wanted it to. With a quaint sense of the past, of sitting on your front porch drinking lemonade with good friends. True comfort food for the bibliophiles.
This books feels like her journey to healing. The themes deal with overcoming insurmountable obstacles, healing emotional scars, and redemption. There is a magical quality, not only in the actual story, but in the writing as well.
Widow Kate and her 8 year old daughter need to heal. Kate makes in impromptu decision to take her daughter to the Lost Lake in Suley, Georgia. A place where Kate spent one very unforgettable childhood summer with her family when she was young. It was a place where strangers were family, and where she almost had her first kiss.
“Why do you keep coming back here, when everyone else stopped?”
“Because life is my books these days. And every summer here is a new chapter. Ever read a story that you simply can’t imagine how it wail end? This place is like that. The best things in life are like that.”
It reminded me of Fried Green Tomatoes, the strong female companionships, the love, the bantering...
“Bulahdeen put her notebook in her purse, then stood stiffly. “Selma, we’re going to the store. I need to get more wine.”
Selma was filing her nails at the next table. “Why do you need so much wine? Doesn’t alcohol interfere with your medication?”
“I don't take any medication.”
“That explains a lot, “ Selma said, blowing emery-board dust off her fingertips.”
It was Selma and Bulahdeen’s stories that I enjoyed the most. Selma with her 8 charms for 8 husbands, and Bulahdeen, well...her story is a surprise.
The story builds just like you imagined and wanted it to. With a quaint sense of the past, of sitting on your front porch drinking lemonade with good friends. True comfort food for the bibliophiles.
May 21, 2015
Lost Lake Cottages at Suley, Georgia, was almost a hidden place, discovered by people who needed its magnetism to recover from their own tumultuous lives. It was a place where stories could have new endings each time the visitors went there over many years. But Eby did not advertise, and the regular guests got older and passed away one by one, leaving Eby at a crossroads to finally sell.
The nearby town, with its old secrets and cultural eccentricities, unknown to younger generations, had other ways of dealing with this kind of thing. Without Eby and Lisette, the French girl without a voicebox, the magic would be gone. There were many people who mourned the sale of Lost Lake Cottages, and wanted to attend the goodbye-party that was organized for Eby and Lizette.
Love, lost and found, was an omnipresence in the memories made along Lost Lake's shores. Magic was present - some guests brought it, and others experienced it.
Kate and her daughter Devin decided to visit her great-aunt Eby, after Kate's husband died and she discovered a letter from Eby which was hidden from her by Kate's mother for many years. She remembered one happy summer at Lost Lake, before all contact with Eby was lost. Her need to heal and raise her daughter instinctively lead her to this place where her childhood ended the day they left there in a hurry as a child.
It would be the last summer holiday for everyone at Lost Lake, but also the last chance they had to rewrite their own endings.
This was a magnificent read. A feel-good book with a fairytale for grown-ups thrown in. A wealth of emotions is explored in the different characters; old believes are tested; southern charm relived; friendships, stronger than blood, exposed; new horizons being discovered ; hope is born.
I will absolutely read this author again.
The nearby town, with its old secrets and cultural eccentricities, unknown to younger generations, had other ways of dealing with this kind of thing. Without Eby and Lisette, the French girl without a voicebox, the magic would be gone. There were many people who mourned the sale of Lost Lake Cottages, and wanted to attend the goodbye-party that was organized for Eby and Lizette.
Love, lost and found, was an omnipresence in the memories made along Lost Lake's shores. Magic was present - some guests brought it, and others experienced it.
Kate and her daughter Devin decided to visit her great-aunt Eby, after Kate's husband died and she discovered a letter from Eby which was hidden from her by Kate's mother for many years. She remembered one happy summer at Lost Lake, before all contact with Eby was lost. Her need to heal and raise her daughter instinctively lead her to this place where her childhood ended the day they left there in a hurry as a child.
It would be the last summer holiday for everyone at Lost Lake, but also the last chance they had to rewrite their own endings.
"You can't change where you come from, but you can change where you go from here. Just like a book. If you don't like the ending, you make up a new one."All the characters in the book have their own stories to tell. All of them had a reason to be devoted to a place which brought them happiness each time they visited. It was as though their lives just couldn't stay on track anywhere else. Eight-year-old Devin discovered her own magic realism when she recognized a soulmate in the waters of the lake. She just had to convince the grown-ups to believe her. And when they finally do, all their endings are rewritten.
This was a magnificent read. A feel-good book with a fairytale for grown-ups thrown in. A wealth of emotions is explored in the different characters; old believes are tested; southern charm relived; friendships, stronger than blood, exposed; new horizons being discovered ; hope is born.
I will absolutely read this author again.
April 18, 2018
“Misfits need a place to get away, too. All that trying to fit in is exhausting.”
Books by Sarah Addison Allen are not for everyone, but they work marvelously for me. She writes about the ordinary; no elaborate world building, no complex plots just simple everyday occurrences with a sprinkle of magic and plenty of inspiration. I always have an unexplainable strange feeling of contention after finishing one of Sarah Addison Allen's stories.
Lost Lake is an enchanting story filled with hope, it is about healing and second chances, about letting go and starting over. The characters in here are charming, quirky and one of a kind, yet one might be able to relate with their oddities. Little backstories associated with them all, give a glimpse into each of their lives. These stories provide just the perfect dose of information needed to get an insight into the peculiarity of every individual. And alongside, there are random magical touches throughout, an excellent portrayal of magical realism that feels almost real.
"You can't change where you come from, but you can change where you go from here. Just like a book. If you don't like the ending, you make up a new one."
Eby Pim is the owner of Lost Lake - a quaint lakeside property with a bunch of cabin rentals. She and her husband George bought this property fifty years ago and turned it into a charming vacation spot over the years. However, since after her husband's death a few years back, Lost Lake has started to decline in spite of Eby's best efforts.
A few hundred miles north of Lost Lake in Atlanta is Kate - a recently widowed young mother of an eight year old girl, Devin. One day while going through an old trunk in her attic she comes across a postcard send by her great aunt Eby inviting her back to Lost Lake. Remembering how much she loved her trip to that enchanting place as a twelve year old, Kate decides to make an impromptu trip down south and see her aunt and show Devin the place where she had the best summer of her life, where she nearly kissed a boy and where she didn't want to leave.
And as Kate arrives at Lost Lake, its an entirely new world. Other characters come into play and as their lives coincide, so begins a charming story about a bunch of misfits, a story of love, loss and redemption, a story about the power of choice, of belief and of lost chances and new beginnings. Lost Lake is a totally immersive story to just get lost in.
“Don't you wish you could take a single childhood memory and blow it up into a bubble and live inside it forever?”
Books by Sarah Addison Allen are not for everyone, but they work marvelously for me. She writes about the ordinary; no elaborate world building, no complex plots just simple everyday occurrences with a sprinkle of magic and plenty of inspiration. I always have an unexplainable strange feeling of contention after finishing one of Sarah Addison Allen's stories.
Lost Lake is an enchanting story filled with hope, it is about healing and second chances, about letting go and starting over. The characters in here are charming, quirky and one of a kind, yet one might be able to relate with their oddities. Little backstories associated with them all, give a glimpse into each of their lives. These stories provide just the perfect dose of information needed to get an insight into the peculiarity of every individual. And alongside, there are random magical touches throughout, an excellent portrayal of magical realism that feels almost real.
"You can't change where you come from, but you can change where you go from here. Just like a book. If you don't like the ending, you make up a new one."
Eby Pim is the owner of Lost Lake - a quaint lakeside property with a bunch of cabin rentals. She and her husband George bought this property fifty years ago and turned it into a charming vacation spot over the years. However, since after her husband's death a few years back, Lost Lake has started to decline in spite of Eby's best efforts.
A few hundred miles north of Lost Lake in Atlanta is Kate - a recently widowed young mother of an eight year old girl, Devin. One day while going through an old trunk in her attic she comes across a postcard send by her great aunt Eby inviting her back to Lost Lake. Remembering how much she loved her trip to that enchanting place as a twelve year old, Kate decides to make an impromptu trip down south and see her aunt and show Devin the place where she had the best summer of her life, where she nearly kissed a boy and where she didn't want to leave.
And as Kate arrives at Lost Lake, its an entirely new world. Other characters come into play and as their lives coincide, so begins a charming story about a bunch of misfits, a story of love, loss and redemption, a story about the power of choice, of belief and of lost chances and new beginnings. Lost Lake is a totally immersive story to just get lost in.
“Don't you wish you could take a single childhood memory and blow it up into a bubble and live inside it forever?”
September 1, 2016
*3.5 stars*
For me, Sarah Addison Allen books are like a cozy blanket or hot chocolate: They are my comfort food version of reading, and I can't get enough of them. There is just something so warm and inviting about her style. I'm not sure if it is the Southern charm or the magical realism, but I'm always in sort of a happy daze while reading this author's stuff. However, while "Lost Lake" was predictably good and nicely narrated, it just didn't have the WOW factor of some of her other stories.
I'll talk a little about the narration first. I enjoyed the narrator, Janet Metzger, who expertly did a nice range of voices and throaty, Southern accents. I wasn't crazy about her male voices, but it is difficult for a female narrator to nail those, and she made a valiant effort. I enjoyed her soothing way of speaking and thought it worked nicely with the story.
In terms of the plot, I'd say that if you've read one Sarah Addison Allen book, you've read them all. That isn't to say you shouldn't try this lovely tale, but just know that you aren't going to get anything truly different. We all know the drill: Strong matriarchs, family lines with abilities, lost loves and returning loves, Southern culture, the charms of childhood... all the stories have the same themes. However, though it isn't anything new, it was still really nicely conceived and executed. I wasn't excited by the story, but it was pleasant listening. I knew how everything would end, more or less, and I enjoyed the ride all the way through.
I think if you are a fan of this author, you will like this story. It wasn't as powerful for me as her other books, but it charmed me nonetheless.
November 17, 2015
3.5-4 stars... a beautiful story, with a sense of peace and hope in it... and a touch of magic :)It's a story that's easy to sink into, a pleasant dream or a nice getaway with people to help you pass the time. This one is one I realized I loved it more than what I thought I did while reading it... make sense?
Lost Lake is one of those places that's just there... there's a sense of being constant, having it's own personality. It's presence is quiet but trusting, offering you a getaway from your life (even if it's only for a night). Eby is it's caretaker, along with Lisette.
Everyone's story gets told here but it doesn't feel crowded. I wanted to hug Lisette and tell her it would be okay... she came to it in her own time, and I was very happy for her :).
I loved the story, even in the slow spots... it snuck up on me, like it was sitting there beside me and content to wait while I traveled its paths. It's understated, but it was perfect in that way ya know?
Selma and Buladheen... what an unlikely pair of friends :) Loved watching them interact with each other. Selma thinks no one likes her, but what she doesn't see is she does have friends if chooses to open her eyes. Despite what she does, I didn't dislike her.
Would recommend :)
Lost Lake is one of those places that's just there... there's a sense of being constant, having it's own personality. It's presence is quiet but trusting, offering you a getaway from your life (even if it's only for a night). Eby is it's caretaker, along with Lisette.
Everyone's story gets told here but it doesn't feel crowded. I wanted to hug Lisette and tell her it would be okay... she came to it in her own time, and I was very happy for her :).
I loved the story, even in the slow spots... it snuck up on me, like it was sitting there beside me and content to wait while I traveled its paths. It's understated, but it was perfect in that way ya know?
Selma and Buladheen... what an unlikely pair of friends :) Loved watching them interact with each other. Selma thinks no one likes her, but what she doesn't see is she does have friends if chooses to open her eyes. Despite what she does, I didn't dislike her.
Would recommend :)
July 28, 2023
But being mad at someone for acting exactly the way you assume they'll act is no one's fault but your own. (PG 288)
I always love the characters Sarah Addison Allen creates for the likes of me. They are real tainted people that find ways to move on. They are always feel good stories with no politics or personal opinions that I can pinpoint. I always love the magical realism, as the superstitious person that I am.
I'm glad I read the book and my time wasn't wasted but this was not my favorite.
Who doesn't love a mystery throughout and closure by the end?
I always love the characters Sarah Addison Allen creates for the likes of me. They are real tainted people that find ways to move on. They are always feel good stories with no politics or personal opinions that I can pinpoint. I always love the magical realism, as the superstitious person that I am.
I'm glad I read the book and my time wasn't wasted but this was not my favorite.
Who doesn't love a mystery throughout and closure by the end?
August 16, 2017
I can always rely on Sarah Addison Allen to carry me away to a place I can get lost and submerge myself into a comforting read. Her light touch creating characters and setting with a sprinkle of magic makes this story sparkle. Lost Lake is about new beginnings and confronting the past to illuminate the future.
January 20, 2023
This is a very well-written, sweet novel about a group of characters, ranging in age from eight to seventy-six, all of whom have great sadness in their lives from things that have happened, some recently, some very long ago. This reader connected emotionally with each one, as I believe the author intended, and my primary bond was one of sympathy, even for ones who weren't very easy people to get along with (hello, Selma).
I should mention here that there were also two unsympathetic characters (Cricket and Lazlo) who give the novel a plot structure in addition to its fond reminiscences and a gentle coming together in the secluded location of the title. It's a small lake with cabin camping, way off the beaten track about four hours' drive south of Atlanta, Georgia, and it's been owned and operated for decades by Eby Pim, whose late husband George bought it with the rest of his money (after giving most of it away) so that he and Eby could leave their affluent life in Atlanta and their materialistic relatives behind.
Eby's great-niece Kate Pheris, widowed a year ago, comes out of her daze of grief to realize that she, too, needs to get away, in this case from her controlling mother-in-law Cricket, and she remembers her summer at Lost Lake when she was twelve as the last time she was really happy. So Kate shows up for the first time in fifteen years, bringing along her eight-year-old daughter Devin (yes, Devin!), at the very moment when Eby has finally agreed to sell Lost Lake to Lazlo, a real estate developer who has big plans for the property. But no papers have been signed yet, and the plot structure begins to take shape.
Also at the lake are the only three guests who've come back this year (long-time regulars Bulahdeen, Selma, and Jack); their neighbor Wes, who owns the only other property on the lake; and Lisette, mute from birth, who's firmly attached to Eby and runs the kitchen at Lost Lake. As you can see, most of the main characters are female, though I felt sympathy for Wes and Jack as well, so possibly this could be classed as "women's fiction," whatever the boundaries of that category might be.
But this author's debut, Garden Spells, was a brilliant work of magical realism, and there are at least three significant bits of magical realism at Lost Lake. There's the alligator who talks to the little girl, Devin, and sets her on a quest; others almost but not quite see it (no alligators near Lost Lake, everyone knows that!), and what Devin reports goes beyond what you'd expect a child's imaginary friend to say.
Then there's Luc, the ghost of a boy who killed himself when Lisette rejected him--back in Paris when both were sixteen--who sits in a special chair in the kitchen at Lost Lake and keeps Lisette's love life frozen so she can never do that to anyone else. Very sparingly across the story there are touches that suggest Luc might be more than a creature of Lisette's troubled mind.
And so, if Luc and the alligator keep the magic at a maybe/maybe not stage, there's Selma's little box of charms, eight of them. Each one gives her power over a man and, once she has him hooked, the charm vanishes. She's had seven husbands, some of whom divorced their wives to marry her, but all then left her--that power doesn't last more than a few years, you see--and she has one charm left in the box; even more magical is the backstory of how she got the box in the first place.
So Sarah Addison Allen has done her thing--a warmly human story with an element of magic. The shift of focus from one character to another gives the story a disjointed effect that I didn't find in Garden Spells, and like some other readers I wasn't prepared for a horrible secret that came out in a late chapter, but the ending brings resolution with hope, and I recommend it strongly.
I should mention here that there were also two unsympathetic characters (Cricket and Lazlo) who give the novel a plot structure in addition to its fond reminiscences and a gentle coming together in the secluded location of the title. It's a small lake with cabin camping, way off the beaten track about four hours' drive south of Atlanta, Georgia, and it's been owned and operated for decades by Eby Pim, whose late husband George bought it with the rest of his money (after giving most of it away) so that he and Eby could leave their affluent life in Atlanta and their materialistic relatives behind.
Eby's great-niece Kate Pheris, widowed a year ago, comes out of her daze of grief to realize that she, too, needs to get away, in this case from her controlling mother-in-law Cricket, and she remembers her summer at Lost Lake when she was twelve as the last time she was really happy. So Kate shows up for the first time in fifteen years, bringing along her eight-year-old daughter Devin (yes, Devin!), at the very moment when Eby has finally agreed to sell Lost Lake to Lazlo, a real estate developer who has big plans for the property. But no papers have been signed yet, and the plot structure begins to take shape.
Also at the lake are the only three guests who've come back this year (long-time regulars Bulahdeen, Selma, and Jack); their neighbor Wes, who owns the only other property on the lake; and Lisette, mute from birth, who's firmly attached to Eby and runs the kitchen at Lost Lake. As you can see, most of the main characters are female, though I felt sympathy for Wes and Jack as well, so possibly this could be classed as "women's fiction," whatever the boundaries of that category might be.
But this author's debut, Garden Spells, was a brilliant work of magical realism, and there are at least three significant bits of magical realism at Lost Lake. There's the alligator who talks to the little girl, Devin, and sets her on a quest; others almost but not quite see it (no alligators near Lost Lake, everyone knows that!), and what Devin reports goes beyond what you'd expect a child's imaginary friend to say.
Then there's Luc, the ghost of a boy who killed himself when Lisette rejected him--back in Paris when both were sixteen--who sits in a special chair in the kitchen at Lost Lake and keeps Lisette's love life frozen so she can never do that to anyone else. Very sparingly across the story there are touches that suggest Luc might be more than a creature of Lisette's troubled mind.
And so, if Luc and the alligator keep the magic at a maybe/maybe not stage, there's Selma's little box of charms, eight of them. Each one gives her power over a man and, once she has him hooked, the charm vanishes. She's had seven husbands, some of whom divorced their wives to marry her, but all then left her--that power doesn't last more than a few years, you see--and she has one charm left in the box; even more magical is the backstory of how she got the box in the first place.
So Sarah Addison Allen has done her thing--a warmly human story with an element of magic. The shift of focus from one character to another gives the story a disjointed effect that I didn't find in Garden Spells, and like some other readers I wasn't prepared for a horrible secret that came out in a late chapter, but the ending brings resolution with hope, and I recommend it strongly.
February 7, 2017
The books I read when I was twenty completely changed when I read them when I was sixty. You know why? Because the endings changed. After you finish a book, the story still goes on in your mind. You can never change the beginning, but you can always change the end.
At this time of year I tend toward lighter reading, not enough energy to dive into deep or emotional subject matter and this fit my mood perfectly. Lovely storytelling, quirky and lovable characters and while the plot is predictable, you go along for the ride because you want to spend time in this world that Addison Allen has created for you. This is my fourth novel by this author and she never disappoints. Some magical realism, a dose of comeuppance and a lot of heart made for a light, satisfying, read.
She understood that the hardest times in life to go through were when you were transitioning from one version of yourself to another.
This is a story about the haunting of the past, loss, longings, second chances, mending hearts and, to an extent, closure. It’s the cast of eccentric characters, however, that really shines from Eby, the stalwart aunt with a heart of gold; to Lisette, haunted by the boy who committed suicide when she rejected him; to Buhladeen, the octogenarian with a penchant for the bottle; and Selma, seven times divorced and sashaying her way through town on her way to the eighth. Each has a back story that illuminates who they became and why this special place holds a place in their hearts and each will burrow their way into yours.
When your cup is empty, you do not mourn what is gone. Because if you do, you will miss the opportunity to fill it again.
Filled with homespun wisdom, ghosts, love charms and even a magical alligator, this was a 3.5 rounded up to 4 because for a few hours I was lost in a magical place.
At this time of year I tend toward lighter reading, not enough energy to dive into deep or emotional subject matter and this fit my mood perfectly. Lovely storytelling, quirky and lovable characters and while the plot is predictable, you go along for the ride because you want to spend time in this world that Addison Allen has created for you. This is my fourth novel by this author and she never disappoints. Some magical realism, a dose of comeuppance and a lot of heart made for a light, satisfying, read.
She understood that the hardest times in life to go through were when you were transitioning from one version of yourself to another.
This is a story about the haunting of the past, loss, longings, second chances, mending hearts and, to an extent, closure. It’s the cast of eccentric characters, however, that really shines from Eby, the stalwart aunt with a heart of gold; to Lisette, haunted by the boy who committed suicide when she rejected him; to Buhladeen, the octogenarian with a penchant for the bottle; and Selma, seven times divorced and sashaying her way through town on her way to the eighth. Each has a back story that illuminates who they became and why this special place holds a place in their hearts and each will burrow their way into yours.
When your cup is empty, you do not mourn what is gone. Because if you do, you will miss the opportunity to fill it again.
Filled with homespun wisdom, ghosts, love charms and even a magical alligator, this was a 3.5 rounded up to 4 because for a few hours I was lost in a magical place.
November 4, 2021
Loved this book. Gorgeous imagery and lots to think about. Allen has a true gift for capturing the soul of people in writing.
All of the magic of Allen’s previous books is present in this latest treasure, a feast of words. The author has the ability to capture the soul of her characters and make them relatable to every reader. This is a story of love, loss, grief and starting over — it is truly a treat to be savored.
When Kate Pheris wakes up, both literally and figuratively, a year after her husband’s death, she is caught in a life she isn’t sure she wants to be living. Kate gathers her 8-year-old daughter, Devin, and heads to a place she remembers visiting as a child: Lost Lake, Ga. Owned by her great-aunt Eby Pim, the cabins on the lake hold treasured memories for Kate. Little does she know that Eby has agreed to sell the property to a developer. As family and old friends reconnect at Lost Lake, the magic surrounding the property has something to give every person there.
All of the magic of Allen’s previous books is present in this latest treasure, a feast of words. The author has the ability to capture the soul of her characters and make them relatable to every reader. This is a story of love, loss, grief and starting over — it is truly a treat to be savored.
When Kate Pheris wakes up, both literally and figuratively, a year after her husband’s death, she is caught in a life she isn’t sure she wants to be living. Kate gathers her 8-year-old daughter, Devin, and heads to a place she remembers visiting as a child: Lost Lake, Ga. Owned by her great-aunt Eby Pim, the cabins on the lake hold treasured memories for Kate. Little does she know that Eby has agreed to sell the property to a developer. As family and old friends reconnect at Lost Lake, the magic surrounding the property has something to give every person there.
September 23, 2016
"Quando o nosso copo está vazio, não nos lamentamos pelo que desapareceu.
Porque, se o fizermos, perdemos a oportunidade de o encher outra vez" (pág. 265)
Também são assim os livros escritos por Sarah Allen. Não devemos lamentar termos acabado um, caso contrário perderemos a oportunidade de ler outro.
Porque, se o fizermos, perdemos a oportunidade de o encher outra vez" (pág. 265)
Também são assim os livros escritos por Sarah Allen. Não devemos lamentar termos acabado um, caso contrário perderemos a oportunidade de ler outro.
January 2, 2014
Another great book from Sarah Addison Allen, it’s magically beautiful! Now I have to tell you, there is a bit of predictability to this book BUT it is the journey they take to get there that makes it so worth the read.
There are two stories at the beginning of this book that eventually intertwine the story of Kate who a year ago lost her husband and has been sleepwalking through life not being present in her or her daughter Devin’s life, in fact, in that year she has let her mother in law, Cricket , pretty much take over her life, which is ironic considering her husband always wanted her out of their lives. Then we have the story of Eby Kate’s great aunt who in the 60’s married the love of her life, George, who was also very rich not that Eby ever cared about that, while they are in Paris they meet Lisette (I won’t tell you how …Spoilers). When they finally come back to the states Eby’s family just wants and wants so Eby & George get rid of their money and buy a hotel/resort in Georgia called Lost Lake and are very happy for many years. Kate spent one glorious summer there when she was 12 and when she & Devin find an old postcard Eby sent to Kate years ago they decide to go visit Lost Lake much to the chagrin of her over bearing mother in law.
Devin & Lisette have become my new favorite characters from this author. I love Devin she is precocious yet so wise beyond her years she sees her mother sleepwalk through a year after Devin’s father dies and now that her mom is awake again she just wants things to work out and they aren’t going to work out moving in with her grandmother Cricket. Devin’s journey is so magical and wonderful. I just love her I can’t help it. Lisette is such an interesting character and I truly fell in love with her quiet wisdom too. I enjoyed every scene she was in. There is a slew of interesting characters besides the ones I have already mentioned, there is Selma and her charms, and Bulahdeen is hilariously over the top. These two ladies have been coming to Lost Lake for years and cracked me up most of the time, I loved that the author gave us a good background on these characters and not just here they are.
As with other Addison books there is some big time magical realism going on here in more ways than one which made this one unique, there are a few different magical realism stories here and they are so different yet the way they fit into this story is so well done that I believed it all.
All this makes this book almost impossible to put down, between the magical story and the great characters this is a must read especially if you are a southern fiction fan or a fan of magical realism.
Sarah Addison Allen did not disappoint in this long awaited book and I am so glad she updated her fans on her breast cancer progress that she has had 2 clean scans.. Hoorah!
5 Stars
Full Disclosure I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss & the Publisher for a fair and honest review.
There are two stories at the beginning of this book that eventually intertwine the story of Kate who a year ago lost her husband and has been sleepwalking through life not being present in her or her daughter Devin’s life, in fact, in that year she has let her mother in law, Cricket , pretty much take over her life, which is ironic considering her husband always wanted her out of their lives. Then we have the story of Eby Kate’s great aunt who in the 60’s married the love of her life, George, who was also very rich not that Eby ever cared about that, while they are in Paris they meet Lisette (I won’t tell you how …Spoilers). When they finally come back to the states Eby’s family just wants and wants so Eby & George get rid of their money and buy a hotel/resort in Georgia called Lost Lake and are very happy for many years. Kate spent one glorious summer there when she was 12 and when she & Devin find an old postcard Eby sent to Kate years ago they decide to go visit Lost Lake much to the chagrin of her over bearing mother in law.
Devin & Lisette have become my new favorite characters from this author. I love Devin she is precocious yet so wise beyond her years she sees her mother sleepwalk through a year after Devin’s father dies and now that her mom is awake again she just wants things to work out and they aren’t going to work out moving in with her grandmother Cricket. Devin’s journey is so magical and wonderful. I just love her I can’t help it. Lisette is such an interesting character and I truly fell in love with her quiet wisdom too. I enjoyed every scene she was in. There is a slew of interesting characters besides the ones I have already mentioned, there is Selma and her charms, and Bulahdeen is hilariously over the top. These two ladies have been coming to Lost Lake for years and cracked me up most of the time, I loved that the author gave us a good background on these characters and not just here they are.
As with other Addison books there is some big time magical realism going on here in more ways than one which made this one unique, there are a few different magical realism stories here and they are so different yet the way they fit into this story is so well done that I believed it all.
All this makes this book almost impossible to put down, between the magical story and the great characters this is a must read especially if you are a southern fiction fan or a fan of magical realism.
Sarah Addison Allen did not disappoint in this long awaited book and I am so glad she updated her fans on her breast cancer progress that she has had 2 clean scans.. Hoorah!
5 Stars
Full Disclosure I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss & the Publisher for a fair and honest review.
July 27, 2014
Must Get!!! I got a B&N gift card - it has Lost Lake written all over it -
I finally picked up this lovely story, I read it in 1 day. I was thinking it is about broken people fixing each other, then realized it is like Pink's song "We're not broken, just bent, and we can learn to love again" I loved every character, (well, except the Uncle). Even those that seemed a bit on the shaky side of my love, redeemed themselves. I really hate loving a book so much I finish it in a day, sure glad I got it with a gift card! I think there could be a sequel? It was left so there does not need to be one, but also that we love everyone's life changes enough to want to follow up! I would like to see the next chapters about how all of the new beginnnings are working. To see how love is blooming at Lost Lake!
I finally picked up this lovely story, I read it in 1 day. I was thinking it is about broken people fixing each other, then realized it is like Pink's song "We're not broken, just bent, and we can learn to love again" I loved every character, (well, except the Uncle). Even those that seemed a bit on the shaky side of my love, redeemed themselves. I really hate loving a book so much I finish it in a day, sure glad I got it with a gift card! I think there could be a sequel? It was left so there does not need to be one, but also that we love everyone's life changes enough to want to follow up! I would like to see the next chapters about how all of the new beginnnings are working. To see how love is blooming at Lost Lake!
August 28, 2015
This story. It's nice.
I liked it.
But I didn't love it. You know what I did love, though? That cover. Good grief, it stole my vision and I had to stare at it a lot. So dreamy!
There's nothing wrong with with this tale (except for the part where there's an alligator! Gah! Those things! I do no feel friendly toward them) but I think in this case, I got too wrapped up wanting to get to the end that I failed to appreciate the meat, ya know? I mean, by the halfway point, you know there's one perfect ending and anything else would be a terrible disappointment but getting there really isn't worth the effort. And that's a terrible shame, especially since the ending appealed so strongly to my sense of everything fitting together in the best way possible. I love it when stuff falls perfectly into place, especially since it's such a rare occurrence.
I did like that Kate grew her spine rather quickly instead of being a limp noodle throughout most of the book. That made me happy. I liked that Devin had had a lazy eye when she was little and liked her eye patches. I have a story that's similar but not the same and I've got a terrible soft spot for small children who wear big glasses. I liked E.B. and Lisette, Beula Dean and her brazen hussy of a friend, Selma. Even Wes was nice. Buuut...something was missing. Maybe it was all too-too. Again, I think the ending being so strongly apparent so soon in the story made me want to simply rush to get there and I couldn't because I listened to this and it goes at its own pace.
It was a charming read, lovely and full of eccentric women which is always a plus, but, ultimately, I don't think this one will stick with me. The edges are fading already and I worry that the only thing I'll remember from this story once winter has come and gone is that there was a child willingly touching an alligator. That made me want to hurl.
But, man. That cover.
I liked it.
But I didn't love it. You know what I did love, though? That cover. Good grief, it stole my vision and I had to stare at it a lot. So dreamy!
There's nothing wrong with with this tale (except for the part where there's an alligator! Gah! Those things! I do no feel friendly toward them) but I think in this case, I got too wrapped up wanting to get to the end that I failed to appreciate the meat, ya know? I mean, by the halfway point, you know there's one perfect ending and anything else would be a terrible disappointment but getting there really isn't worth the effort. And that's a terrible shame, especially since the ending appealed so strongly to my sense of everything fitting together in the best way possible. I love it when stuff falls perfectly into place, especially since it's such a rare occurrence.
I did like that Kate grew her spine rather quickly instead of being a limp noodle throughout most of the book. That made me happy. I liked that Devin had had a lazy eye when she was little and liked her eye patches. I have a story that's similar but not the same and I've got a terrible soft spot for small children who wear big glasses. I liked E.B. and Lisette, Beula Dean and her brazen hussy of a friend, Selma. Even Wes was nice. Buuut...something was missing. Maybe it was all too-too. Again, I think the ending being so strongly apparent so soon in the story made me want to simply rush to get there and I couldn't because I listened to this and it goes at its own pace.
It was a charming read, lovely and full of eccentric women which is always a plus, but, ultimately, I don't think this one will stick with me. The edges are fading already and I worry that the only thing I'll remember from this story once winter has come and gone is that there was a child willingly touching an alligator. That made me want to hurl.
But, man. That cover.
June 7, 2017
“She understood that the hardest times in life to go through were when you were transitioning from one version of yourself to another.”
[Wednesday, January 02, 2013] OMG!! Sarah has a new book!!! And it's due for this year! Thank God it's 2013!! I already put 5 stars and added the book to my favorites! I mean come on! Each of Sarah's books have lingered with me afterward and has been read and re-read so many times that there is no point of adding anything but 5 stars... I totally cracked the spines, I need to buy her books again! I have a feeling that this book is about the girl who is good with coffee or maybe someone totally new... I can't wait, wherever Sarah wants to go is okay with me.
[Saturday, April 12, 2014] Last night, I read the last page of Lost Lake, and it filled me with longing and melancholy. As always, I wished if the book was even longer, I wished if I was part of the story, I wished I could have those postcards and put them around my mirror.
Beyond a doubt, Sarah is my favorite author. Her books stay with me for so long, not just as stories, but the feelings they give me stay. I long to reread her books the moment I finish them.
This story is a piece of art, dear readers, don't forget to read the short story before indulging in this book. A piece of me will always stay in Lost Lake.
August 1, 2018
"You can't change where you came from, but you can change where you go from here. Just like a book. If you don't like the ending, you can make up a new one." (254)
Kate, a young widow, feels like her life has been taken over by her controlling mother-in-law. She impulsively takes her eight-year-old daughter to an old lakeside resort in Georgia owned by her great-aunt Eby. The Lost Lake was where Kate spent her "last best summer" of her childhood. Kate finds Eby in the process of selling her property, and some visitors are spending one last time at the resort. Kate's daughter helps unearth some secrets from years ago, and each visitor benefits from their stay at Lost Lake.
This is a story about grief, healing, moving forward in life, and treasuring friendships. It's a fairy tale for adults sprinkled with magical elements and promising a happy ending. It's charming, but a bit predictable. "Lost Lake" is a light book that some readers would enjoy as a vacation read.
Kate, a young widow, feels like her life has been taken over by her controlling mother-in-law. She impulsively takes her eight-year-old daughter to an old lakeside resort in Georgia owned by her great-aunt Eby. The Lost Lake was where Kate spent her "last best summer" of her childhood. Kate finds Eby in the process of selling her property, and some visitors are spending one last time at the resort. Kate's daughter helps unearth some secrets from years ago, and each visitor benefits from their stay at Lost Lake.
This is a story about grief, healing, moving forward in life, and treasuring friendships. It's a fairy tale for adults sprinkled with magical elements and promising a happy ending. It's charming, but a bit predictable. "Lost Lake" is a light book that some readers would enjoy as a vacation read.
February 13, 2019
Lost Lake, the magical place where Eby has lived for many years even after the death of her loved husband George, is under threat. A developer with cash in hand wants to buy the land and run down cabins. Eby is seriously considering selling and going travelling. That is, until Kate Pheris, a family member she hasn’t seen in a long while appears at her door. At 12 years old Kate spent the best summer of her life at Lost Lake. That was back long before heartbreak and loss entered her life. Now Kate hopes she and Devin, her young daughter, can capture the essence of what makes Lost Lake so special. But is it too late? Or will others disrupt these plans? And what part does an alligator play in all this?
This is a sweet read with more than a touch of magic realism. I liked both Kate and Eby. Devin with her colourful wardrobe is a delight and Lisette a very interesting character. There are a combination of quirky characters. Setting is magical. The majority of the characters are well drawn and interesting, though Cricket, Kate’s mother in law, and Selma, a regular visitor to Lost Lake I found to be rather one dimensional. The plot moves along at a steady pace. Maybe I was just in the mood for something whimsical. But I really enjoyed it. My first read by this author, this was a nice book to escape into.
This is a sweet read with more than a touch of magic realism. I liked both Kate and Eby. Devin with her colourful wardrobe is a delight and Lisette a very interesting character. There are a combination of quirky characters. Setting is magical. The majority of the characters are well drawn and interesting, though Cricket, Kate’s mother in law, and Selma, a regular visitor to Lost Lake I found to be rather one dimensional. The plot moves along at a steady pace. Maybe I was just in the mood for something whimsical. But I really enjoyed it. My first read by this author, this was a nice book to escape into.
June 28, 2015
The pre-chorus of St. Jude by Florence + The Machine goes
And I'm learning, so I'm leaving
And even though I'm grieving
I'm trying to find the meaning
Let loss reveal it
It is the most played song on my phone right now, and it captures the essence of Lost Lake perfectly.
Lost Lake is the story of two generations of women, Kate and Eby, and Lost Lake Cottages. Driven by loss, grief and indecision, Kate goes to Lost Lake Cottages to give her daughter her last best summer. There she reconciles with her great grand-aunt, Eby, the owner of the now decrepit Lost Lake Cottages, and her mute cook. Just like Kate and her daughter, Devin, Lost Lake Cottages is also on its last best summer, so Eby invites three of the best long-time patrons of Lost Lake Cottages. What was supposed to be the last best summer for all, becomes the race to save Lost Lake.
My favorite part of the book is the Lost Lake itself. Lost Lake is an enchanting little resort in a pocket of swampland in the deep south, where thunderstorms do not happen and time stands still. It is the perfect place to go if one wanted to get lost and not found, unless one wanted to be, and it doesn't have wi-fi. The characters in this book are also well-written and SAA really has a penchant for writing quirky, likable characters that don't feel contrived.
I seem to love most things about this book, but why the 3 star rating? By way of plot, there wasn't much. There was a lot lounging around, cleaning, cooking, conversing, and etc. It's not that I expected gunslinger showdowns or dueling wizards, and 50% of the characters in this book are senior citizens, but it would have been a more compelling read if there is mystery or some intrigue to unravel to save the resort. Overall, it's a pleasant, light read that I'm likely gonna forget in a couple of months.
June 12, 2017
A writer who paints a whole gorgeous canvas with her words writes of one nostalgic summer in the south when dreams and love, old and young, regrets and redemption all come to Lost Lake.
After experiencing the wonder and magic of Garden Spells, it was only a matter of time before I dove in once again to a book world this author created. I slowly connected with this story, but once I did; I was a goner. Lost Lake is an old lake resort near a small town and is hidden away save for the people who magically find their way there. I loved the blend of old nostalgia for what used to be, the intriguing moments of magical realism, people who have been lost finding their way, and of course love- one old and one a second chance for a younger pair.
There is a large cast of colorful, quirky characters and the narration shifts between them all. Present stories are interesting and the situation of the last summer before the lake resort being sold- or not- is enough to keep me reading, but it was digging into each person's pasts that brought to the surface the real gems of the story.
The pacing and tone of the story reflect the writing style with its drowsy, slower-paced meandering in the moist summer heat.
And if the story were not already a fabulous experience, I had the audio edition with the talented Janet Metzger bringing each of those fascinating characters to life. I will definitely pick up more of her work now that I've discovered it.
All in all, I got lost in the lush beauty and color of the story and I would encourage those who enjoy contemporary fiction with a strong dose of magical realism and romance to pick this one up.
After experiencing the wonder and magic of Garden Spells, it was only a matter of time before I dove in once again to a book world this author created. I slowly connected with this story, but once I did; I was a goner. Lost Lake is an old lake resort near a small town and is hidden away save for the people who magically find their way there. I loved the blend of old nostalgia for what used to be, the intriguing moments of magical realism, people who have been lost finding their way, and of course love- one old and one a second chance for a younger pair.
There is a large cast of colorful, quirky characters and the narration shifts between them all. Present stories are interesting and the situation of the last summer before the lake resort being sold- or not- is enough to keep me reading, but it was digging into each person's pasts that brought to the surface the real gems of the story.
The pacing and tone of the story reflect the writing style with its drowsy, slower-paced meandering in the moist summer heat.
And if the story were not already a fabulous experience, I had the audio edition with the talented Janet Metzger bringing each of those fascinating characters to life. I will definitely pick up more of her work now that I've discovered it.
All in all, I got lost in the lush beauty and color of the story and I would encourage those who enjoy contemporary fiction with a strong dose of magical realism and romance to pick this one up.
April 9, 2024
I liked this just as much as I did the first time I read it 7 years ago. Even though there are sad things and not everything goes well, there is a warm feeling to it (not sure how much this was influenced by my having remembered one point about the ending.) I'd also forgotten about the self-sacrifice made by at least one character somewhere along the course of the book. Not everything in this book is predictable, either, and I'd forgotten most things so they were surprises once again.
Original Review
3.5 stars
Eby has lived at Lost Lake for 50 years, but it seems she's going to have to sell it as it is no longer profitable and has been heading that way since her husband, George, died. Her great-niece, Kate, who spent two weeks there are a child, is shown an old postcard her mother hid from her that her daughter finds in a chest in the attic as they are preparing to move into her mother-in-law's home a year after she lost he husband, and on a whim decided to take her daughter there to see if it's still there. After all, it's only a few hours away.
The very best part of this book is the people. I am not a fan of magical realism, but there wasn't a character in this book, other than an antagonist or two, that I didn't connect with or grow to like over the course of the book. This book isn't deep, but it's a lovely sort of novel escape on a quiet day or when you don't want heavy reading but want more than fluff.
Original Review
3.5 stars
Eby has lived at Lost Lake for 50 years, but it seems she's going to have to sell it as it is no longer profitable and has been heading that way since her husband, George, died. Her great-niece, Kate, who spent two weeks there are a child, is shown an old postcard her mother hid from her that her daughter finds in a chest in the attic as they are preparing to move into her mother-in-law's home a year after she lost he husband, and on a whim decided to take her daughter there to see if it's still there. After all, it's only a few hours away.
The very best part of this book is the people. I am not a fan of magical realism, but there wasn't a character in this book, other than an antagonist or two, that I didn't connect with or grow to like over the course of the book. This book isn't deep, but it's a lovely sort of novel escape on a quiet day or when you don't want heavy reading but want more than fluff.
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