Afternoon Readers Book Club
June 2016
Lost Lake
Sarah Addison Allen
Readers enjoyed this book. On the surface it was a light
fantasy with interesting characters. Further discussion brought out complex
layers of family conflict and questions about reality and imagination. Grieving
about death and lost chances permeated the lives of all the characters. People
were drawn to Lost Lake to deal with their hopes and dreams and to satisfy their
need for companionship and understanding. They were looking for different
endings to their life stories.
A ghost and a talking alligator made appearances throughout,
but seemed almost normal. Most of the relationships eventually worked out
although there were a few surprises. Readers appreciated the quirky characters
and discussed them as if their circumstances were real. Maybe they were real.
Stranger things have happened. There were many characters but all were
essential. Readers talked about them as if they knew them and thought about
what would have happened if their stories continued beyond the conclusion.
Addison is a popular author and several of her books have
been selections for both the evening and afternoon book clubs. Readers commented
on how skillfully she crafted the backgrounds of her characters and integrated
them into a complete story. Several have also read her books on their own; Garden Spells, The Sugar Queen, The Girl Who
Chased the Moon, The Peach Keeper, First Frost, Waking Kate, and Firefly Dance.
“You can’t change where you come from, but you can change
where you go from here. Just like a book. If you don’t like the ending, you can
make up a new one.” Sarah Addison Allen.
