The Lake House by Kate Morton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
So when is she writing another one?
Kate Morton is one of those authors whose settings are so vivid, they make you nostalgic for a similar time or place even when you've never been there. She also draws fully dimensional characters, and along with that comes sadness and failing, and reality of life. Normally I don't enjoy books that drag me into acknowledging harsh realities, but Morton is one author who does it in such a way that I can't help admiring it. This is another wonderfully written book, a joy to read even with the pain that is uncovered along the way.
The atmosphere in The Lake House is warm and nostalgic on the one hand, and full of overgrowth and decay on the other. As the story switches back and forth from the 1930s to modern day, you get such a sense of innocence and paradise lost, and can't help but fear knowing how the tragedy happened.
The mystery is explored in the modern timeline, with character perspectives from the past interspersed. The past timelines bring the tragedy alive so that it's not just a distant memory being uncovered.
The discoveries kept me involved, but I guessed some of the big twists before the characters did. Probably because I had extra information from seeing the past firsthand. But there were a couple of surprises in there for me still. I'm still not sure what I think about the final surprise. It was almost one coincidence too many. That's just a minor point, however, and the pieces do fit.
I also didn't hate the book once I knew everything, which can happen when the ending is too disturbing or senselessly tragic (I'm looking at you, The House at Riverton!). Thankfully, I was satisfied with this conclusion. Every tiny clue and action was accounted for. My only complaint is that I didn't get more of the characters. I wanted to follow them further, away from the Lake House. That's never a bad feeling to have at the end of a book.
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