Black Lake by Johanna Lane


More new Irish Fiction and Johanna Lane's debut novel is an assured and lyrically written work. It tells the story of family weighed down by inherited responsibility and the financial issues that drive a wedge into family life, finally resulting in a shocking tragedy. John and Marianne are the couple struggling to keep Dulough their beautiful Irish country estate going. Kate and Philip are the children who have to cope with being taken from this wonderful sprawling home to live in a dark small cottage on the grounds so that the house can be opened up to the public. We watch through the family's eyes as the house is filled with furniture that isn't theirs and people walk across rooms that were once kept private. It all becomes too much for young Philip when his train set becomes a focus of frustration as a tour guide shows some other children around his old bedrooom and for his mother Marianne too as she locks herself and Kate into the ballroom. This is a well crafted piece of storytelling alive with intense and interesting characters and aware of the truth of Irish history and its legacy. Johanna Lane will be an author to watch. thanks to Tinder press for a review copy of this book. 

Comments

  1. Great review and I also loved this novel. We will have to arrange that cuppa in Malahide Castle when Johanna is in Ireland next :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment