The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards

Another winner...I feel like I have won the reading lottery lately - I am loving everything I read (this is MUCH better than the times that every book I pick up I hate - and not because they are poorly written, it is just because I am in a reading rut - hateful.)

But I digress.

This book was wonderful - it had some romance, good romance.  Not the drippingly oversentimental kind, just perfect.  It also had a mystery woven in through the story which literally left you guessing how it was all going to come together. 

The story also delved into some really interesting topics - the suffragette movement, glass blowing, stained glass windows, woman in religion - it was so interesting.  The glass blowing part really left me wanting more, so much that my next book is Susan Vreeland's Clara and Mr. Tiffany and I am looking into taking a glass blowing class.  If that doesn't leave you wanting to read this book, then I don't know what will.

From Publishers Weekly


Bestseller Edwards's much anticipated second novel may disappoint fans of her first, The Memory Keeper's Daughter. When Lucy Jarrett returns to her childhood home in Lake of Dreams, N.Y., she learns that her brother, Blake, who's gone into the family business, and his girlfriend hope to drain a controversial marsh to construct a high-end property. Meanwhile, Lucy, who remains haunted by her father's death in a fishing accident years earlier, reconnects with her first boyfriend, Keegan Fall, now a successful glass artist. But when she sees something familiar in the pattern of one of his pieces, and discovers a hidden note in her childhood home, Lucy finally digs into her family's mysterious past. Unfortunately, the lazy expository handling of information mutes the intrigue, and readers will see the reignited spark between Keegan and Lucy coming for miles. All loose ends eventually come together with formulaic ease to rock the family boat. Edwards is at her best when highlighting the strain between her characters. (Jan.)

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From Booklist

After her father’s sudden death, Lucy Jarrett leaves her home in upstate New York, hoping to put some distance between herself and her grief. Ten years later, she returns to the Lake of Dreams to find the town a very different place. Her mother’s house has fallen into disrepair, and Mom’s on the verge of a new romance. Developers, including her shady uncle Art, want to turn the village into a housing development. The presence of her former high-school boyfriend, glass artist Keegan Falls, stirs up long forgotten feelings. When Lucy discovers a stack of old letters hidden inside a cupboard, she quickly becomes engrossed in a mystery whose roots go back generations and whose resolution will alter long-established family histories and future plans. Once again, Edwards (The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, 2005) has created a memorable cast of easily recognizable characters. As Lucy’s investigation deepens, past and present join to reach a satisfying and thoughtful resolution. This is a powerful story about the influence of history, the importance of our beliefs, and the willingness to embrace them all. --Carol Gladstein