About the Book:
After the deep bond of friendship between two young women is torn apart, what will it take to bring them together again? In Ladies of the Lake, the beloved author of Saving Amelie and Night Bird Calling returns with a transformative new historical novel about the wonder and complexities of friendship, love, and belonging.When she is forced to leave her beloved Prince Edward Island to attend Lakeside Ladies Academy after the death of her parents, the last thing Adelaide Rose MacNeill expects to find is three kindred spirits. The “Ladies of the Lake,” as the four girls call themselves, quickly bond like sisters, vowing that wherever life takes them, they will always be there for each other. But that is before: Before love and jealousy come between Adelaide and Dorothy, the closest of the friends. Before the dawn of World War I upends their world and casts baseless suspicion onto the German American man they both love. Before a terrible explosion in Halifax Harbor rips the sisterhood irrevocably apart.
Seventeen years later, Rosaline Murray receives an unsuspecting telephone call from Dorothy, now headmistress of Lakeside, inviting her to attend the graduation of a new generation of girls, including Rosaline’s beloved daughter. With that call, Rosaline is drawn into a past she’d determined to put behind her. To memories of a man she once loved . . . of a sisterhood she abandoned . . . and of the day she stopped being Adelaide MacNeill.
My Thoughts:Ladies of the Lake by Cathy Gohlke landed as my first
five-star read of 2024. This story gripped my attention from the start and the question
of what happened between Dorothy and Adelaide urged me on. Gohlke’s smooth
writing made the transitions between time periods easy to grasp. The expert plot
pacing and clever prose kept me blind to an unanticipated plot twist. I
actually reread sections trying to decipher how I was so hoodwinked!
The female friendships in Ladies of the Lake reminded
me of the importance of connecting with others on a regular basis to maintain
relationships. I loved how the characters’ friendships were presented in youth
and adulthood, showing the way relationships can grow (or wither) over time. While
the story emphasizes the power of friendship, quieter points about physical
trauma, emotional brokenness, living with regrets, and speaking truth support
the character journeys of Addie and Dot.
Ladies of the Lake by Cathy Gohlke has a permanent
spot in my bookcase. I read this amazing novel with my church book club, and we
had plenty of material to discuss plus a delightful chat with the author. Five
stars for Ladies of the Lake!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of
this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
