Book Review: "Lake Life" by David James Poissant

I don't know what it is, but while I often grow weary of certain genres and need to take a break every now and again, for some reason I can't seem to get my fill of stories of family dysfunction and dynamics. The drama, the recriminations, the despair, the revisiting old wounds and long-hidden secrets, even the hopefulness that emerges—all of this appeals to me. (I guess this is why I've always loved soap operas!)

This explains why I was so excited to read David James Poissant's new novel, Lake Life. (I absolutely loved his debut story collection, The Heaven of Animals, when I read it in 2014.)

"How fiercely we defend those we love, even to the annihilation of ourselves."

For years, every summer the Starling family spends some time at their lake house in North Carolina. They come from different places: parents Richard and Lisa travel from Ithaca, NY, where both have worked at Cornell University; older son Michael and his wife Diane, an elementary school teacher, travel from Texas; and younger son Thad and his famous artist boyfriend Jake come from New York City. None are quite in the right mindset for this vacation, but no one wants to abandon the tradition.

But this year will be the last year. Richard and Lisa plan to sell the house, which is falling apart, and move to Florida once Lisa's retirement is final. (Richard retired last year.) This comes as a shock to Michael and Thad, neither of whom can believe their parents would sell the house without telling them. Is there something else they're hiding?

While Richard and Lisa pictured this last summer being the beautiful farewell to all of their memories, that couldn't be further from reality. The first day they're all together, they witness an incident that rocks them, one which puts a pall over the whole vacation and reignites a hurt for two of them. Not only that, but each couple is struggling, both as a unit and individually, and as so often is the case, they are struggling silently, rather than confronting the issue head-on.

In a matter of a few days, the Starlings will deal with infidelity, unwanted pregnancy, addiction, alcoholism, financial woes, trust issues, and the discovery of a secret the parents have kept from their sons since they were children. Will these crises, these challenges tear at the already-fraying bonds between them or will it help bring them closer together?

This is a familiar story, but Poissant is such a skilled storyteller that even as the plot unfolds as I expected in some cases, it's still a story I couldn't tear myself away from. These characters aren't always sympathetic but their flaws make them even more human and relatable—heck, there's even the dinner table argument about the 2016 election more than a few families have had.

Lake Life is thought-provoking and poignant, and it may even make you feel better about your own family. But if you're also a fan of a little familial melodrama, this is a book you might enjoy.