Ladies of the Lake
Cathy Gohlke
Genre: Historical Fiction/Christian
Narrated by: Stephanie Richardson

Anne Shirley fans - her spirit, the locations, the friendships, the dramas: this book is a good fit for you. Gohlke must love her too. Ladies of the Lake is the story of four kindred spirits - Addie, Dot, Ruth, and Susannah (I listened if I got the spellings wrong!) After Addie is orphaned at a young age, her half brother Lemuel packs her off the boarding school - where she and the other girls become fast friends, standing against the mean brood of older girls and working through the highs and lows of maturing into young ladies in the early 1900s. We learn their story through the adult voices of Addie (now Rosaline) and Dot. We know that with the backdrop of WWI and the Halifax explosion looming along with the jealousy that comes with young love, some tragedy has destroyed the bond shared by the girls. We yearn for some resolution for them because Gohlke has created characters and a world with whom we quickly fall in love.

Not because they are so classically lovable, but because they are so complex. Faced with difficult decisions, Addie and Dot both disappoint the reader on occasion. Gohlke portrays their humanity so effectively that we find ourselves hurting with them and rooting for them. Stephanie Richardson captures their spirits in such a lovely way contributing to their relatability. She also evokes that spirit of Anne Shirley in her performance - just reminding me of the many Annes whom I have loved over the years. L.M. Montgomery is featured as a correspondent to budding writer Addie. If, like me, you love Montgomery’s characters you will want to get to know Addie and Dot and their friends.

I have been lucky enough to visit both Prince Edward Island - where I did all of the Anne of Green Gables and L.M. Montgomery sites and Halifax where I learned of the explosion at the museums there. Gohlke is faithful to the spirit and history of these locations. If you love history and setting, you will want to dive into this book. The plot is engaging and suspenseful as the reader moves back and forth from past to present. Gohlke expertly offers details throughout and cleverly maintains some secrets until the very end. If you have lived long enough to appreciate the intricacies of maintaining friendships over time, you will want to walk through the journey of these four friends with them. The lessons of both friendship and faith are beautifully rendered. I am inspired to value my friendships more intensely and to respect my faith more fully.

Thanks to NetGalley for and advance copy to read for this review.