Well, I just finished this novel.
It isn't on my original "Fall Into Reading Challenge" list but that's because I couldn't find The Piano Teacher at the library and saw this instead! This novel is written by the author of one of my favorite novels...and my oldest daughter enjoyed The Memory Keeper's Daughter as well. We consider it to be one of the best contemporary novels written to date.
The setting immediately captured by interest. It is set in the Finger Lakes region of "upstate NY". Now to most people outside of NYS, upstate NY is anywhere north of NYC. However, for those of us from Central NY, upstate is from our hometown area to out towards Niagara Falls. Now that I live in the Capital Region of NYS, we consider "upstate" to be anything west and northwest to be "upstate". I live about 3 hours north east of the Finger Lakes.
No matter what you want to call it, the Finger Lakes Region of NY is just beautiful. It isn't the Adirondacks (my fave!!) but it IS breathtaking in its own way with all the deep, clear, cold lakes and all the little towns that are quite historical.
The Main Plot:
Lucy comes back to her hometown of Lake of Dreams after living in Japan with her boyfriend for a while. She is back to help her mother who has had an injury. Her father died while she was young. He was the victim of a drowning in the lake. She is still haunted by this. She used to be in love with Keegan, who is a local glass artist and they reconnect when she returns to her hometown roots. Late one night, she discovers, locked in a window seat, a collection of objects that appear to be just random items but which she soon discovers to actually reveal a hidden family secret. Lucy begins to explore her family heritage....from an heirloom blanket and dusty political tracts, to a web of allusions shown in some stained glass windows. A new family story emerges. This links her to the historical and important piece of the suffragette movement which has a deep history and connection to the Finger Lakes region.
This novel centers around love lost and found and the ending is a bit surprising (at least it was for me). Did her father really drown? You'll have to read the book to find out!
I love that the author, who has an extensive knowledge of the Finger Lakes region, included real-life "women's movement" figures in the story. The suffragette movement was an important time in history for women of all ages. She did an excellent job in portraying the various feelings that came out in men and women at that time.
I rate this an 8 on a scale of 1 -10 with 10 being the highest. (I still like Memory Keeper's Daughter better!)
This book is appropriate for ages 15 and older.
I would label this book historical fiction and mystery.
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