From the award-winning author of the acclaimed story collectionThe Heaven of Animalscomes a sweeping, domestic novel about a family that reunites at their North Carolina lake house for one last vacation before the home is soldโand the long-buried secrets that are finally revealed.
The Starling family is scattered across the country. Parents Richard and Lisa live in Ithaca, New York, and work at Cornell University. Their son Michael, a salesperson, lives in Dallas with his elementary school teacher wife, Diane. Michaelโs brother, Thad, an aspiring poet, makes his home in New York City with his famous painter boyfriend, Jake. For years theyโve traveled to North Carolina to share a summer vacation at the family lake house.
That tradition is coming to an end, as Richard and Lisa have decided to sell the treasured summer home and retire to Florida. Before they do, the family will spend one last weekend at the lake. But what should to be a joyous farewell takes a nightmarish turn when the family witnesses a tragedy that triggers a series of dramatic revelations among the Starlingsโalcoholism, infidelity, pregnancy, and a secret the parents have kept from their sons for over thirty years. As the weekend unfolds, relationships fray, bonds are tested, and the Starlings are forced to reckon with who they are and what they want from this life.
Set in todayโs America,Lake Lifeis a beautifully rendered, emotionally compelling novel in the tradition of Jonathan FranzenโsThe Corrections, Elizabeth StroutโsOlive Kitteridge, and Ann PatchettโsCommonwealth.