A review by nqcliteracy
The Lake on Fire by Rosellen Brown

4.0

I just finished the beautiful story of Chaya and Asher, which I absolutely loved. I was lost in an old Chicago world for the past few days, torn between love and distaste for Asher, commiserating deeply with Chaya and her predicaments throughout, smitten by Gregory and at the same time, learned a ton about a time period in our city I know relatively little about. It was beautifully written and so much of the description still sits with me, hours after I finished: describing Chaya's mother as constantly in motion (I wonder if that's how my kids see me?); watching as Asher grew into a young man enamored with words - lulled by lethargy, loved that. And was grateful when Chaya was reconnected with her mother. The last letter resonated fully with the Asher you developed and made for an untidy (disconnected though he remained from his found parents!) yet perfect ending.