Heather's Pick
"I'm always in search of a great historical fiction read, and Last House by Jessica Shattuck is exactly that. As was so aptly put on the jacket copy Last House is a sweeping story of a nation on the rise and one family’s deeply complicated relationship to the resource that built their fortune (think OIL) and fueled their greatest tragedy.
Last House covers 80 years - the rise and profound impact on America of ‘the greatest generation’, the deep fissures created by civil rights movement, and the tragedy of the Vietnam War. The central characters – Nick Taylor and his wife Katherine are richly crafted and compelling figures in this multi-generational saga. What makes Last House so compellingly readable is the depth of Shattuck research all of which is so deftly woven into the story you feel as if you are living the century defining events as they are happening.
As I read it I couldn’t help feeling that at its heart this a story about the power of the American dream – and what happens when that national ethos frays at the edges. The story brings us face to face with what we see happening in America at this very moment.
This is a perfect summer read."
