Ladies of the Lake

Addie has been orphaned and her older brother doesn't want her around, so he makes arrangements to send her to a girls' boarding school in Connecticut.  Addie's first friend is Dorothy, or Dot, as she likes to be called. Two more friends follow soon after, Ruth and Susannah.  Addie's first nemesis is Mildred, who takes great delight in tormenting Addie and enslaving her. 

This book is a dual time novel surrounding both world wars and events that happened in between.  This is a hard book to read, not because of the dual time, but because of the depth of the plot lines.  I am not saying it shouldn't be read, I am saying it takes concentration and contemplation and the reward is incredibly satisfying.  

One of the events that plays a major part in the book is the Halifax Explosion of 1917.  This is an actual historical event that the author used to propel the plot.  

After Addie graduated from the girls' school, she became an assistant teacher there, until she caught some girls from the school tormenting some of the men in town with white feathers (symbol of cowardice), especially targeting one man who was developmentally delayed, but he knew enough to understand what they were saying.  Because the girls perpetrating this act of bullying were daughters of important people to the school, they were believed over Addie.  When the man commits suicide, and their actions come to light, Addie is brought back to the school to teach, but only until her brother's wife has their baby.  In the days following the baby's birth, the explosion happens and for all intents and purposes, Addie is dead.  The other girls in Addie's friend group from the school still got together periodically and renewed their friendship and mourned Addie. 

There were some events that happened in the book that make me sit back and wonder about my own family and the  hardships they might have gone through because of the anti-German sentiments.  

Some of the tension in the plot revolves around Addie and Dorothy loving the same man, and eventually around the secrets Dorothy held from those she loved.  As the plot starts to wind up, it seems to me that Cathy Gohlke, the author, pushed some of the elements to tie up the loose ends of the plot.  It was the only area where I felt the story was forced.  It was definitely hard to put down and I did lose sleep over finishing it.  Actually, the writing was excellent for the most part.  I've truly enjoyed every book by Cathy that I've read.  This is certainly a four star book, and I would read it again. 

Tyndale House provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.