Ladies of the Lake, Hardcover

With a youthful passion reminiscent of their literary hero, Anne of Green Gables, four girls at Lakeside Ladies Academy sign a pact to always be true to their friendship, calling themselves the Ladies of the Lake. Twenty-five years later, during the Great Depression, all four harbor secrets and scars. As the women pour into the lives of the next generation of Ladies of the Lake, they realize all have made mistakes and must find their own ways back. From the fear and anti-immigrant sentiment of World War I to the deadly Halifax explosion of 1917, this novel uncovers how the tides of history impact ordinary families and drive their choices into the next generation. Gohlke (A Hundred Crickets Singing) examines the power and peril of female friendship in this novel, which looks at the pull of the past and how women can rewrite the future. VERDICT History buffs looking for deep writing and character development will want to add Gohlke to their lists. Recommend to fans of Lisa Wingate, Amanda Dykes, and Valerie Fraser Luesse.