The Lake of Dreams (2011)

The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a very hard review to get around to writing and even now I'm not sure what to say.

Kim Edward's first book was the word-of-mouth bestseller The Memory Keeper's Daughter. When the DVD appeared on my library's shelves, I decided to check it out and was surprised how moving it was. So when I saw the author had a new book, The Lake of Dreams, I requested it.

There were lots of things to like. It starts out in Japan. It has elements of Gothic romance, history (suffragettes), dreams, stained glass, politics, family relationships, genealogical research, and more. I can't say I didn't enjoy my time reading the book, but there was always a nagging feeling in the background that something was missing. Maybe the problem wasn't that something was missing but that there was too much included? I don't think it was the writing style. I enjoyed the characters although there was a 'stock' feeling about them. The storytelling was all right.

Lucy Jarrett is living with her boyfriend Yoshi in an area of Japan experiencing a disconcerting series of earthquakes. When her Mother suffers a minor injury, it spurs Lucy to return home to upper New York State and begin to explore her future through her family's past.

Apparently, from reading other reviews, you will either love or hate this book, or like me find yourself somewhere in the middle.


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