The Last House on the Street

By Diane Chamberlain

Book Overview

A community's past sins rise to the surface in New York Times bestselling author Diane Chamberlain's The Last House on the Street when two women, a generation apart, find themselves bound by tragedy and an unsolved, decades-old mystery.

1965

Growing up in the well-to-do town of Round Hill, North Carolina, Ellie Hockley was raised to be a certain type of proper Southern lady. Enrolled in college and all but engaged to a bank manager, Ellie isn't as committed to her expected future as her family believes. She's chosen to spend her summer break as a volunteer helping to register black voters. But as Ellie follows her ideals fighting for the civil rights of the marginalized, her scandalized parents scorn her efforts, and her neighbors reveal their prejudices. And when she loses her heart to a fellow volunteer, Ellie discovers the frightening true nature of the people living in Round Hill.

2010

Architect Kayla Carter and her husband designed a beautiful house for themselves in Round Hill's new development, Shadow Ridge Estates. It was supposed to be a home where they could raise their three-year-old daughter and grow old together. Instead, it's the place where Kayla's husband died in an accident--a fact known to a mysterious woman who warns Kayla against moving in. The woods and lake behind the property are reputed to be haunted, and the new home has been targeted by vandals leaving threatening notes. And Kayla's neighbor Ellie Hockley is harboring long buried secrets about the dark history of the land where her house was built.

Two women. Two stories. Both on a collision course with the truth--no matter what that truth may bring to light--in Diane Chamberlain's riveting, powerful novel about the search for justice.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 125026796X
• ISBN13: 9781250267962
• Release Date: January 2022
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.0" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Story and twist, great book!

The book is realistic, romance, tragedy... just a great story.

Enthralling

Usually don’t read this type of book but heart wrenching sadness, anger, and happiness sum up the emotions I felt while reading The Last House on the Street. I’m a huge book reader and this one by far is near the top of my favorites now.

Southern gothic in my opinion

Very good historical story of Civil Rights Era and lost love. The main character is so upright I found her a bit unbelievable, but hey any strike for the better qualities of humanity is so rare anymore, I applaud it where I find it.

Historical Fiction

This a hard hitting Historical Fiction. This book is told by two timelines (1965 in Ellie's point of View and 2010 in Kayla's Point of View). This book shows how hard blacks and some whites how to fight for Civil Rights for the Blacks in the South. I grow up in the North Carolina where Southern views where, and I also felt like Ellie did lucky I was not alive during 1965. It was a hard time in our history, and I hope no one forgets it. This book is one of those books I will not forget it for a long time. The ending had a twist, but I had already figured out the twist, but I do not think that took away from me enjoying this book. I do feel that some of the 2010 parts did not need to be there. I listen to the audiobook from this book, and I think the narrator did a great job. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.