Ladies of the Lake: A Novel

Haywood Smith has really gone beyond the Red Hat books with this wonderful book. From the first chapter you know all the characters and can actually visualize them. This book studies the personalities of 4 sisters and their families. From chapter one to the very last page you are with the characters laughing and enjoying their escapades. I hope Haywood continues to write books like this one. This is the best read I have had in a long while. Even people who are not avid readers will enjoy this book. I loved this book so much that I purchased 6 extra copies for friends and the Nevada Cancer Institute in Las Vegas. The patients at the Nevada Cancer Institute are involved in a contest to cast this book as a movie. They are being asked to say who they think should play the roles of the characters. What a great way to take your mind off your troubles. This book is a wonderful escape and every page is awesome. Buy this book and you will be back for more for your friends.

I enjoyed the book. I actually could not put it down. As one of four sisters, it brought back a lot of memories. I wish there had been more of a discussion on the relationship between Cissy and her mother.

There will, no doubt, be many reviews written regarding Ms Smith's writing style, storyline, characters, etc. in Ladies of the Lake. This review, however, focuses primarily on the recorded version: Narrator Cynthia Darlow quite simply IS the voice of Dahlia - of the South for that matter. The book was wonderful - kudos Haywood, you do not disappoint; what a ride! - but Ms Darlow deserves enormous credit for bringing your book to life! Hers was the voice I heard in my head when I read it for myself. Brilliant - just brilliant!

With the death of the family matriarch Cissy, her granddaughters (Dahlia, Rose, Violet and Iris) must follow her stipulation in her will to inherit. The late former dancer demands the four sisters move from their respective Atlanta homes to her lakefront estate in the Georgia Mountains for 90 days. The siblings agree on cleaning up the hazardous to your health house so that in three months they place it on the market to sell. They fail to comprehend that their late grandma wanted one last connection to her beloved ones even if that is from the grave. Cissy hoped they would understand how she lived her life and how she wants them to do likewise. From the Hazmat cleaning debate to the sibling squabbles to the legal legacy, LADIES OF THE LAKE is an amusing poignant sisters' drama that reminds readers of the importance of making quality and quantity time for loved ones. The four sisters, their late grandma and a catalyst hunk come across as full blooded especially the siblings when they mix war and love with each other. Although a romance with the key male outsider never quite gels, Haywood Smith leaves the red hats safely stored for another day as she provides a jocular yet profound family drama. Harriet Klausner