ARC Review Book Review by A Book Wanderer

ARC Book Review | The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain

Title: The Last House on the Street
Author: Diane Chamberlain 
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published On: January 11, 2022
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: digital
Pages: 352

Synopsis:

From bestselling author Diane Chamberlain comes an irresistible new novel that perfectly interweaves history, mystery, and social justice.

When Kayla Carter’s husband dies in an accident while building their dream house, she knows she has to stay strong for their four-year-old daughter. But the trophy home in Shadow Ridge Estates, a new development in sleepy Round Hill, North Carolina, will always hold tragic memories. But when she is confronted by an odd, older woman telling her not to move in, she almost agrees. It’s clear this woman has some kind of connection to the area…and a connection to Kayla herself. Kayla’s elderly new neighbor, Ellie Hockley, is more welcoming, but it’s clear she, too, has secrets that stretch back almost fifty years.

Is Ellie on a quest to right the wrongs of the past? And does the house at the end of the street hold the key? Told in dual time periods, The Last House on the Street is a novel of shocking prejudice and violence, forbidden love, the search for justice, and the tangled vines of two families.

My thoughts

(Spoiler free)

Diane Chamberlain’s latest novel is a historical fiction set in the deep south during the mid 1960s as the civil rights movement is growing, and it felt even more fitting that I finished it on the day we observe Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day here in the states. This dual point of view novel flips between Ellie in 1965 and Kayla in 2010. And while the three novels I’ve read by Chamberlain all tend to have some kind of mystery, this is the first one I’ve read that takes a darker and creepier tone.

What I enjoy most about Chamberlain’s books are how they’re always rooted in historical facts. I always learn something new when I pick up one of her books. 

In The Last House on the Street we meet Kayla, a recently widowed mother of one. Her and her husband were architects building their dream home when he died while working on their house. She has reservations about moving into the house where her husband died, but she also feels obligated to fulfill their dream. When mysterious people and occurrences seem determined to keep her away, she starts searching for answers.

In 1965, Ellie is the twenty year old white daughter of a prominent pharmacist in her small North Carolina town. As her awareness for the unequal treatment of black people in her community grows, she decides to spend her summer not working with her father in his pharmacy but volunteering with SCOPE or the Summer Community Organization and Political Education Project, a program created by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to bring voter registration awareness to black communities in the south. Despite her parents’ opposition, she joins the movement and her life will never be the same.

“There are moments in life when you suddenly see your future and it’s not at all what you expected.”

Diane Chamberlain, The Last House on the Street

I read this one quickly, completely enthralled with both timelines. Chamberlain has done a nice job of amping up the tension and unease in Kayla’s storyline with the questionable people around her, the threatening events she can’t seem to avoid, and the oppressive woods surrounding her house. And Ellie’s experiences volunteering with SCOPE are inspiring yet terrifying. The prejudice and violence depicted in the story is a devastating reminder of the cruelty black people have endured at the hands of fellow human beings.

While overall I did enjoy this one, there were a few times I wanted to take Ellie and Kayla by the shoulders and ask them what they were thinking. They definitely both made some decisions that seemed obviously questionable to me. But the ending was satisfying and I enjoyed learning about SCOPE, which I’d never heard about before this book. It’s a reminder that while things may have improved since the 1960s, it’s at an immeasurable cost, and we still have so very far to go.

Thank you to the publisher St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy.

(All quotes are taken from the advance copy and are subject to change in final print.)

Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Indiebound | Amazon

About the Author

Diane Chamberlain
Diane Chamberlain

Diane Chamberlain is the New York Times, USA Today and (London) Sunday Times best-selling author of 27 novels. The daughter of a school principal who supplied her with a new book almost daily, Diane quickly learned the emotional power of story. Although she wrote many small “books” as a child, she didn’t seriously turn to writing fiction until her early thirties when she was waiting for a delayed doctor’s appointment with nothing more than a pad, a pen, and an idea. She was instantly hooked. 

Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey and lived for many years in both San Diego and northern Virginia. She received her master’s degree in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, she was a hospital social worker in both San Diego and Washington, D.C, and a psychotherapist in private practice in Alexandria, Virginia, working primarily with adolescents. 

More than two decades ago, Diane was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which changed the way she works: She wrote two novels using voice recognition software before new medication allowed her to get back to typing. She feels fortunate that her arthritis is not more severe and that she’s able to enjoy everyday activities as well as keep up with a busy travel schedule.

Diane lives in North Carolina with her significant other, photographer John Pagliuca, and their odd but lovable Shetland Sheepdog, Cole

dianechamberlain.com

A Song For A Book

Chamberlain has mentioned a few songs that were popular during the 1960s during Ellie’s point of view, and I’ve chosen to highlight “I Can’t Help Myself” by the Four Tops.

Sugarpie honeybunch
You know that I love you
I can’t help myself
I love you and nobody else
In and out my life
You come and you go
Leaving just your picture behind
And I kissed it a thousand times

Will you be adding The Last House on the Street to your tbr? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Wandering!

9 thoughts on “ARC Book Review | The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain”

  1. Excellent review Dedra. I also knew nothing about SCOPE and learned something new. I will say I enjoyed the 1965 timeline more but both were interesting.

    Reply

  2. Great review, Dedra! I’ve never read anything by this author before but the synopsis has intrigued me although you saying this is ‘spooky’ has me wondering whether it’s ‘ghost’ spooky or just a creepy vibe cos we both know I don’t handle ghost spooky! 😂 I’ve seen this cover around lately though and its definitely got me intrigued—will keep in mind (maybe) if I’m looking for a historical mystery to read!

    Reply

    1. Haha! It was hard to choose the right words for this one. It’s definitely not ‘ghost’ spooky. More creepy, but maybe just eerie?? Chamberlain is great for historical reads based on small unknown facets of history. I don’t read historical fiction too often but I rarely turn down the invitation to read one of hers because I know I’ll learn something, as well. 😉

      Reply

Let's Chat! (Comments are manually approved)