Books by and for independent women

The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards

When your first novel sells millions across the world, it can be a hard act to follow. Kim Edwards’ debut, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter was something of a phenomenon, a haunting tale of family secrets spanning three decades. She has followed it up with another intricate family mystery, The Lake of Dreams, a book that might not eclipse its predecessor in terms of critical success, but is nonetheless an ambitious and enjoyable read.

In The Lake Of Dreams, we meet Lucy Jarrett, a young woman living in Japan with boyfriend, Yoshi, when she receives news of her mother being involved in a minor accident. What makes the opening of this novel so intriguing is the lack of drama – Lucy does not return to her childhood home because of a tragedy or family emergency, her mother’s injury is nothing more than a broken wrist. But when Yoshi comments that, “sometimes loneliness is an emergency situation”, something within Lucy is stirred and she makes the decision to fly home to Upstate New York, to the Lake of Dreams.

Once back, Lucy finds her family and the places she remembers so vividly have changed in her absence. Her widowed mother has a new suitor, her brother is expecting a child, and her uncle Art who was always at a distance when her father was alive is now an active presence in their lives. We are drawn into the lives of the Jarrett family – Lucy’s suspicions about her uncle’s motives and the local protests about land development, and her long forgotten feelings for old flame Keegan Falls who was once a motorcycle-riding free spirit but is now a local artist with a young son and strong social conscience. But it’s when Lucy discovers some old papers in a window seat at the house that the novel grabs you and doesn’t let go.

Lucy embarks upon a quest to find out about the mysterious woman, Rose, and young girl, Lily, who have been hidden from history amongst these dusty papers. She finds pamphlets from the Suffragette movement, a pattern design linked to some beautiful stained glass windows, links to a tiny chapel, and to her own family. Whilst her obsession grows, Lucy becomes absorbed in the family’s history, unsure of what she hopes – or wants – to find.

Kim Edwards is particularly skilled at writing strong female characters from different generations – their aspirations, the prejudices they face and the decisions that affect their lives. Lucy’s personal journey in The Lake of Dreams is reflected in the journeys of the women she knows, discovers and becomes closer to.

This is by no means a perfect book, some of the ecological and social messages are shoehorned into the narrative and I couldn’t quite get past the fact that Keegan Falls is a man and not a tourist attraction. But these are minor quibbles. The Lake of Dreams made me think about the decisions we make and the consequences they have, about the generations of women in my family and the lives they might have led, and once I’d picked it up, I couldn’t put it down – it accompanied me in the bath, on the bus, into the early hours, whilst I was cooking dinner… and that’s the kind of book I like!

Published by Viking, The Lake of Dreams is now available in hardback and kindle edition.

Rating 3.5/5

Recommended for: People who like (in no particular order) puzzles, mystery, geneology, the history of women’s rights, stained glass windows.

Other recommended reading: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Davies; The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas; Possession by A.S. Byatt

Alex Herod