The children are all grown up. They are the two girls, Sally and Charlotte, that Joan brought to the marriage and Perry and Spin that came with Whit. Add to the group, Everette, the caretaker's son. You might say that Lakeside Cottage and Holden, the private school, are
…more almost minor characters.
The story takes place after Whit's death. His will ensures that Lakeside Cottage will belong to his boys. Joan has been permitted to continue to live there. Sally visits often and Chalotte lives there and writes a blog and rarely leaves the grounds. Spin brings his fiancée, Laurel, home to meet the family. He is a teacher at Holden and met Laurel while skiing. As Laurel gets to know the family we see that there is another side to their seemingly ideal childhood.
Ann Leary is skilled at character development and I especially liked frugal, self centered Joan. She enjoyed telling about her glorious youth and that she ran five miles a day. An interesting minor character is "Mr Clean" who would break and enter cottages and never steal a thing but did a little cleaning while there.
I'm very stingy with my stars but believe this is a solid four. I stayed up past my bedtime to finish and will pass it on to a friend today. This is a good book club book as each character would make a good discussion. (less)