The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain – 352 pages
ARC from St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an honest review
Book Blurb:
The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain: When Kayla Carter’s husband dies in an accident while building their dream house, she knows she has to stay strong for their four-year-old daughter. But the trophy home in Shadow Ridge Estates, a new development in sleepy Round Hill, North Carolina, will always hold tragic memories. But when she is confronted by an odd, older woman telling her not to move in, she almost agrees. It’s clear this woman has some kind of connection to the area…and a connection to Kayla herself. Kayla’s elderly new neighbor, Ellie Hockley, is more welcoming, but it’s clear she, too, has secrets that stretch back almost fifty years. Is Ellie on a quest to right the wrongs of the past? And does the house at the end of the street hold the key?
My Review: 4.5 stars
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Diane Chamberlain does it again with a compelling story in The Last House on the Street. Honestly, I had no idea what this book was about when I started it. But, if Chamberlain writes it, then I read it!
As in many of her other books, this one too takes place in North Carolina. It also features dual timelines from 1965 and 2010 from two women, who remarkably meet up in the later timeline. I love when authors do this!
In 1965, we learn about the SCOPE project, Summer Community Organizing and Political Education, which focused on voter-registration and community organization in anticipation of imminent passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Ellie, our narrator for this time-period is adamant about leaving college to work for SCOPE although her parents are furious with worry and outrage that she’d do this. She is trying to create a better world like her aunt had instilled in her to do.
Because Ellie is from Southern North Carolina, she is targeted by many as a traitor for working with the black community and giving them the tools to organize and vote. She stands her ground for as long as possible until tragedy strikes, and she is sent home. I liked her storyline over the current day timeline. I learned so much about the time-period and how awful racism and bigotry was in the south. Honestly, the imagery jumped off the page.
Kayla’s story, in 2010, took a while for me to warm up to. Once Kayla meets Ellie and they work together, I began to like Kayla much more. I guess I couldn’t understand why she’d want to move into a house where her husband just died. But then again, to each their own.
Chamberlain took on race with sensitivity and edification. She breathed life into the characters, whether they were good or evil. This book had a great ending that made sense to all involved. Love learning something new through fiction!
Quotes I liked:
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