The Lake of Dreams: A Novel

Parts of this book are interesting. The history of the women's suffrage movement that resulted in the right to vote being given to US women is a core component of this book. The historical characters that are described in letters in the story are far more interesting than the modern characters. Unfortunately the main character and narrator is not very likeable or interesting. The tension of what will happen to her falls flat. I could not wait to finish this book because it became so tedious. If I did not always finish every book I would have given up on this one.

A trip home after her mother's accident turns into more than Lucy Jarrett bargained. The discovery of papers hidden in her house sends Lucy on a journey of self discovery, uncovering a huge family secret. As she comes to terms with the past, Lucy also has to make a decision about her present and her future.

The backstory about Rose and iris was fascinating, but overtook the book because of the way it was presented. The "evidence" overwhelmed the story and, although interesting, was not needed to that extent. When the secrets were finally revealed, the author never tells how the papers ended up in the cupola or why another piece of key evidence was located in the barn. Lucy herself is so wishy-washy and the choices she makes do not always make sense. She acts like it is her story to tell alone, as if she should be the one to decide when the past is revealed and to whom. The animosity, directed at Lucy, that is clearly there from her mother and brother is never fully explained. She does dig up a hornet's nest, but it seems that the annoyance at her presence is there from the beginning. This does not make sense, as her brother is the one who called Lucy in Japan and told her she should come home. I made it to the end of The Lake of Dreams by sheer will and determination, only to hear all of the secrets revealed. For these reasons, I do not recommend The Lake of Dreams to other readers.

I was hoping that I'd like this book because I enjoyed Kim Edwards's other book "The Memory Keeper's Daughter." I found this book so boring that I kept skipping chapters in hopes of getting to the "good part" but after 3 discs and not really any interesting things I gave up.

Love her audio books. Could only find three so far