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    Lost Lake: A Novel
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    Lost Lake: A Novel
    Unavailable
    Lost Lake: A Novel
    Ebook300 pages5 hours

    Lost Lake: A Novel

    By Sarah Addison Allen

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Now a New York Times Bestseller

    From the author of the beloved bestseller Garden Spells comes a beautiful, haunting story of old loves and new, and the power of the connections that bind us forever…

    The first time Eby Pim saw Lost Lake, it was on a picture postcard. Just an old photo and a few words on a small square of heavy stock, but when she saw it, she knew she was seeing her future.

    That was half a life ago. Now Lost Lake is about to slip into Eby's past. Her husband George is long passed. Most of her demanding extended family are gone. All that's left is a once-charming collection of lakeside cabins succumbing to the Southern Georgia heat and damp, and an assortment of faithful misfits drawn back to Lost Lake year after year by their own unspoken dreams and desires.

    It's a lot, but not enough to keep Eby from relinquishing Lost Lake to a developer with cash in hand, and calling this her final summer at the lake. Until one last chance at family knocks on her door.

    Lost Lake is where Kate Pheris spent her last best summer at the age of twelve, before she learned of loneliness, and heartbreak, and loss. Now she's all too familiar with those things, but she knows about hope too, thanks to her resilient daughter Devin, and her own willingness to start moving forward. Perhaps at Lost Lake her little girl can cling to her own childhood for just a little longer… and maybe Kate herself can rediscover something that slipped through her fingers so long ago.

    One after another, people find their way to Lost Lake, looking for something that they weren't sure they needed in the first place: love, closure, a second chance, peace, a mystery solved, a heart mended. Can they find what they need before it's too late?

    At once atmospheric and enchanting, Lost Lake shows Sarah Addison Allen at her finest, illuminating the secret longings and the everyday magic that wait to be discovered in the unlikeliest of places.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateJan 21, 2014
    ISBN9781250019813
    Unavailable
    Lost Lake: A Novel
    Author

    Sarah Addison Allen

    Sarah Addison Allen lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where she is at work on her next novel.

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    Reviews for Lost Lake

    4/5

    543 ratings110 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A great adventure through San Francisco in search of both friendship and books. What's not to like? :)
    • 5/5
      This book was so perfect for me that I don’t feel like a completely objective reviewer. I’ve recently realized that I love books where people’s lives intersect in such a way that they all help each other become happier. This is one of those books. Like The Wedding Bees and other books with a vivid, happy atmosphere, the author clearly chose her similes and metaphors carefully to add to the mood she’s trying to create. There was a little more conflict than in The Wedding Bees, conflict which largely involved two particularly dislikable characters. Although I adored The Wedding Bees for what it is, the addition of those protagonists made this a slightly less fluffy book. The main characters really got a chance to grow as they learned to stand up to the dislikable characters when it was necessary for their own happiness.

      Another bookish love I’ve recently discovered is the genre of magical realism. I think I love magical realism so much because I like happy stories and there isn’t much that’s more optimistic than magic that you almost believe could exist. I actually would have liked to see the details of the magic fleshed out a little more than they were, but it was pretty well done. It was certainly internally consistent and there are a few things that hint at a magical system connecting the different magical events. At the end of the book, I didn’t feel like it was something new and spectacular. It was, however, a perfect comfort book, superbly written and a delight to read.

      This review first published on Doing Dewey.
    • 4/5
      Every Sarah Addison Allen novel immediately goes onto the must have list. If I had to choose an author’s books to live in, I’m pretty sure Allen would be number one, because the romance, the light humor, and the little bit of magic make the atmosphere utterly delightful. The world of a Sarah Addison Allen is like the real world, only better, with magic working on your side to make sure things turn out just fine. Lost Lake may not be my favorite of Allen’s novels, but all of those characteristic elements remain, guaranteeing a fun read that will leave you a little bit happier than when you started.Read the full review at A Reader of Fictions.
    • 4/5
      Kate has lost her husband, Devin her father, and her mother to a year of grief. On the day Kate and Devin were to move into Kate's mother-in-law's home, they impulsively plan a trip to Kate's Great-Aunt Eby's lakeside resort, a place where Kate fondly remembers one magical, childhood Summer. Waiting for them there is Eby, tired of struggling and finally willing to sell the resort, Wes, Kate's childhood friend, and a bunch of resort regulars and townspeople who want to make this last Summer the best of them all. This is a lovely, soft story about dreaming, healing, and magic--the kind that waits for decades and the kind that's always inside you. (Provided by publisher)
    • 3/5
      A light, quick read, but nowhere near as good as her previous books. Too many of the characters are only two-dimensional, straight out of Central Casting.
    • 4/5
      Solid summer read.
    • 5/5
      A lovely book!
    • 4/5
      I received a copy of this book from the publisher to read & review.Sarah Addison Allen has mastered magical realism. Her language is lyrical and her metaphors are absolutely beautiful. The characters are believable & each has their own poignant unique back story. Each character's journey of healing touches the reader's heart & has the reader rooting for each to find a happy ending. The story & the writing are both magical. This was the first book I've read by Allen and now I can't wait to read more. I'm definitely going to suggest this book as a 2014 selection for my various book clubs.
    • 4/5
      I loved it. Just a good, satisfying, uncomplicated story.
    • 4/5
      I am not usually into magic or fantasy type books but I had read Garden Spells by Sara Addison Allen sever years ago and enjoyed it so I requested Lost Lake from Library Things early Reviewers program because it sounded fun. Lost Lake is a feel good book. There are several characters at loose ends, who are searching for closure at Lost Lake as Eby prepares to sell this long loved vacation spot. If you are looking for a light entertaining book that will draw you in and take you away with a bit of magic then this is a good pick for you.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed reading this book but it wasn't one of my favorite books. The setting was well done and some of the characters (like Aunt Eby) were well done but others were very one dimensional. The plot was a little stale and some of the characters were dull and predictable. It was a good beach read - fun but not challenging.
    • 4/5
      Loved this book ! Sarah Addison Allen has created yet another fun story to read . The southern setting and light touches of magical realism are all present . Its not her strongest story , but definitely worth reading !
    • 4/5
      I have enjoyed all of Sarah's books but this one was great. It was a little predictable but magical.
    • 5/5
      I have to say I love all of her books. This one was equally as good. Kate is a widow who is struggling so she returns to where she spent summers as a child. Her long lost Aunt Eby is still there and a truly magical summer goes on. A happy ending for everyone.
    • 5/5
      One of my favorite authors.
    • 4/5
      I've read other of the author's books, so I could see where things were going. I still enjoyed the sweet story. Lots of eccentric characters.
    • 4/5
      It's very much Sarah Addison Allen, with her magical elements that I love. I liked her characters, they are charming and quirky as usual. The magic of this book didn't really come through for me until the end. This book didn't grab me like her earlier works. I think I didn't really connect with Kate and since much of the story was about her... I also had a real problem with the whole town giving Wes a pass on the horrible thing he did. All the rest of the characters I enjoyed and made this book a pleasure to read.
    • 4/5
      This book would make a great beach read for the summer. If you like Sarah Allen's brand of magical realism, this is another great addition to her body of work. This book is about lots of things and sort of also about nothing, so it's hard to neatly summarize, but mostly it's about relationships and how they change over time, and about how it's never to late to do things differently.
    • 5/5
      What I LovedMultiple POVI love that every character gets to tell their part of the story, their history and we really get to see past the facade they may present to others. The story is richer with all the backstory we get from each character.Magical RealismI love how we get touches a magic is all of Sarah's books, to read about a real life situation but to add just a dash of magic makes the book a delight from beginning to end.Stand AloneThis book like all the others written by Sarah are stand alone books. I love series but I love being able to just read one book and not have to wait for more of the same characters to continue with the story. These books are a breath of fresh air.CharactersWell we get to learn about so many wonderful characters and I love them all. They all just warm my heart and they are such a joy to read.Didn't LikeEven though I love that these books are stand alone books I also hate that they are stand alone books. After I read one of Sarah's books I always want more!RecommendationWonderful read for any type of person. These aren't many typically reads but I love them and will always read everything by Sarah.
    • 4/5
      A nice addition to the Sarah Addison Allen collection of whimsical, magical books. There is just a wee bit of magic in her books, enough to add an extra level of being aware of the world around us. There are a number of interesting characters in this book, and they all get a back story, but some of the stories took a long time to come out. I'm thinking of Bulahdeen, who could have had a whole book about her and her terrible background. Also present in this novel is a family of strong, connected women, another SAA characteristic. Lost Lake is a vacation place in Georgia, owned by Eby. Eby's family is the center of this book, as her grand-niece Kate (with her daughter) comes to visit the summer Eby decides to sell. The particular grief that the women in Eby's family go through is dramatic, and Kate is no exception. The past and the present get all entwined and happy endings, or just even making your own ending, along with grief and destiny tie the story up. Just a delightful, wonderful Sarah Addison Allen outing.
    • 3/5
      As with all of Sarah Addison Allen's books, the covers are always the first thing that suck me in. This one's no exception. I'm a fan of her writing, so had been looking forward to digging into this latest addition.I hesitate to say this, because I don't want to spoil the feel-good feeling her books always leave me with. But yes, I was a little disappointed in this one. It was a pleasant enough story, with a nice mix of interesting characters, but I didn't feel it lived up to most of her previous novels. The magical realism, which she is so well known for now, was there, but not overly so. The story was pleasant enough, but overall a little too predictable, and I'm left with the overwhelming feeling that this story will pass by as being unremarkable to me. The bottom line: a decent enough feel-good novel, as most of hers are, but nothing spectacular this time around to make it memorable.
    • 4/5
      I love Sarah Addison Allen's storytelling. The Sugar Queen is a favourite of mine. Although, Addison Allen's newest release, Lost Lake, may just supplant it!Kate Pheris has just 'woken up' after a year. Her husband has passed away and she's going through the motions of living for her daughter Devin's sake. Her mother-in-law has been helping her for the past year, but that help has crossed over a line. She's now dictating the direction of Kate and Devin's lives.When Devin comes across an old postcard from Kate's Aunt Eby, Kate makes a snap decision to visit Eby at Lost Lake. Kate's happiest summer as a child was spent there.But, Kate and Devin's arrival may be too late. Eby has agreed to sell the small resort to a local developer. But perhaps Lost Lake does not want to be sold......Lost Lake is filled with rich characters, all with their own back story, all searching for 'something. 'Each one held my interest, but I had a special fondness for Bulahdeen, a woman who has been coming to Lost Lake for thirty years. I must admit, Addison Allen's descriptions of Lost Lake had me wanting to visit, to sit on the dock, to stay in one of the quaint cabins, to get to know Eby and to be part of the circle of Lost Lake. Addison Allen weaves together wonderfully warm tales with quirky characters and then slips in a bit of magic when you're not looking. And once you notice the magic, you realize it's quite right that it's in the story. And then you begin to think 'what if'...Lost Lake had me hoping 'what if' could truly happen. Lost Lake was another enchanting read from Sarah Addison Allen. I had a quick listen to the audio version as well - I think Janet Metzger does an excellent job bring the characters and story to life.
    • 3/5
      Once again, Sarah Addison Allen had created a lovely setting for Lost Lake. After tragedy strikes, Kate and her daughter Devin decide on a whim to travel to Lost Lake Cottages to visit Kate's Aunt Eby.As the summer goes on, Kate and Devin experience the magic that Lost Lake holds. Lost Lake was an enjoyable read. I do wish there had been more time exploring Kate and Wes's relationship, but overall, it is a very happy, wistful read.
    • 3/5
      Sarah Addison Allen's books are great for those who like modern romances, Southern settings, guaranteed happy endings and a touch -- or more -- of magic. Honestly, I think the magic is a little too over the top to be called magical realism but this is my variety of fantasy so I'm o.k. with it. I'll leave the story description to other readers and just say this is a perfectly reasonable way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon if you have a fondness for cotton candy. Which, occasionally, I do.
    • 4/5
      When I started Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen it felt a bit like coming home. You sigh, settle in and know you are in for a wonderful read. Just the right amount of the mystical, mystery, and a hint of romance. I would recommend this to anyone that wants a warm escape filled with somewhat quirky characters.
    • 4/5
      Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen; (4*)I am a Sarah Addison Allen fan. When life becomes too challenging, berefit, busy or dreary, her books & stories can simply carry the reader "away from it all". I have enjoyed all of her books and this one was no exception.It doesn't seem to matter the plot, the storyline, whatever; she always gives the reader great & well rounded characters. Her novels are magical but yet realistic, the real world mixed in with just enough of the supernatural to make it believable.This one gives us the story of a young widow with a very cool & in a world of her own daughter. The mother in law is wealthy & interfering. She has convinced Kate, the young widow, that she is not strong enough to make good decisions for herself & her daughter and that they should move in with her.In packing up her house Kate's daughter finds an old post card from Kate's great Aunt Eby that Kate's mother had apparently hidden from her many years prior. The card invites Kate to return to her Aunt Eby's Lost Lake resort any time she wants. Kate's most cherished childhood moments & memories are of summers spent there. So rather than move in with her mother in law, Kate decides that she and her daughter will return to Lost Lake to see if it is indeed still magical.Once there we meet some truly wonderful characters. First there is Aunt Eby herself who is now in her 80s & widowed. She is still tall, lean & lovely. She continues to run the neglected resort. We meet Lisette, born without a voice box & thusly cannot speak, who followed Eby & her husband George from Paris to Lost Lake and is the cook for the guests. We meet Wes who was Kate's dear friend & playmate the summer she spent at Lost Lake. He's not changed much. He is now the proprietor of a pizzeria and has a repair business. Then there is Jack who has come each summer & is very quietly & timidly in love with Lisette. We also get to meet Bulahdeen, who has recently had to put her husband in a special facility for Alzheimer patients, and her friend Selma, the man hungry red head looking for Mr Right # 8. (Yes, that's right. Number eight.) These two are quite the characters and I enjoyed them tremendously. They added a lot of spice to the story. They have been coming to the resort since Aunt Eby & Uncle George bought it.But times & things have changed over the years. Kate is shocked to find how run down the resort has become though she still loves it and she & Devin, her daughter, help as much as they can and are very surprised & shocked to find that Aunt Eby has decided, much to the chagrin of the regulars, Lisette and the community to sell. It has just become too much for her to handle.You will be surprised at all of the many back story-lines going on in this one story.This is not deep literature but it is a story that takes you out of yourself and we all need that now and then. I loved reading it and hated for it to end. I recommend it for those reasons stated above. I actually felt good when I had finished reading it and I haven't felt good in several months so that has to say something.
    • 4/5
      I have had the pleasure of reading all of Ms. Allen's writings and thoroughly enjoyed them all. LOST LAKE is slightly different in that there are hints of "magical realism" within the story, but this is ultimately a story about love, hope, second chances, friendship, and surviving grief. All of the characters, from eight-year-old Devin to eighty-something Bulahdeen are uniquely Southern with their idiosyncrasies and personalities. Almost every character has had to learn to overcome grief in their lives. Eby Pim owns Lost Lake and has lived there for over 50 years. Lost Lake was bought by her husband George after their honeymoon and they lived there quite happily until his death. Eby knows that she can't keep up with the maintenance required and business has all but vanished. Now that she is in her mid-seventies, she decides to sell Lost Lake and yearns to travel before it is too late.Bulahdeen learned at a young age to look past the lack of a family and was fortunate enough to be befriended by people that helped set her on the path to becoming a college professor. Now that she is retired and grieving her husband's decline due to Alzheimer's, the only thing she has to look forward to are remembrances of happy days at Lost Lake with her friends. Selma is the visiting flirt. She thinks she wants men in her life and is only satisfied with men she steals from other women. She has been married seven times and hopes that the eighth will be the charm, literally and figuratively speaking (read the book to find out about this reference). Lisette was saved by Eby Pim in Paris after attempting suicide. Eby has provided her with the only home she's known for over 50 years and she doesn't know what she'll do now that Eby wants to sell their home. Kate is Eby's twenty-something niece and is grieving the death of her husband Matt. She's been sleep-walking through her life for the past year, but decides that it is time to take charge and do something that she and her daughter Devin will enjoy.All of these women, and a few men, wind up at Lost Lake for one last hurrah before it is sold. They learn that friendships can endure almost anything and has provided them all with the foundation to take a chance on life. Didi I happen to mention I loved reading LOST LAKE? Well, if I didn't I'm sure you can tell that this was a delightful read that I felt ended all too soon. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Allen in the future and perhaps she'll return to Lost Lake to provide us with an update.
    • 5/5
      ARC from publisherAn unusual book that I didn't realize was the same author as the Peach Keeper until after I finished reading it. Solid characters that I didn't want to leave behind and a story that was a bit of a tale and yet, quite believable - maybe because I wanted it to be true.
    • 3/5
      My least favorite SAA book. It lacked her usual sparkle and compelling characters.It's completely readable and even enjoyable, but just not her usual magical story.
    • 3/5
      a little mushier than her other books, but still a good read. i could just see the moss hanging from the trees and the moonlight glow over the lake. Really loved some of the characters! for those who like happy endings!!!