1939, Berlin. Max Albrecht is the young and handsome heir to a beautiful house on a lake where he spent his happy childhood. As war approaches, his parents tell him he must join the Nazi party or the whole family will be killed. But when his beloved French fiancée Isabelle shows him the horrifying truth, Max faces an impossible choice: protect his family or save the girl he loves?
2010, San Francisco. Anna Young is content with her life, running a bustling deli and taking care of her adored grandfather Max, who raised her. Max has never spoken of his past until he hands over an old map, the plans to a grand house just north of Berlin. With a shaking finger, he points to it and says, "I left something behind under the floorboards. Please bring it home before I die."
When Anna arrives at the crumbling manor in Germany, she discovers a hidden engagement ring in a velvet box. She is desperate to find the woman her grandfather hoped to marry, but the local villagers look away when she mentions Max's name, and back in San Francisco he is now in hospital, too unwell to speak to her. What did Max do so many years ago? Is Anna ready for the terrible secret that her family's past may hold?
From bestselling author Ella Carey comes an unforgettable novel, weaving together past and present. Gripping and heart-breaking, The House by the Lake uncovers the secrets and devastating choices that people were forced to make during history's darkest time.***
The decision was made in the Italian Cafe on Chestnut Street. ONE, SAN FRANCISO, 2010
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(@bookouture, 20 October 2020, 234 pages, ebook, #ARC from the publisher via # NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed, #BlogTour 10 October)
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This is a sequel of sorts to Paris Time Capsule, telling the story of the family connected to the apartment in Paris in the past and the current life of the family of an acquaintance. Like all of the author's books I've read recently, this was a fantastic book. I loved it. You can enjoy this book without having read Paris Time Capsule, reading the first book just makes this a richer and more enjoyable reading experience. In a similar vein to Paris Time Capsule this book moves back and forth in time, telling two stories that gradually entwine. The characters are well-written and the book engaging. I really loved it.
