Book Nook - The Inn at Lake Devine

The Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman:





I read Elinor Lipman's Then She Found Me years and years ago, and even after all that time, I was able to see big similarities between that book and this one.  The style is definitely Elinor Lipman, the plot quietly moved along, there is a romance in both books, and strong mother figures.  Based on the two books of hers that I've read, I would say that these are simple, enjoyable stories, great for a quick, easy, lighthearted read.  Lipman achieves what her books set out to do: entertain us.

The Inn at Lake Devine begins with our protagonist, Natalie Marx, as a young girl struggling to understand the Inn at Lake Devine's refusal to allow her family to stay there because they are Jewish.  Natalie's parents brush off the snub, but Natalie persists, and in some very humorous ways, confronts the mean owner of the inn.  She eventually gets an opportunity to tag along with a friend on her family's vacation at the inn.  What she doesn't realize, is that the people she spends time with that summer will return back into her life years down the road, in most unexpected ways.

I found this book on the 50 great books that will change your life list that I seem to be working my way down.  Will this book change your life?  I doubt it.  It's light and frothy, nothing to sink your teeth into.  But it's a fun read, and the author has an enjoyable writing style.  Actually, if you've never read any of Lipman's books, I'd start with Then She Found Me - I think I liked that one a little better.  If you find yourself heading to the pool, the beach - or even an inn on a beautiful lake in Vermont - on these last few days of summer, these books would be a good companion.

-Cheryl