Lake Life

“The tale of a family getaway gone very wrong . . . The novel is less concerned with the origins of dysfunction than with how it plays out.” —The New York Times Book Review

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. Michael’s brother, an aspiring poet, makes his home in New York City with his famous painter boyfriend. For years they’ve 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 Starlings—alcoholism, 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.

“A remarkable, moving depiction of a family on the brink.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Vividly imagined and carefully rendered, Lake Life is both generous and unflinching. I loved every member of this functionally dysfunctional cast.” —Karen Joy Fowler, New York Times–bestselling author of Booth

“Simultaneously heartbreaking and hilarious . . . a stunning, unforgettable story.” —Booklist (starred review)

“By turns moving, tender, and wryly funny, this gorgeously written ensemble novel about the unspoken dreams and secrets and self-deceptions of a middle-class family is deeply insightful and rewarding.” —Dan Chaon, National Book Award finalist and author of Sleepwalk