Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

  Garden Spells was the first time I heard of Sarah Addison Allen. It was the cover that got me. A woman in a fancy dress kneeling in a garden with big juicy apples scattered around. I was as captivated by words between the covers as I was by the front cover. Then there was The Sugar Queen which among other things featured a woman for whom books magically appeared around her whenever she had a problem that needed solving. Thinking about buying a house - poof! There's a book about first time home ownership on the nightstand that was previously empty. How could I not love that? I can't lie. The Girl Who Chased the Moon was a bit of misstep, although I did love the cover - a woman in a white dress kneeling and surrounded by butterflies. Though it was not my favorite it wasn't a bad way to spend a couple hours. All missteps were forgotten with The Peach Keeper, set in Walls of Water, a town Addison drew so vividly I wish I could visit. And now there is Lost Lake.

Eby first saw Lost Lake on a picture postcard. She and her husband George decided to make the lake resort their home, treating guests to their southern hospitality and charm. George has long since passed and Eby wonders if it is time to let Lost Lake go.

Kate is just beginning to wake up from a year of sleepwalking that followed her husband's death. Like anyone waking up from a deep sleep she fumbles around waiting for things to become clear. She might want to go back to sleep but she knows she can't. She has a daughter, Devin, to think about. During her sleep filled year, Kate let her mother-in-law Cricket take over and free spirited Devin has suffered for it. Kate must put a stop to that. On a whim Kate decides to revisit Lost Lake where she spent a memorable summer visiting her great aunt Eby many years earlier.

So wonderful! Oh how to count the ways? Lost Lake is about grief and recovery, choosing happiness, cutting toxic elements out of one's life and moving forward. I wanted to read this slowly, to savor each word but it was too hard to stop reading. Upon reaching the last page for just a moment I considered turning to page one and starting again. This was truly a good read.

Highly recommended: