The Last House on the Street

Solid Exposition Of The End Of An Era. This is one of those that as a Son of the South - and of a region in particular that literally still bears the scars of that war criminal terrorist bstard William Tecumseh Sherman - I find myself leery about going into... but which was actually respectful while not condoning any of the mistakes of prior eras. Now, I *have reached out to an aunt who actually lived in a similar region to the one depicted here in 1963 (specifically, in the countryside outside of Atlanta vs the countryside outside of Raleigh) and was of a similar age as Ellie at the time for her thoughts on the book as well. But for me and my experiences as a Southern White Male who grew up more in Kayla's era (turned 30 in 2013, so a couple of years younger than Kayla)... this rings fairly true. Yes, there were absolutely horrors and tragedies in those prior eras, but as the recent Ahmaud Arbery case in my native Georgia shows... that isn't the South anymore. And Chamberlain shows that as well here. Having had a good political friend (former Governor of Georgia candidate John Monds, the first Libertarian Party candidate ever to receive over 1 million votes) actually attend Morehouse and growing up with Hosea Williams Feed The Hungry being one of the most well known food drive campaigns in Atlanta, the scenes with Morehouse and Williams were particularly interesting to me.

Thus, for me the book works well in both timelines, and I truly found both timelines quite compelling - though for very different reasons. Ellie's timeline was absolutely fascinating as almost a coming-of-age tale where a young woman learns what is important to her and why, and has to fight for her new beliefs against staggering odds. Kayla's timeline is more of a light-ish domestic suspense, with a widowed mother alone in the woods facing an ominous threat. Very much recommended.

Diane Chamberlain's latest historical fiction novel The Last House on the Street is a definite five star for me. In this book, she tells the stories of Kayla and Ellie, two women in different timelines who are each battling some personal issues and trying to figure out their futures. Each storyline is full of drama and completely engaging. They eventually connect together for a very dramatic finish.

In the present day, Kayla Carter is moving into the home she and her husband built for their family. Unfortunately, her husband died in an accident during the building of the house. When a mysterious elderly woman warns her not to move into the house and strange things start to happen at the house, Kayla begins to doubt her decision to live there. In the timeline set in the past, Ellie Hockley joins the SCOPE project and spends a few summer weeks trying to help register members of the black community to vote. Her family, friends, and community are all opposed to her work and trouble ensues for her and the other members of the project. The connection between the two timelines becomes clear as the story progresses.

The storyline in the 1960's is both inspiring and upsetting. Ellie's desire to stand up for what she believes in even when no one in her life supports her is admirable. The book does a good job of providing information about this very important civil rights project. The references to the Klan and its operations are disturbing, but they are important reminders of the adversity faced by people trying to make positive change during that time period. The reader should be prepared for many emotionally charged moments in the story.

Everything about this book is done well. The characters are well-developed with both likeable and unlikable traits. While there are some stereotypes in the book, they seem necessary to make the points the author is trying to make. The pacing is just right with enough development of both characters and plot without making it drag. Overall, I really have no complaints.

I would highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction and dual timelines. It will not disappoint.