Go Home Lake - Megs Beach

 

Second Story Press, September 1, 2015.

 

Three Stars

This is the story of Penny, a young girl growing up in the 1960s in Ontario with several bullying older brothers, and a mom and dad who fight viciously while pretending everything is fine. Penny’s coming of age story is punctuated by her family’s annual summer trips to Go Home Lake, which she looks forward to all year. However, as Penny gets older, she realizes that the seemingly idyllic family trips are not as perfect as they seem.

Because the story is told from the point of view of a naïve and innocent young Penny, it is not at first obvious to the reader what is happening within the family. Her childhood seems pretty normal for 1960s America, with her only desire to own a pony. As Penny gets older and begins to realize that things are amiss, we learn that she must fend off awkward and inappropriate sexual advances from her older brothers, who prey on her innocence. Meanwhile, the cops are involved in keeping things civil between Penny’s parents, opening them up for judgement within the neighbourhood.

The novel is filled with interesting socio-political observations from the era, including the moon landing and “Trudeau Mania.” Beach’s clever writing turns clichés upside down by allowing us to see them through the eyes of a child. Penny’s language shows us her strong will, as shown by her ambition to become a “cowboy,” not just a cowgirl. She is desperate to fit in with her brothers, but she doesn’t yet know how gender differences can affect relationships, or the danger in trying to play along with the boys when she doesn’t fully understand the game.

The second half of the novel was much stronger than the first, and I was happy that I stuck with it. What started out as light and comedic quickly becomes very dark. An older Penny looks back and says, “[t]he cottage was the closest thing we had to hope” (Loc. 2461) but after her experiences, there is no hope left at the lake. She had to separate from her childhood self in order to carry on, and there is no going back – either to the cottage or to the girl she once was.

I received this book for free from Second Story Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.