Completely original, intriguing and heartwarming...
When Willie Upton comes home to Templeton at the age of 28, after affair with a married professor ended badly, she must lean on the strength of her mother, her anscestors and her town to help her learn about herself, her past and where she is heading in the future. The reader is seemlessly transported through different time periods and varing perspectives in this wonderful breakout novel by a brilliant author.
This book is has it all: well-developed true-to-life characters; multi-generational family intrigue; plot twists and turns; and complete originality. At its core, this book is a tale of discovery. Each of the characters in the book, from narrator Willie Upton, her mother Vi, and friend Clarissa, to the town's own discovery of their heretofore unknown lake friend, the novel deals with uncovering the truth- of the past and of the self. It is a voyage of discovery of a family's roots, of a town, and of those ties that bind them all together.
Please don't let the premise of this novel deter you- when I first heard that it had to do with a "lake monster" I had no interest in the book, but it is merely one small undercurrent in the novel and is quite easy to accept and understand. I HIGHLY recommend this novel and look forward to hopefully reading more by this gifted novelist
