Lost Lake

By: Sarah Addison Allen

Narrated by: Janet Metzger

Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Garden Spells comes a beautiful, haunting story of old loves and new, and the power of the connections that bind us forever…

The first time Eby Pim saw Lost Lake, it was on a picture postcard. Just an old photo and a few words on a small square of heavy stock, but when she saw it, she knew she was seeing her future.

That was half a lifetime ago. Now Lost Lake is about to slip into Eby’s past. Her husband, George, is long passed. Most of her demanding extended family are gone. All that’s left is a once-charming collection of lakeside cabins succumbing to the southern Georgia heat and damp, and an assortment of faithful misfits drawn back to Lost Lake year after year by their own unspoken dreams and desires.

It’s a lot, but it’s not enough to keep Eby from calling this her final summer at the lake, and relinquishing Lost Lake to a developer with cash in hand. Until one last chance at family knocks on her door.

Lost Lake is where Kate Pheris spent her last best summer at the age of twelve, before she learned of loneliness and heartbreak and loss. Now she’s all too familiar with those things, but she knows about hope, too, thanks to her resilient daughter, Devin, and her own willingness to start moving forward. Perhaps at Lost Lake her little girl can cling to her own childhood for just a little longer...and maybe Kate herself can rediscover something that slipped through her fingers so long ago.

One after another, people find their way to Lost Lake, looking for something that they weren’t sure they needed in the first place: love, closure, a second chance, peace, a mystery solved, a heart mended. Can they find what they need before it’s too late?

At once atmospheric and enchanting, Lost Lake shows Sarah Addison Allen at her finest, illuminating the secret longings and the everyday magic that wait to be discovered in the unlikeliest of places.

©2014 Sarah Addison Allen (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Metzger's Southern accents and variety of boisterous and genteel voices capture the eclectic personalities of townsfolk, while her alluring voice and smooth reading convey the tranquility of the lake community.... Listeners will be charmed." ( AudioFile)

Enjoyable listen

What did you love best about Lost Lake?

I instantly fell into the story and was carried along. If this were a movie it would be considered a romantic comedy

What does Janet Metzger bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Janet Metzger, has a pleasing delivery as the narrator, then has a distinctive voice for each character. That southern accent for some of the characters is spot on and the voice of the elderly woman sounds old without being demeaning.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Kate and her daughter Devin go to Lost Lake and discover new lives.

"Waking Up" after just floating along

Waking up to what's in front of you, really looking at the possibilities appears to be the main theme of this little jewel. A little romance, a little magic, what can be accomplished when you really want something.... It's a story that you feel good about afterwards, without being syrupy or trite. Narration ok.

Pure Sarah Addison Allen

Sarah Addison Allen at her best. Fans will be pleased for this is her at her best, though she never disappoints.

Lost Lake is about a family vacation camp on the decline. When it looks like this could be the camp's last summer, it's time for finished business. Relationships are repaired or rekindled and the magic comes out. As in all of Allen's novels you can see the how the basic story is going to go from the first chapter. Some would say they are predictable. But, every story doesn't need to be a mystery. Like Titanic - we knew how the story ended and still enjoyed the movie. The journey to lost lake is pleasurable enough to call it a page turner. But beware - just when you think you know how it's going to go - Allen throws you a wrench and you don't know where the story is going to go. Allen's novels also have plenty of whimsy and some practical magic. I love the magic and this one is magically delicious.

Janet Metzger added to the book without making it her own. Visiting Lost Lake is like a glass of wine in from of a roaring fire with a good friend.

Pleasantly surprised

What made the experience of listening to Lost Lake the most enjoyable?

I loved the story and I loved the narrator, what a wonderful voice and how she brought the story alive...over and over again.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters were amazing and I could see and almost feel the characters as they moved from chapter to chapter.

Have you listened to any of Janet Metzger’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first time listening to Janet Metzger.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I could not stop listening.

Any additional comments?

Great book!

Love! Love! Love!

Where does Lost Lake rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

very high

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lost Lake?

Devon becoming friends with the Billy! The alligator is very wise!

Which scene was your favorite?

Devon standing up to Cricket and pleading her mother to do the same!

If you could take any character from Lost Lake out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Devon!

Any additional comments?

I love this story, but i do believe it is much better to listen to the southern voice than me reading it on my own! Thank you for such a wonderful performance and great story!

Sarah is my favorite author!

This story pulls at your heartstrings. I thought it was wonderful. I'm still smiling when I think of Me. Allen's stories.

Wonderful book!!

Well Sarah Addison Allen has done it again! The story was wonderful, and of course so very full of MAGIC!!!

Charming Story!

Wow! Lost Lake sounds like a place everyone would like to visit. It's a warm and fuzzy story for all ages.

Still not my fave of hers

The title is enough. I really cant say why it's not; but it just isn't my absolute favorite of all.

Kept my attention

Good book. I enjoyed the story. Characters well defined. Reader did a good job on the voices. I recommend it.