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    Lost Lake
    Lost Lake
    Lost Lake
    Audiobook8 hours

    Lost Lake

    Written by Sarah Addison Allen

    Narrated by Janet Metzger

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    From the author of the New York Times 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 lifetime 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 it’s not enough to keep Eby from calling this her final summer at the lake, and relinquishing Lost Lake to a developer with cash in hand. 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
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateJan 21, 2014
    ISBN9781469222004
    Lost Lake
    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

    752 ratings120 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Absolutely enchanting. Now that I'm done with the story, I miss these characters already!
    • 5/5
      Allen is a master story teller, Lost Lake was vivid and descriptive, I felt like I really traveled without even leaving my house. Absolutely incredible!
    • 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.
    • 5/5
      This is the best book I have listened to in a long long time. LOVED IT! Janet Metzger is one of my favorite narrorators. It was perfect!
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed all the different stories in one! The characters and back stories were wonderful!
    • 4/5
      magical realism...."You can never change the beginning. But you can always change the end.""When your cup is empty, you do not mourn what is gone. Because if you do, you will miss the opportunity to fill it again"
    • 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!!!
    • 4/5
      Wonderful book! But it just cuts off at the end?? Like halfway through sentence?
    • 4/5
      Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen is a truly lovely book full of heartbreak, sadness, and optimism.
    • 4/5
      A great adventure through San Francisco in search of both friendship and books. What's not to like? :)
    • 3/5
      First off, thank you to St Martin's Press and LibraryThing Early Reviewers for a copy of this book. Although it arrived after being published, I appreciate the opportunity to get my hands on a copy. Thank you!

      I love Sarah Addison Allen. I fell in love with her first book and look forward to anything and everything she writes. When I heard her new book was delayed due to health issues, I tried my best to wait patiently. Although, I have to admit not very successfully!

      Unfortunately, I just didn't fall in love with this book. The magical element of the story just didn't feel like they were as developed as in her other books. I just wanted the magical element here to feel more important to the story and to have that element wove a little deeper into the story line. One of the magical elements plays a big role in the end, but I wanted a deeper understanding.

      And perhaps that's my problem in a nutshell. I felt like the magic just wasn't explained as well as I wanted. I wanted more of the magic and instead it was just a small wisp of smoke that played throughout the book

      I enjoyed the actual story of Lost Lake and a nearly lost great-aunt. The small community in the cabins, the small town, and the intersection of lives and one last chance to have happiness for many in the story was beautiful written.

      In the end, I have to say this was good, but just not up to her best.
    • 4/5
      Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
      296 pages

      ★★★★

      Description via Amazon: 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?

      This is the latest Sarah Addison Allen book. Does it stack up to her other books? Yes, I believe it does. Her writing is always descriptive and striking and that hasn’t changed here. Buuuuut with that being said, I found this story more than predictable, like I had this sucker figured out within the first 30 pages or so…and really figured out at that. The lack of surprise at all left me feeling a little left down which led me to knocking off a star. Regardless, I still found this story quite enchanting, all due to Allen’s wonderful writing. The characters are what really made it for me. I just fell in love with all of them and their stories. I wanted to meet these people, I wanted Lost Lake to exist, I didn’t want it to end. I won’t say it’s a favorite but I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you have read other books by her and enjoy a touch of magical-realism, I think you will enjoy this one. A quick and interesting work of fiction.



    • 5/5
      In Lost Lake Sarah Addison Allen takes ordinary people, places and events, sprinkles some magic all around and creates another masterpiece. Once I started reading this story I could not stop.It is one of those books where you realize that reading for fun is the best reason to read!I have read all of this author's works and this may be my favorite!Highly Recommend!
    • 4/5
      "Lost Lake" is typical Sarah Addison Allen: light, mushy, a bit predictable, and magical. If you don't like one of her novels, you probably won't like any. As for me, I happen to like all of them.

      Kate realizes one day that she needs to get away from her overbearing mother-in-law, who has been running her life since her husband Matt died a year ago. She decides to take her daughter Devin and visit her aunt Eby whom she hasn't seen since she was a child. Eby is a widow as well who is in the midst of preparing for her last summer at her retreat, Lost Lake. Kate's sudden appearance flips things upside down and past meets present with the help of magic to blend it all together.

      Allen's novels are always a pleasure to read and "Lost Lake" is no exception. It is unique, amusing, and filled with colorful and hilarious characters. I love getting lost in these other worlds that make you want to believe in magic, kind of like children's stories for adults.
    • 3/5
      This is a book I won from a Goodreads giveaway. I give the book three stars, it was readable, but the magical parts of it could have been better written. It was somewhat disjointed in writing style. I would say if you are looking for a lighthearted quick read then you will enjoy. If you are looking for a well developed plot line, this isn't it.
    • 3/5
      A story with many layers, and warmth. I struggled to get through the beginning as it was more uneven, but the pace grew better chapter by chapter. I liked the scenery and setting, and the light touch of the mystical that left well and enough for the imagination and feeling.
    • 4/5
      I looove Sarah Addison Allen and I'vd read all her novels but I was a little disappointed with this novel. I was expecting it to be like her previous novels. It didn't have that strong magical realism element nor that delicious aspect of food that makes you giddy and wanting more.
    • 3/5
      Nice quick read with a variety of interesting characters that support the main characters. A woman takes her daughter to visit an aunt at her run down resort at Lost Lake after losing her husband. She finds out the woman is selling after becoming overwhelmed with upkeep after the loss of her husband. She also rekindles a friendship from a childhood vacation she spent there and at the same time realizes how happy her daughter is in this atmosphere.
    • 5/5
      Do I ever love magical realism! Sarah Addison Allen is such a purveyor of magic. I’ll read anything she writes because her character creation and storytelling is so damn good.

      I cared about the characters 10 minutes into the book. That’s magic.

      There’s several twists here that I didn’t see coming. Wow.

      Selma is one of the most interesting and complex characters. She is unexpected.

      I get mild Big Fish (the movie) vibes from this... mostly in the magical realism aspect.

      Lost Lake is about the past, the present, the future... what it means to deeply love someone, what it means to deeply love a place, the sacrifices and decisions we willingly make for love, chosen family vs. biological family, the walls people put up, the power of female friendships.

      It would make a great book to discuss with friends or your book club. Or just read it yourself, let it stay with you like letting chocolate melt in your mouth and appreciate the magic of it all.
    • 4/5
      Highly engaging and warm novel, but it took a tad long for the magic to start.
    • 5/5
      Just love Allen's stories, SO MUCH.
    • 5/5
      *I received this Ebook from St. Martin's Press, via NetGalley, as an un-corrected digital copy, in return for an honest review.



      I cannot recommend this novel, Lost Lake, highly enough. If this is all you take away from this review, then I am happy.

      Yes, It's true that i love Sarah Addison Allen's writing style. I love the voice she gives to her stories, the way her characters are crafted and, and the way she creates the most vividly real worlds. They are wonderful places, with just a tiny, little bit of magic in them - but not enough to change their genre. (Thank goodness.)

      But it's also true that Addison's main talent in writing is she can paint with words. She may use mostly earth tones, but then suddenly she sprinkles her canvas with fairy dust... and we find ourselves in front of a totally different work, filled enchanting elements that just leaves us well and truly hooked.

      This novel was no exception...although it's definitely more melancholic, quieter and, some-what more grounded in the everyday life than some of her previous works. This is a story about grief. Or about grieving. How it can take over your life, if you let it. The Morris women know all about it. Apparently it's their curse. The book mentions this, and then suddenly, Kate "wakes up". After that, it's Kate and her daughter Devin, trying to find another place for them in the world, but don't really know this, at first.

      The grief in this book is the type that almost makes people stop living.... But that's not all that this story deals with. There's also people haunted by their past mistakes, & that won't let go of their ghosts. Characters as only the author knows how to write, determined to never let go, no matter what. People who insist on not being happy, for whatever reason. And a boy and a girl who may even be perfect for one another... and a lot more.

      I loved the multi-generational tie in between the different ages of the women, all with baggage and a past, making them hide behind others, and those that are controlling their lives. They all have given up on their dreams for other people. It takes a little girl, some magical past moments, a sacrifice, and facing the truth in order to bring new relationships to fruition. This book will make you smile and maybe even cry at the same time.

      I have a passion for mountain and lake cabins (and when I travel, I always choose quaint cabins), as they offer privacy, solace, and they bring you closer to nature. The mystical place called Lost Lake sounds like some place that I would love to visit. And probably fall in love with. Possibly, never want to leave, as well.

      Sarah Addison Allen, thank you for believing in magic after all you’ve been through in your personal life, and for sharing this magic with your readers. We all believe in miracles; however, we sometimes get lost in the process and boringness of everyday life. It's so very kind of you to remind us this way, with this beautifully wrought novel, and it's a nice way to remind us that with friends and family we can survive anything.

      I highly recommend this novel to all my friends, for it's beauty, it's magic, and it's utter wonder.... In life, in love, and in living. I also wanted to tell you, Ms. Allen, personally, that your hard work has not gone unnoticed. I do so love you. This novel spoke to me on such a personal level, so much so that all my notes on/in it were full of exclamation points, lol.

      I really do love this novel. Thank you, Ms. Allen, from the bottom of my heart, for this treasure. Thank you Netgalley, for letting me read an un- corrected proof, before he novel actually came out; I could not have been more happy, or excited to read a novel if a family member had written it themselves. her forced hiatus for a couple years brought a new depth and maturity to her writing. Allen's latest novel, Lost Lake, is as haunting and magical as the location of Lost Lake itself. And Allen writes novels that when you're finished, you want to keep them, so you can read them again and again.
    • 4/5
      Like her other books... a little bit of magic, great characters, nice story.
    • 4/5
      Ah, Sarah Addison Allen. She was my first glimpse into the world of magical realism and, so far, the best I've read in the genre. Her ability to seamlessly weave real life situations with magical undertones is something beautiful! I've yet to find a book of hers that I didn't love at least a little bit. True to form, Lost Lake was perfectly gorgeous.

      Allen transports the reader to a hidden gem. A place set apart from the busy day to day workings in the city. A place untouched by time and technology. Lost Lake was a haven that I was more than happy to get lost in. I loved that it was a place for misfits. I'll get to the characters themselves in a minute, but I'll assure you that this setting couldn't have been more for fitting for them. What better place for magic to happen than a place that already feels magical on its own? I adored Lost Lake. I actually found myself wishing it were a real place.

      On to the characters, in all their misfit glory. The underlying theme here is one of loss and moving on. Eby, Kate, Devin, Wes, and all the rest of these wonderful characters, were each a puzzle piece in the overall theme. I was impressed at how well they all came to life, despite the fact that there were so many. I found myself quickly caught up in the mini background stories of each character, secretly hoping that things would work out for them. It's hard work enough to write one character who the reader can connect with. To write a large cast, and write them well enough that I loved each one of them in turn? Well, you have this reader's heart.

      I can't say too much more, because then I'd be treading into spoiler territory, but trust me when I say that there's a lot to love between these pages. We chose this for our first book club pick of the year, and I'm thrilled that we did. Each chapter is a treasure trove of discussion points, and the story is brilliant. To previous fans of SAA, I think this is something you'll enjoy! To new readers, don't be afraid to start here. Lost Lake is well worth your time.
    • 4/5
      I loved it. Just a good, satisfying, uncomplicated story.
    • 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)
    • 5/5
      Ms. Allen does not disappoint again! I loved this book! You need to read this book!
      The characters, the story, everything was great!
    • 3/5
      She definitely has a formula....
      Tragic heroine, evil queen, gentle good fairy-lady, disbelieving moment, strong handsome dude.
      Sigh.
      Nice, but I've had enough.
    • 5/5
      This is such a sweet and enchanting story. Definitely a page turner. I love everything about it from Kate, to Aunt Elby, to Lizzette, Wess and even the cute little girl Devin with her unique outfits. I can't wait to read other books written by this author, Sarah Addison Allen. So glad I borrowed this book from the library.
    • 5/5
      Lost LakeKate “wakes” from a year of mourning her husband on the day she and her daughter, Devin, are set to move in with her mother-in-law, Cricket. Devin is her own, funky-fun person against the prim and properness of Cricket. Kate knows there will be discord. In the attic are trunks filled with clothes and momentous from the ancestors of Kate. Women of spirit, individuality, desire. In one, she finds a postcard from her aunt Eby, inviting her back to Lost Lake where she had so enjoyed herself many years prior. In a flick of impulse, she tells Devin to get ready for a road trip. The drive out is just the first leg of their journey. Things fall into the proper places once they arrive, as if Kate never really left. The aging, sure, but the same emotions linger, like fog, and surround those who return, year after year, to Lost Lake. Those that never left, welcome. Even the ghosts embrace the shared memories and yearn to make more. A cast of colorful characters, bringing to mind so many lovely stories I have read and cherished, take their proper places, creating their own perfect endings. But Eby has seen better time. Financially, she can not see holding on to the declining vacation rentals she ran all those years til now. Contemplating selling, the rally behind the not brings out hidden love and reasons for showing. Magic plays in, as it always will where there is hope and innocence. Oh, and an alligator. Don’t forget the alligator.