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Gone-Away Lake #1
Gone-Away Lake
Summer has a magic all its own.
When Portia sets out for a visit with her cousin Julian, she expects fun and adventure, but of the usual kind: exploring in the woods near Julian's house, collecting stones and bugs, playing games throughout the long, lazy days.
But this summer is different.
On their first day exploring, Portia and Julian discover an enormous boulder with a mysterious message, a swamp choked with reeds and quicksand, and on the far side of the swamp...a ghost town.
Once upon a time the swamp was a splendid lake, and the fallen houses along its shore an elegant resort community. But though the lake is long gone and the resort faded away, the houses still hold a secret life: two people who have never left Gone-Away...and who can tell the story of what happened there.
When Portia sets out for a visit with her cousin Julian, she expects fun and adventure, but of the usual kind: exploring in the woods near Julian's house, collecting stones and bugs, playing games throughout the long, lazy days.
But this summer is different.
On their first day exploring, Portia and Julian discover an enormous boulder with a mysterious message, a swamp choked with reeds and quicksand, and on the far side of the swamp...a ghost town.
Once upon a time the swamp was a splendid lake, and the fallen houses along its shore an elegant resort community. But though the lake is long gone and the resort faded away, the houses still hold a secret life: two people who have never left Gone-Away...and who can tell the story of what happened there.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
125 people are currently reading
6420 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Enright
37 books284 followersElizabeth Wright Enright Gillham was an American writer of children's books, an illustrator, writer of short stories for adults, literary critic and teacher of creative writing. Perhaps best known as the Newbery Medal-winning author of Thimble Summer (1938) and the Newbery runner-up Gone-Away Lake (1957), she also wrote the popular Melendy quartet (1941 to 1951). A Newbery Medal laureate and a multiple winner of the O. Henry Award, her short stories and articles for adults appeared in many popular magazines and have been reprinted in anthologies and textbooks.
In 2012 Gone-Away Lake was ranked number 42 among all-time children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal, a monthly with primarily U.S. audience. The first two Melendy books also made the Top 100, The Saturdays and The Four-Story Mistake.
In 2012 Gone-Away Lake was ranked number 42 among all-time children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal, a monthly with primarily U.S. audience. The first two Melendy books also made the Top 100, The Saturdays and The Four-Story Mistake.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 827 reviews
June 25, 2013
4.5 STARS
An utterly charming story of one splendid summer when two children discover the dilapidated remnants of once-splendid summer homes along the shore of Gone-Away Lake. Two of the homes are still inhabited by an elderly brother and sister who never quite left the turn-of-the-century lifestyle but who are timeless in their kindness and in their understanding of children. A summer of summery nature exploration and little adventures and historical discovery awaits!
I really enjoyed this story. It's the sort of quiet, reflective story you don't see too often these days. I love that it's "old-fashioned" twice over-- first for the children seeing the 1900s relics and now for modern readers seeing the 1950s as so different from today. It shocked me when I realized that more time has actually passed since the book was written than from the gilded summers of the 1900s to the time the book was written. While television and movies and my own parents make the '50s seem far less distant, I am still stuck by how different our summers are today from those the children enjoy in the story. Few children now have the freedom to explore woods and lakes on their own or turn dilapidated summer mansions into their clubhouse. This saddens me, especially as I look at my baby son and think that people haven't changed *that* much and that probably most kids would rather be in nature than playing video games if they really had the chance to explore without fear and restrictions. At least books like this provide a sense of what that might be like. It's the sort of book you need to let engulf you-- sometimes it seems a bit slow but if you nestle in it wraps around you like the memory of a summer evening and enchants you anew.
An utterly charming story of one splendid summer when two children discover the dilapidated remnants of once-splendid summer homes along the shore of Gone-Away Lake. Two of the homes are still inhabited by an elderly brother and sister who never quite left the turn-of-the-century lifestyle but who are timeless in their kindness and in their understanding of children. A summer of summery nature exploration and little adventures and historical discovery awaits!
I really enjoyed this story. It's the sort of quiet, reflective story you don't see too often these days. I love that it's "old-fashioned" twice over-- first for the children seeing the 1900s relics and now for modern readers seeing the 1950s as so different from today. It shocked me when I realized that more time has actually passed since the book was written than from the gilded summers of the 1900s to the time the book was written. While television and movies and my own parents make the '50s seem far less distant, I am still stuck by how different our summers are today from those the children enjoy in the story. Few children now have the freedom to explore woods and lakes on their own or turn dilapidated summer mansions into their clubhouse. This saddens me, especially as I look at my baby son and think that people haven't changed *that* much and that probably most kids would rather be in nature than playing video games if they really had the chance to explore without fear and restrictions. At least books like this provide a sense of what that might be like. It's the sort of book you need to let engulf you-- sometimes it seems a bit slow but if you nestle in it wraps around you like the memory of a summer evening and enchants you anew.
June 26, 2018
4.5 stars. This book was a joy to read. I'm sure I would have liked it as a kid, but I think I enjoyed it even more reading it as an adult, because so much of it reminded me of my own childhood. I was a child of simple tastes: I loved playing outdoors, being in the country, loved animals and birds, and always liked history and old-fashioned things; so Portia and Julian's adventures would have been an absolute dream to me. (Portia reminded me of myself in a lot of little ways, too, from the braces and straight brown bangs to her enjoyment of creatively naming animals.) So many little things are note-perfect, from the description of eating lunch on top of a sun-warmed boulder and discovering that it's home to a colony of ants, to the way Portia and her little brother giggle over an inconsequential inside joke. And can I say how much I loved the fact that the kids are fascinated by all the antique things they find at Gone-Away, and by listening to Mr. Payton and Mrs. Cheever's stories of their Victorian-era childhoods, instead of sniffing at it all as old-fashioned?
It's refreshing to read a children's book where the kids' parents and other adults are nice people whom they love; and which celebrates such simple pleasures as the happiness of playing outside on a perfect summer's day. I'm glad I discovered it, even as a grown-up reader.
It's refreshing to read a children's book where the kids' parents and other adults are nice people whom they love; and which celebrates such simple pleasures as the happiness of playing outside on a perfect summer's day. I'm glad I discovered it, even as a grown-up reader.
June 19, 2007
It probably says volumes about my childhood that this book, with the secret Victorian ghost town on a bogged-up lake, is one of my most treasured memories. A secret clubhouse in a falling-down mansion? License to forage among the other houses? Trunk after trunk of treasures, everything from clothes to seashells to a moosehead? Oh, yeah, I was so right there with Portia and her family.
I'm so happy they've re-issued this, and kept all the original illustrations.
I'm so happy they've re-issued this, and kept all the original illustrations.
January 10, 2009
This is my all-time favorite book. What began as a summer read after fourth grade has turned into a career, a passion and a huge part of myself. This book not only made me fall in love with Victorian houses, but also with childrens' books, art, historic preservation and any old decrepit house I happened to see! Eilizabeth Enright is one of those long-lost jewels in the library that everyone has forgotten. Her books are wonderful.
February 1, 2019
Elizabeth Enright's 1957 novel Gone-Away Lake (which won the author a Newbery Honour designation in 1958) is a gentle and charmingly engaging vacation adventure type of story, the kind I used to very much enjoy and appreciate reading as a child and tween and still if truth be told often and honestly do prefer to more contemporary adventure and mystery children's novels that seem to have madness, mayhem, family dysfunction and dystopia as their main thematics. And indeed, I have totally loved loved loved the quietness and almost caressing gentleness of Gone-Away Lake (and really do rather regret that I had never experienced this novel as a child), that sense of the magic of discovery, of intergenerational friendships which alway are depicted and described as unforced and natural, and yes, also that main protagonists (main explorers) cousins Portia and Julian are a boy and a girl and that their friendship is ALWAYS simply and beautifully about them being simpatico and kindred spirits with a love of the outdoors and exploration, with their gender never even being remotely an issue, ever (and of course that Portia and Julian are permitted and even encouraged to explore the great outdoors without fear, that even once they discover the dilapidated remnants of Tarrigo, Gone-Away Lake and reclusive residents Uncle Pindar and Aunt Minnehaha, there are never any feelings and/or considerations presented by Elizabeth Enright that Julian and Portia should not be out and about exploring, which rather unfortunately does in more contemporary children's novels of a similar type of thematics far too often seem to be the case, with there often even being danger, danger, danger everywhere).
And indeed, even the (and rather expected on my part) episode in Gone-Away Lake where Portia's younger brother Foster ends up following Julian and her (because he is jealous of them and their secrecy regarding their explorations and wants to know what they have been hiding) and ends up having to be rescued by Uncle Pin from the Gulper (from the swamp mud hole), while there is definitely and certainly a bit of presented and possible danger included in this chapter of Gone-Away Lake, even this scenario is (and which I for one also do very much appreciate) rather peacefully and unexcitedly represented, and thankfully, without much if any dramatics and/or uncalled for and harsh criticisms of either Portia/Julian or for that matter little Foster, as Elizabeth Enright simply and realistically points out that Foster was getting more than a bit annoyed that Julian and Portia were always out and about alone and also quite tight-lipped regarding what they were engaged in and that Foster was therefore a bit jealous and of course also curious and decides to follow them, to do his own bit of exploration (which does end up with him stuck in the Gulper but not with any real or lasting negative repercussions and consequences for him).
And indeed, even the (and rather expected on my part) episode in Gone-Away Lake where Portia's younger brother Foster ends up following Julian and her (because he is jealous of them and their secrecy regarding their explorations and wants to know what they have been hiding) and ends up having to be rescued by Uncle Pin from the Gulper (from the swamp mud hole), while there is definitely and certainly a bit of presented and possible danger included in this chapter of Gone-Away Lake, even this scenario is (and which I for one also do very much appreciate) rather peacefully and unexcitedly represented, and thankfully, without much if any dramatics and/or uncalled for and harsh criticisms of either Portia/Julian or for that matter little Foster, as Elizabeth Enright simply and realistically points out that Foster was getting more than a bit annoyed that Julian and Portia were always out and about alone and also quite tight-lipped regarding what they were engaged in and that Foster was therefore a bit jealous and of course also curious and decides to follow them, to do his own bit of exploration (which does end up with him stuck in the Gulper but not with any real or lasting negative repercussions and consequences for him).
October 13, 2025
Re-read October 2002.
Re-read January 2013, inspired by Melody's recent re-read. And she's right, it IS quite funny!
Re-read October 2025 as part of Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge, read first book in a YA or middle grade duology.
Re-read January 2013, inspired by Melody's recent re-read. And she's right, it IS quite funny!
Re-read October 2025 as part of Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge, read first book in a YA or middle grade duology.
July 12, 2025
2025 Review
Apparently I haven't read this since 2022? Rude. I love it so much--summer bottled up.
2022 Review
I think this remains one of my all-time favorite children's books. Yes, indeed, I do.
2019 Review
I loved this book as a child, and it's no surprise to me now that I love it just the same as an adult.
Everything about this tickled my fancy as a kid--old abandoned (but not haunted) houses, getting lost in the wilds, older folks who love children and living simple lives, a lingering sense of history. I'm beginning to think that this, A Room for Cathy, and Betsy-Tacy and Tib gave me my love for domestic architecture, home restoration (not renovation), and antiques. The adventures of Portia, Julian, Lucy, Foster, et c. are just as entrancing to me now as they were years ago, thank fortune.
I'm looking forward to getting reacquainted with Return to Gone-Away soon, too.
Apparently I haven't read this since 2022? Rude. I love it so much--summer bottled up.
2022 Review
I think this remains one of my all-time favorite children's books. Yes, indeed, I do.
2019 Review
I loved this book as a child, and it's no surprise to me now that I love it just the same as an adult.
Everything about this tickled my fancy as a kid--old abandoned (but not haunted) houses, getting lost in the wilds, older folks who love children and living simple lives, a lingering sense of history. I'm beginning to think that this, A Room for Cathy, and Betsy-Tacy and Tib gave me my love for domestic architecture, home restoration (not renovation), and antiques. The adventures of Portia, Julian, Lucy, Foster, et c. are just as entrancing to me now as they were years ago, thank fortune.
I'm looking forward to getting reacquainted with Return to Gone-Away soon, too.
March 24, 2008
Charming, sweet, and the perfect summer book; it's very pleasurable reading and just a lovely, wonderful tale of a delicious summer.
April 4, 2018
Portia Blake and her younger brother, Foster, travel to rural New York State, near Attica, to spend the summer, as they usually do, with their only-child cousin, Julian Jarman, and his parents. Julian is Portia’s special friend—knowledgeable and adventurous. This summer should prove to be especially fun since the Jarmans have moved to a new house and Julian’s dog has just had puppies. Conveniently, there’s an age-appropriate farm kid friend for Foster, so he stays out of Portia and Julian’s way for a while—long enough for them to explore the area, make a wonderful discovery, and treasure it in secrecy for a while.
The fact is: they’ve discovered a lost holiday community, built by the very wealthy in the nineteenth century. Once a collection of a dozen luxurious homes, full of paintings, fine furniture, and old-fashioned items—all looking onto a lake, the homes are now being reclaimed by nature. Over the years, roofs have caved in, vines have climbed and even smothered structures, and rodents and insects of all kinds have moved in. As for the lake? It has gone away, and is now a swamp.
The most interesting finding of all, however, is that two elderly people—and old man, Mr Pindar Payton, and his even more eccentric sister, Mrs. Minnehaha Cheever, who once knew this place in its prime, are living here. Each has a house. The children meet these two old people on their first day, and an unusual friendship begins. Eventually, Portia and Julian will make their own special place in this unusual world, where nature thrives even as the human marks on the landscape fade.
Those who have read and loved Enright’s Melendy family books will recognize many of the same winning elements here—from adventures and discoveries in the natural world to lovely, precise descriptions of flora, fauna, and the weather. In general, though, I found this a less satisfying book than the three I’ve read in the Melendy series. First of all, I greatly missed the presence of a character like Rush Melendy, with his big, brainy vocabulary, witticisms and clever comebacks. There is no one at all like Rush in Gone-Away Lake . There isn’t even a salt-of-the earth type, like the Melendys’ handyman Willy Sloper, to act as a leavening agent. The elderly Mr. Payton and Mrs Cheever seemed a tad too quaint, the story less realistic, and the sex-role stereotyping more prominent than I recall in Enright’s other books.
So, while this is a pleasant book, it is not my favourite Enright. As a result, it doesn’t get the same high marks from me, and rates only three and a half stars tops.
The fact is: they’ve discovered a lost holiday community, built by the very wealthy in the nineteenth century. Once a collection of a dozen luxurious homes, full of paintings, fine furniture, and old-fashioned items—all looking onto a lake, the homes are now being reclaimed by nature. Over the years, roofs have caved in, vines have climbed and even smothered structures, and rodents and insects of all kinds have moved in. As for the lake? It has gone away, and is now a swamp.
The most interesting finding of all, however, is that two elderly people—and old man, Mr Pindar Payton, and his even more eccentric sister, Mrs. Minnehaha Cheever, who once knew this place in its prime, are living here. Each has a house. The children meet these two old people on their first day, and an unusual friendship begins. Eventually, Portia and Julian will make their own special place in this unusual world, where nature thrives even as the human marks on the landscape fade.
Those who have read and loved Enright’s Melendy family books will recognize many of the same winning elements here—from adventures and discoveries in the natural world to lovely, precise descriptions of flora, fauna, and the weather. In general, though, I found this a less satisfying book than the three I’ve read in the Melendy series. First of all, I greatly missed the presence of a character like Rush Melendy, with his big, brainy vocabulary, witticisms and clever comebacks. There is no one at all like Rush in Gone-Away Lake . There isn’t even a salt-of-the earth type, like the Melendys’ handyman Willy Sloper, to act as a leavening agent. The elderly Mr. Payton and Mrs Cheever seemed a tad too quaint, the story less realistic, and the sex-role stereotyping more prominent than I recall in Enright’s other books.
So, while this is a pleasant book, it is not my favourite Enright. As a result, it doesn’t get the same high marks from me, and rates only three and a half stars tops.
February 14, 2020
'"What have you got in your mouth?"
"Tooth braces."
"Holy cat! When you smile, it looks just like the front of a Buick!"
Now probably if a brother had said that, she would have been mad, Portia thought. But he didn't say it the way a brother would have; he said it politely and she agreed with him.'
I can't say enough about this book! This is one of Enright's best. Cute, witty, hilarious, and some good ol' fashioned kids. This story consists of everything found in a child's summer vacation dream. It's a read-again, for sure!
Ages 7-12
Cleanliness:
Children's Bad Words
Mild Obscenities & Substitutions - 20 Incidents: shut up, heck, doggone, Great Scott, what the deuce, oh nuts, by George, By Jupiter, by Jove (used several times throughout the book).
Name Calling - 3 Incidents: chicken, rascals
Religious Profanities - 38 Incidents: my goodness, holy cat, Pete's sake, gosh, my heavens, goodness, gee, golly, for heaven's sake, my soul, blessed if I know, my word, saints above, gracious
Religious & Supernatural - 3 Incidents: A girl recalls playing pretend and being an enchanted princess and almost believing in magic. Two girls find out their birthdays are a week apart. “That means that we have the same sign of the zodiac … Libra .. and the same birthstone … Opal.” A few kids think a house might be haunted with ghosts.(There are none).
Romance Related - 3 Incidents: A husband kisses his wife. Mentions corsets. Mentions the “feeble sex.”
Illustrations - 1 Incident: a nude female statue - has a cloth wrapped around her but can see buttocks.
Attitudes/Disobedience - 4 Incidents: Two boys get excluded/picked on and a father helps them play a trick to teach them a lesson. The boys makeup and are friends again. A girl is given a doll and is ungrateful. A younger brother asks where his sister and cousin are always running off too. They don’t really want him tagging along so try to brush him off. Later, they feel really guilty and let him join in. Mentions a girl swearing (not a main character).
Conversation Topics - 9 Incidents: Mentions a witch in the lyrics of a rhyme. Mentions beer money.
Mentions prehistoric days. An old man smokes a pipe. Mentions his tobacco. Mentions snuff. A boy sees somebody and thinks “that Santa Claus, or maybe even God, had come to rescue him in person.” Mentions champagne and wine. People take off boards barring a door and enter an abandoned home. The question about trespassing is brought up. Mentions Mme. Vavasour’s Gypsy-Witch Fortune Teller.
Parent Takeaway
A delightful story that holds old time charm. While the children might not always do things right the first time, they repent and learn by them.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! You’ll see my updates as I’m reading and know which books I’m liking and what I’m not finishing and why. You’ll also be able to utilize my library for looking up titles to see whether the book you’re thinking about reading next has any objectionable content or not. From swear words, to romance, to bad attitudes (in children’s books), I cover it all!
"Tooth braces."
"Holy cat! When you smile, it looks just like the front of a Buick!"
Now probably if a brother had said that, she would have been mad, Portia thought. But he didn't say it the way a brother would have; he said it politely and she agreed with him.'
I can't say enough about this book! This is one of Enright's best. Cute, witty, hilarious, and some good ol' fashioned kids. This story consists of everything found in a child's summer vacation dream. It's a read-again, for sure!
Ages 7-12
Cleanliness:
Children's Bad Words
Mild Obscenities & Substitutions - 20 Incidents: shut up, heck, doggone, Great Scott, what the deuce, oh nuts, by George, By Jupiter, by Jove (used several times throughout the book).
Name Calling - 3 Incidents: chicken, rascals
Religious Profanities - 38 Incidents: my goodness, holy cat, Pete's sake, gosh, my heavens, goodness, gee, golly, for heaven's sake, my soul, blessed if I know, my word, saints above, gracious
Religious & Supernatural - 3 Incidents: A girl recalls playing pretend and being an enchanted princess and almost believing in magic. Two girls find out their birthdays are a week apart. “That means that we have the same sign of the zodiac … Libra .. and the same birthstone … Opal.” A few kids think a house might be haunted with ghosts.(There are none).
Romance Related - 3 Incidents: A husband kisses his wife. Mentions corsets. Mentions the “feeble sex.”
Illustrations - 1 Incident: a nude female statue - has a cloth wrapped around her but can see buttocks.
Attitudes/Disobedience - 4 Incidents: Two boys get excluded/picked on and a father helps them play a trick to teach them a lesson. The boys makeup and are friends again. A girl is given a doll and is ungrateful. A younger brother asks where his sister and cousin are always running off too. They don’t really want him tagging along so try to brush him off. Later, they feel really guilty and let him join in. Mentions a girl swearing (not a main character).
Conversation Topics - 9 Incidents: Mentions a witch in the lyrics of a rhyme. Mentions beer money.
Mentions prehistoric days. An old man smokes a pipe. Mentions his tobacco. Mentions snuff. A boy sees somebody and thinks “that Santa Claus, or maybe even God, had come to rescue him in person.” Mentions champagne and wine. People take off boards barring a door and enter an abandoned home. The question about trespassing is brought up. Mentions Mme. Vavasour’s Gypsy-Witch Fortune Teller.
Parent Takeaway
A delightful story that holds old time charm. While the children might not always do things right the first time, they repent and learn by them.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! You’ll see my updates as I’m reading and know which books I’m liking and what I’m not finishing and why. You’ll also be able to utilize my library for looking up titles to see whether the book you’re thinking about reading next has any objectionable content or not. From swear words, to romance, to bad attitudes (in children’s books), I cover it all!
January 13, 2024
5 stars. When I first began this book I was a little disappointed, for it didn’t start out quite as good as the Melendy Series. But I quickly learned to love it. Enright still includes amazing, understanding parents/gardians; many shrewd, realistic remarks on life and certain things like old furniture; wonderful friendships/relationships; and excellent humour. The whole story of Gone-Away Lake is just so cool, and I love Mr. Pindar and Mrs. Chester! The characters were all very vivid and living, and the whole storyline was sweet and whimsical and unusual—Enright’s lovable style. I am quite excited to read the sequel!
Content: Some mild language (euphemisms) and a negative attitude towards dresses.
A Favourite Quote: “If you could just hold onto it,” said Portia[.]
“Onto what? The weather?” …
“The weather, partly, but mostly the time. June like this, and everything starting to be. Summer starting to be. Everything is just exactly RIGHT.”
“But if it were this way every day, all the time, we’d get used to it too. We’d TOUGHEN to it,” said Aunt Hilda. “People do. It’s just because it doesn’t and can’t last that a day like this is so wonderful.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “Ladies and gentlemen,” he began. “Also goats, dog, cat, duck, chickens, crickets, hornets, frogs, snakes, birds of the air, and anybody else within earshot—”
“You forgot mosquitoes,” Foster said.
“Yes. Thank you. Also mosquitoes, caterpillars, turtles, sleeping bats, and the skunk that lives under the Humboldt house, and anybody ELSE within earshot, it is now my solemn duty to christen this bridge—” He lowered the bottle. “Julian, what … are we naming this bridge?”
Nobody had thought of that,. There was a pause.
“Why don’t you just call it the Gulper Bridge?” suggested Foster logically.
Content: Some mild language (euphemisms) and a negative attitude towards dresses.
A Favourite Quote: “If you could just hold onto it,” said Portia[.]
“Onto what? The weather?” …
“The weather, partly, but mostly the time. June like this, and everything starting to be. Summer starting to be. Everything is just exactly RIGHT.”
“But if it were this way every day, all the time, we’d get used to it too. We’d TOUGHEN to it,” said Aunt Hilda. “People do. It’s just because it doesn’t and can’t last that a day like this is so wonderful.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “Ladies and gentlemen,” he began. “Also goats, dog, cat, duck, chickens, crickets, hornets, frogs, snakes, birds of the air, and anybody else within earshot—”
“You forgot mosquitoes,” Foster said.
“Yes. Thank you. Also mosquitoes, caterpillars, turtles, sleeping bats, and the skunk that lives under the Humboldt house, and anybody ELSE within earshot, it is now my solemn duty to christen this bridge—” He lowered the bottle. “Julian, what … are we naming this bridge?”
Nobody had thought of that,. There was a pause.
“Why don’t you just call it the Gulper Bridge?” suggested Foster logically.
Read
July 24, 2018Struggling to get into this one which was a huge surprise and disappointment after enjoying the Melendy books so much. Will give it a break and come back to this.
June 25, 2013
In this book, published in 1957, Portia and her cousin Julian, exploring the woods near Julian's new house, discover Gone-Away Lake, which is actually a vast swamp. They learn it used to be a lake called Tarrigo and a summer resort community in the 1890s. When the lake drained away, the row of Victorian houses fell derelict. Portia and Julian meet an elderly brother and sister who spent their childhood summers by the lake, and in old age have moved back to lead simple reclusive lives in the falling apart houses. The tone of the book is a curious and beguiling mixture of enjoyment of the present and wistful remembrance of the past.
I can tell that it's been a long time since I last read it, because as I did so, all kinds of questions came into my mind that never had before: could a lake drain as Tarrigo did, without anyone ever really knowing why? Did Enright base it on a real place? Would it be possible, even in 1957, for two people to live off the grid as comfortably as Aunt Minniehaha and Uncle Pin do? Isn't Aunt Minniehaha awfully nice and chatty and sociable for a recluse who hasn't seen anyone except her brother for, how long, 15 years? How likely is it that one of the houses, deeper in the woods, was so securely boarded up that vandals and scavengers were completely thwarted for 50 years? Wouldn't Portia and Julian's parents, on meeting and taking to the Gone-Away residents, have been full of concerns for the health and safety of two elderly people living in such secluded haphazard circumstances? In terms of this last question, perhaps the lack of the raising of such issues is something that distinguishes a children's book from 1957 from what would be published today. There is a brief, very brief, hint of this worry once, when in quiet moment Julian voices to Portia the wish that Aunt Minniehaha and Uncle Pin were not so old. Anyway, to my mind, none of these questions really detract from the book -- possibly because I accepted it all as given as a child, possibly because they gave my adult mind something to chew on as I read it aloud.
Another reason I know I haven't read the book in a while is because for most of my life, I have thought of September as a season of spiderwebs, and indeed, have always noticed more of them in that month (because I was watching for them, or because it's true?), and never consciously connected that with this book, but here there was a whole long passage about spiders and September. Aha. Enright does nature so well. As a child I read the book for the story, now I love it for how all the sights and sounds of the swamp are so real and vivid (the mosquitoes too -- I don't think I would have been able to cope with them).
I would give the book 5 stars, but I can't quite because the author's Melendy books are actually a little better, so I have to leave a margin. My only real issue with this book is that Julian and Portia are not quite three-dimensional and alive in the way that the Melendys are. I think the real main character of the book is Gone-Away itself. The pictures, by Joe and Beth Krush, play a big part in this. The carefully detailed houses are so amazingly elaborate and so utterly ramshackle. Beautiful and sad at the same time, but if you're a kid, just "neat."
Another thought that came to my mind on this reading is that what if the same scenario played out in the present day. If some kids were exploring a house that had been completely untouched and undisturbed since, say 1955 (perhaps some ranch-style house), would it seem as magical and wonderful as exploring the Villa Caprice does to the children in this book? I rather doubt it. Probably that says something about the first 50 years of the 20th century -- I suspect that there was more change in those years than in any comparably short a space of time in history.
Here's the short version of my review:
A childhood favorite + a good long time since I last reread it + reading it aloud to my son + who loved it + just plain gorgeous writing = reading Gold.
I can tell that it's been a long time since I last read it, because as I did so, all kinds of questions came into my mind that never had before: could a lake drain as Tarrigo did, without anyone ever really knowing why? Did Enright base it on a real place? Would it be possible, even in 1957, for two people to live off the grid as comfortably as Aunt Minniehaha and Uncle Pin do? Isn't Aunt Minniehaha awfully nice and chatty and sociable for a recluse who hasn't seen anyone except her brother for, how long, 15 years? How likely is it that one of the houses, deeper in the woods, was so securely boarded up that vandals and scavengers were completely thwarted for 50 years? Wouldn't Portia and Julian's parents, on meeting and taking to the Gone-Away residents, have been full of concerns for the health and safety of two elderly people living in such secluded haphazard circumstances? In terms of this last question, perhaps the lack of the raising of such issues is something that distinguishes a children's book from 1957 from what would be published today. There is a brief, very brief, hint of this worry once, when in quiet moment Julian voices to Portia the wish that Aunt Minniehaha and Uncle Pin were not so old. Anyway, to my mind, none of these questions really detract from the book -- possibly because I accepted it all as given as a child, possibly because they gave my adult mind something to chew on as I read it aloud.
Another reason I know I haven't read the book in a while is because for most of my life, I have thought of September as a season of spiderwebs, and indeed, have always noticed more of them in that month (because I was watching for them, or because it's true?), and never consciously connected that with this book, but here there was a whole long passage about spiders and September. Aha. Enright does nature so well. As a child I read the book for the story, now I love it for how all the sights and sounds of the swamp are so real and vivid (the mosquitoes too -- I don't think I would have been able to cope with them).
I would give the book 5 stars, but I can't quite because the author's Melendy books are actually a little better, so I have to leave a margin. My only real issue with this book is that Julian and Portia are not quite three-dimensional and alive in the way that the Melendys are. I think the real main character of the book is Gone-Away itself. The pictures, by Joe and Beth Krush, play a big part in this. The carefully detailed houses are so amazingly elaborate and so utterly ramshackle. Beautiful and sad at the same time, but if you're a kid, just "neat."
Another thought that came to my mind on this reading is that what if the same scenario played out in the present day. If some kids were exploring a house that had been completely untouched and undisturbed since, say 1955 (perhaps some ranch-style house), would it seem as magical and wonderful as exploring the Villa Caprice does to the children in this book? I rather doubt it. Probably that says something about the first 50 years of the 20th century -- I suspect that there was more change in those years than in any comparably short a space of time in history.
Here's the short version of my review:
A childhood favorite + a good long time since I last reread it + reading it aloud to my son + who loved it + just plain gorgeous writing = reading Gold.
July 5, 2013
I loved this book from the start, but it took me a few chapters to realize what type of a book it would be, and where the plot was heading.
Gone-Away Lake is about two cousins (Portia and Julian) who discover a long-lost town while adventuring in the woods one day. The town used to be filled with beautiful houses and mansions that surrounded a gorgeous lake. But, when the lake dried up, the town lost its luster and was soon forgotten.
Or was it?
While a good bit of the fun of this tale is the exploration of these old houses and the land around them, I equally enjoyed the chapters with the elderly brother and sister (Mrs. Cheever and Mr. Payton) who the cousins happen upon that still live at Gone-Away Lake.
Part children's adventures & friendships, and part reflections by the Mrs. Cheever and Mr. Payton about Gone-Away Lake in its prime, I loved the simple (though not simplistic) style and approach to this story. It's not a page-turner in the typical sense of the word, but rather a pleasant stroll along with lovely characters and delightful reminiscing.
I thought Enright did a fantastic job representing children's joys and fears as well as how children relate to each other, their family, and their friends (even if those friends sometimes disagree).
While I did feel a few chapters were a bit slow, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and would recommended it to anyone wanting a well-written glimpse into the fifties (the era of the children) or the early 1900s (the reflections from the now elderly siblings). And I was happy to read a nice middle grade book that wasn't dark or scary, but that still had important messages delightfully woven throughout. Definitely a good summer read!
Gone-Away Lake is about two cousins (Portia and Julian) who discover a long-lost town while adventuring in the woods one day. The town used to be filled with beautiful houses and mansions that surrounded a gorgeous lake. But, when the lake dried up, the town lost its luster and was soon forgotten.
Or was it?
While a good bit of the fun of this tale is the exploration of these old houses and the land around them, I equally enjoyed the chapters with the elderly brother and sister (Mrs. Cheever and Mr. Payton) who the cousins happen upon that still live at Gone-Away Lake.
Part children's adventures & friendships, and part reflections by the Mrs. Cheever and Mr. Payton about Gone-Away Lake in its prime, I loved the simple (though not simplistic) style and approach to this story. It's not a page-turner in the typical sense of the word, but rather a pleasant stroll along with lovely characters and delightful reminiscing.
I thought Enright did a fantastic job representing children's joys and fears as well as how children relate to each other, their family, and their friends (even if those friends sometimes disagree).
While I did feel a few chapters were a bit slow, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and would recommended it to anyone wanting a well-written glimpse into the fifties (the era of the children) or the early 1900s (the reflections from the now elderly siblings). And I was happy to read a nice middle grade book that wasn't dark or scary, but that still had important messages delightfully woven throughout. Definitely a good summer read!
March 4, 2015
This feels like an extended meditation on summer, and vacations, and being young. Portia and her younger brother Foster always go to stay with their aunt and uncle and cousin Julian for three months in the summer. This year, Portia and Julian’s wanderings bring them to a lost holiday “colony” of houses that were once lovely homes along a lake shore, but when the lake dried up, everyone moved away. Now the only ones still there are an elderly brother and sister who grew up there as children and returned to settle into old age. Portia and Julian befriend them, and the settlement at Gone-Away Lake becomes a giant playhouse and park and wilderness preserve all in one.
Honestly, it’s just an incredibly placid novel (I don’t mean this in a bad way). I kept waiting for something to happen--not in the sense of being bored, just that I couldn’t believe their idyll could remain undisturbed. For example: Portia thinks a lot about Julian and how great he is on the train ride there, and I really thought it was leading up to him having changed and being "grown-up" and boring, but no, he's exactly as she remembers him. It’s a little like Swallows and Amazons, but less exciting and with more grownups.
I was a little frustrated with the children’s timidity, particularly the girls’, but it was written in 1957 and maybe that’s just how kids were back then (or, more accurately, that’s what adults thought kids were like back then, since Swallows and Amazons is about twenty years older and I think no one would call the Blackett girls timid). But the fun of exploring these closed-off houses, of setting up a clubhouse in the attic of one, of finally discovering the mysterious Villa Caprice--it made me wish, a little, that I could be that age again and have that opportunity.
Honestly, it’s just an incredibly placid novel (I don’t mean this in a bad way). I kept waiting for something to happen--not in the sense of being bored, just that I couldn’t believe their idyll could remain undisturbed. For example: Portia thinks a lot about Julian and how great he is on the train ride there, and I really thought it was leading up to him having changed and being "grown-up" and boring, but no, he's exactly as she remembers him. It’s a little like Swallows and Amazons, but less exciting and with more grownups.
I was a little frustrated with the children’s timidity, particularly the girls’, but it was written in 1957 and maybe that’s just how kids were back then (or, more accurately, that’s what adults thought kids were like back then, since Swallows and Amazons is about twenty years older and I think no one would call the Blackett girls timid). But the fun of exploring these closed-off houses, of setting up a clubhouse in the attic of one, of finally discovering the mysterious Villa Caprice--it made me wish, a little, that I could be that age again and have that opportunity.
March 29, 2022
4.5 stars. Delightful story that celebrates a good old-fashioned summer adventure in nature with a cast of entertaining characters. I enjoyed it as an adult just as much I would have enjoyed it as a kid. Partly what made it so delightful and magical was Enright's vivid writing.
March 24, 2020
I'm not sure how I missed this sweet children's adventure story, but I'm glad I happened across it by chance on my library's digital site! This is such a fun story!
Gone Away Lake was first published in 1957. Apparently it was out of print for awhile, but has been re-released. I listened to the audio book version. Narrated by Colleen Delany, the audio is just over 5.5 hours long....a good listening length for kids and adults! I enjoyed this story on my commute to work.
Portia is 11 and her little brother Foster is 6. Their parents are going to Europe for an extended stay, so they get to travel alone by train for their annual visit with their cousin, Julian. The trip is exciting and the kids have all sorts of adventures. The best part -- they discover an old summer resort, long abandoned after the lake area turned into a swamp. An elderly brother and sister still reside in one of the houses and happily tell the children the story of the former resort on what they now call Gone-Away Lake.
This is definitely a tale from an era gone by....times when middle class families could have summer homes and kids spent a month in summer away from it all....an era where parents would let their kids travel by train alone. The three kids have excellent adventures in the woods....experience a little bit of danger....meet new friends....and learn some lessons along the way. Fun story!
I was so happy to learn that there is a second book -- Return to Gone Away! I felt the ending of this story was a little abrupt. I wanted to know what happened next! I guess I'm not the only one, as Elizabeth Enright published the second book in 1961.
This story is a little bit dated, but that didn't hamper my enjoyment one little bit. The story is sweet and fun! Very entertaining. The tale is age appropriate for middle grade students, but entertaining for adults, too.
I'm glad the story continues! I have the second audio book checked out of my local library and ready to go. This is the first book by Elizabeth Enright that I have read. She wrote many books for children. I'm definitely going to read more of her books! I love it when I chance upon a new-to-me author that I really enjoy!
Gone Away Lake was first published in 1957. Apparently it was out of print for awhile, but has been re-released. I listened to the audio book version. Narrated by Colleen Delany, the audio is just over 5.5 hours long....a good listening length for kids and adults! I enjoyed this story on my commute to work.
Portia is 11 and her little brother Foster is 6. Their parents are going to Europe for an extended stay, so they get to travel alone by train for their annual visit with their cousin, Julian. The trip is exciting and the kids have all sorts of adventures. The best part -- they discover an old summer resort, long abandoned after the lake area turned into a swamp. An elderly brother and sister still reside in one of the houses and happily tell the children the story of the former resort on what they now call Gone-Away Lake.
This is definitely a tale from an era gone by....times when middle class families could have summer homes and kids spent a month in summer away from it all....an era where parents would let their kids travel by train alone. The three kids have excellent adventures in the woods....experience a little bit of danger....meet new friends....and learn some lessons along the way. Fun story!
I was so happy to learn that there is a second book -- Return to Gone Away! I felt the ending of this story was a little abrupt. I wanted to know what happened next! I guess I'm not the only one, as Elizabeth Enright published the second book in 1961.
This story is a little bit dated, but that didn't hamper my enjoyment one little bit. The story is sweet and fun! Very entertaining. The tale is age appropriate for middle grade students, but entertaining for adults, too.
I'm glad the story continues! I have the second audio book checked out of my local library and ready to go. This is the first book by Elizabeth Enright that I have read. She wrote many books for children. I'm definitely going to read more of her books! I love it when I chance upon a new-to-me author that I really enjoy!
December 30, 2009
First re-read of this in probably a decade. I remembered loving it, and I remembered lots besides, but I did not remember it being howlingly funny. Which it is.
Coming to this straight from a re-read of Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy books, I find myself unsurprised that I grew up with a deep and abiding love for the written word. As a kid, I was reading some fine, fine writers all unaware. A pause, then, for a moment of gratitude to Mrs. Borski the iron-grey librarian who steered my little canoe so wisely and well...
So, Gone-Away Lake. Not a lake any more, but a swampy, boggy ruin inhabited by two of the most delightful old persons ever. The story is set in the late fifties, but so many flashbacks and time capsules that it transcends dating and becomes something more. Everyone should read this. If you've already read it, you should read it again.
Some of the lines that made me laugh aloud:
"Julian always said that Foster's two main interests were Outer Space and inner pie."
"First thing we'd do when we got to [the rock:] was climb up on it and eat whatever we'd swiped from the pantry or wheedled out of the cook. In those days we ate steadily, like cattle, and everything agreed with us."
"Rain affects small boys like strong coffee, or adrenalin, or snuff. Never saw it fail. Turns them into howling wildernesses."
"He was a tall boy with curly brown hair; he was going to be very handsome, but he didn't know it yet. Neither did anybody else."
Coming to this straight from a re-read of Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy books, I find myself unsurprised that I grew up with a deep and abiding love for the written word. As a kid, I was reading some fine, fine writers all unaware. A pause, then, for a moment of gratitude to Mrs. Borski the iron-grey librarian who steered my little canoe so wisely and well...
So, Gone-Away Lake. Not a lake any more, but a swampy, boggy ruin inhabited by two of the most delightful old persons ever. The story is set in the late fifties, but so many flashbacks and time capsules that it transcends dating and becomes something more. Everyone should read this. If you've already read it, you should read it again.
Some of the lines that made me laugh aloud:
"Julian always said that Foster's two main interests were Outer Space and inner pie."
"First thing we'd do when we got to [the rock:] was climb up on it and eat whatever we'd swiped from the pantry or wheedled out of the cook. In those days we ate steadily, like cattle, and everything agreed with us."
"Rain affects small boys like strong coffee, or adrenalin, or snuff. Never saw it fail. Turns them into howling wildernesses."
"He was a tall boy with curly brown hair; he was going to be very handsome, but he didn't know it yet. Neither did anybody else."
October 8, 2014
09/14 Not much to add, aside from wondering how many phenomenal writers are also just as obscure as Enright. The world's not fair. And I find it interesting that it's been a year and a day since I last listened to this.
09/13 Howling wildernessess! Tarquin et Pindar! Inner pie! How do I love this book? Let me count the ways. Having it on audio to listen to while I fall asleep is so splendid I can't begin to say. Being far from home, waking in the deeps of the night, and instead of being disoriented, finding oneself on Craney Crow- well, the comfort is inexpressible.
12/12 Revisited this all-time favorite on audio during a road trip. I was stunned to learn that even though I reread it often, and I've read it countless times to my son, my husband had never heard of it. He loved it- to no one's surprise. What's not to love? It's hilarious, it's poignant, it's got howling wildernesses, outer space and inner pie. It's got The Gulper. So well-written, so evocative.
09/13 Howling wildernessess! Tarquin et Pindar! Inner pie! How do I love this book? Let me count the ways. Having it on audio to listen to while I fall asleep is so splendid I can't begin to say. Being far from home, waking in the deeps of the night, and instead of being disoriented, finding oneself on Craney Crow- well, the comfort is inexpressible.
12/12 Revisited this all-time favorite on audio during a road trip. I was stunned to learn that even though I reread it often, and I've read it countless times to my son, my husband had never heard of it. He loved it- to no one's surprise. What's not to love? It's hilarious, it's poignant, it's got howling wildernesses, outer space and inner pie. It's got The Gulper. So well-written, so evocative.
February 6, 2016
Enchanting and delightful! I was totally caught up in these youngsters adventures at Gone-Away Lake. The older couple, Pindar and his sister Minnehaha, were a wonder for their age and how they lived so independently, almost reclusive. As a child who hasn't imagined living in an abandoned house, gathering your own furnishings, and playing unsupervised?! The relationships between siblings and cousins, young folks and old folks, city versus country in a simpler time made the book an absolute pleasure to read!
June 1, 2021
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
Portia is excited to spend the summer with her cousin, Julian, but she never expects that they will discover an abandoned lakeside community, or that they will make friends with a pair of elderly siblings who still inhabit two of the rundown houses. At Gone-Away Lake, as their friends Aunt Minnehaha and Uncle Pindar call it, Portia and Julian discover life as it was 50 years ago, while having their own summer of modern-day adventures they will never forget.
In this book, as in The Saturdays, Elizabeth Enright celebrates childhood independence. Whereas the Melendy kids explore New York City unsupervised, with just their allowance to pay their way, Portia and Julian are given free rein in the country, where they can enjoy the secret of a forgotten village, and make new friends without sharing them with their parents or with Portia's little brother, Foster. Especially interesting about this story are the connections Portia and Julian feel to Minnehaha and Pindar as children. They never tire of hearing about their friends' fights, friendships, and adventures, and they engage with those stories so fully that they are inspired to create a club of their own in the hopes of recapturing some of that fun and excitement.
Some things about this book bothered me. I couldn't quite buy into the notion that an entire group of fairly wealthy families would abandon not just their homes, but all the contents of those homes, and never return for them. I thought this might be explained at some point, but it never was, and I was distracted by the feeling that there should have been some big reveal of the "truth" about Gone-Away. I also couldn't help but feel that Minnehaha and Pindar were living like Miss Havisham - waiting for the return of a day that would never be again. Perhaps this was intentional, as I think Portia and Julian breathe some fresh air into the lives of the two older people. Still, I wanted the characters in the story to feel disturbed as I did, and instead they were almost too accepting of the whole strange scenario.
That said, this is a well-written book full of interesting situations, well-described characters and settings, and everything a child wants in a summer story. I am not surprised that it was a Newbery Honor book in 1958, and I think, of the Newberys I've read, it's one of the older ones that still holds up well enough for contemporary audiences. It is similar in some ways to Miracles on Maple Hill - both books are even illustrated by the same artists, Joe and Beth Krush - and I think it also compares well to the Swallows and Amazons books, A Lemon and a Star, and The Railway Children. There is also a sequel, Return to Gone-Away, published in 1961.
Portia is excited to spend the summer with her cousin, Julian, but she never expects that they will discover an abandoned lakeside community, or that they will make friends with a pair of elderly siblings who still inhabit two of the rundown houses. At Gone-Away Lake, as their friends Aunt Minnehaha and Uncle Pindar call it, Portia and Julian discover life as it was 50 years ago, while having their own summer of modern-day adventures they will never forget.
In this book, as in The Saturdays, Elizabeth Enright celebrates childhood independence. Whereas the Melendy kids explore New York City unsupervised, with just their allowance to pay their way, Portia and Julian are given free rein in the country, where they can enjoy the secret of a forgotten village, and make new friends without sharing them with their parents or with Portia's little brother, Foster. Especially interesting about this story are the connections Portia and Julian feel to Minnehaha and Pindar as children. They never tire of hearing about their friends' fights, friendships, and adventures, and they engage with those stories so fully that they are inspired to create a club of their own in the hopes of recapturing some of that fun and excitement.
Some things about this book bothered me. I couldn't quite buy into the notion that an entire group of fairly wealthy families would abandon not just their homes, but all the contents of those homes, and never return for them. I thought this might be explained at some point, but it never was, and I was distracted by the feeling that there should have been some big reveal of the "truth" about Gone-Away. I also couldn't help but feel that Minnehaha and Pindar were living like Miss Havisham - waiting for the return of a day that would never be again. Perhaps this was intentional, as I think Portia and Julian breathe some fresh air into the lives of the two older people. Still, I wanted the characters in the story to feel disturbed as I did, and instead they were almost too accepting of the whole strange scenario.
That said, this is a well-written book full of interesting situations, well-described characters and settings, and everything a child wants in a summer story. I am not surprised that it was a Newbery Honor book in 1958, and I think, of the Newberys I've read, it's one of the older ones that still holds up well enough for contemporary audiences. It is similar in some ways to Miracles on Maple Hill - both books are even illustrated by the same artists, Joe and Beth Krush - and I think it also compares well to the Swallows and Amazons books, A Lemon and a Star, and The Railway Children. There is also a sequel, Return to Gone-Away, published in 1961.
September 13, 2018
I really didn't remember a ton of this book while I read it, which surprised me. Usually books that I read multiple times as a kid still feel very familiar. And certain scenes did come back to me as I read, but not the book as a whole. However, I realized while reading it that this book is a HUGE part of why I am somewhat obsessed with abandoned places. And why I generally find abandoned buildings beautiful and inspiring, not creepy. I do vividly recall wishing as a child that there was an abandoned house somewhere near where I lived that was sound enough still for me to clean up and take over as my own clubhouse like Portia and Julian get to do in this book. I still wish that. I love old, neglected houses in a "let me rescue it and give it love" sort of way, and I see now that this book certainly fed into that, though I can't tell if it caused that interest.
Anyway, this book is about two cousins, Portia and Julian, who go tramping around in the woods and stumble on an abandoned cluster of summer homes. But they're not entirely abandoned -- two delightful elderly people still live there. Julian and Portia befriend them, and they have a jolly summer together. I love it.
Anyway, this book is about two cousins, Portia and Julian, who go tramping around in the woods and stumble on an abandoned cluster of summer homes. But they're not entirely abandoned -- two delightful elderly people still live there. Julian and Portia befriend them, and they have a jolly summer together. I love it.
January 18, 2019
Loved the art, of course, by the Krushes. The concept of going exploring and meeting interesting old people and exploring old mansions is interesting. But it didn't engage me when I was young, nor now. There's no growth, no mystery, nothing for the reader to discover... we just watch the characters do it all. Imo.
August 13, 2024
I originally read this when I was about 13, and the book and Villa Caprice have always stayed with me. Glad to see that the book held up, albeit with a few dated references and ideas. Highly recommend.
June 23, 2023
Very good story. Nicely detailed inner illustrations. I like the original cover art of the 2 book series better than the new.
July 12, 2012
Note: The following was written as a book talk for a grade 3-6 audience. I hope the description will still be relevant to adult readers.
Does this plot sound familiar? A group of children travel to the countryside on a train. They stay in a grand old house where they find a magic wardrobe that transports them to a new world. This probably rings a bell. Well, Gone Away Lake shares many of the elements of that story, except that the magic these characters encounter is part of their own world, and entirely real.
This book begins, as you might have guessed, with a train ride. Portia and her younger brother Foster are on their way to stay with their aunt, uncle, and cousin in the country. While exploring outside, Portia and Julian, the cousin, come upon a ghost town. Where there had once been a beautiful lake, a village of summer cottages grew. (Except that in this book when they say cottages, they mean gigantic Victorian mansions.) But when the lake dried into a swamp, all the residents moved away, leaving their grand homes to be overtaken by blackberry bushes and vines. Except that not all the residents left. The story really gets interesting when Portia and Julian meet two elderly residents of the ghost town, still living there alone. Through their friendship with this elderly pair, Julian and Portia are able to explore both the old houses themselves and their strange history.
This book might sounds slow (No magic wardrobe? No talking lions?) but the characters and setting really grab you. My favorite scene takes place when Portia and Julian take over the attic of one of the abandoned houses and make it their clubhouse. They clean it up, decorate it with the treasures they find around the houses, and make it their own secret place. This reminded me of how desperately I wanted a secret place like this when I was young. Who hasn’t wanted a spot like that? Well, by reading this book, you get to visit it along with the main characters.
To find out what happens to the characters, and to the ghost town of Gone Away Lake, you need to read not only this book, but also its sequel, Return to Gone Away. This book is a great reminder that you don’t have to board a train to Narnia or Hogwarts to have an adventure. There are plenty of adventures to be had closer to home.
Does this plot sound familiar? A group of children travel to the countryside on a train. They stay in a grand old house where they find a magic wardrobe that transports them to a new world. This probably rings a bell. Well, Gone Away Lake shares many of the elements of that story, except that the magic these characters encounter is part of their own world, and entirely real.
This book begins, as you might have guessed, with a train ride. Portia and her younger brother Foster are on their way to stay with their aunt, uncle, and cousin in the country. While exploring outside, Portia and Julian, the cousin, come upon a ghost town. Where there had once been a beautiful lake, a village of summer cottages grew. (Except that in this book when they say cottages, they mean gigantic Victorian mansions.) But when the lake dried into a swamp, all the residents moved away, leaving their grand homes to be overtaken by blackberry bushes and vines. Except that not all the residents left. The story really gets interesting when Portia and Julian meet two elderly residents of the ghost town, still living there alone. Through their friendship with this elderly pair, Julian and Portia are able to explore both the old houses themselves and their strange history.
This book might sounds slow (No magic wardrobe? No talking lions?) but the characters and setting really grab you. My favorite scene takes place when Portia and Julian take over the attic of one of the abandoned houses and make it their clubhouse. They clean it up, decorate it with the treasures they find around the houses, and make it their own secret place. This reminded me of how desperately I wanted a secret place like this when I was young. Who hasn’t wanted a spot like that? Well, by reading this book, you get to visit it along with the main characters.
To find out what happens to the characters, and to the ghost town of Gone Away Lake, you need to read not only this book, but also its sequel, Return to Gone Away. This book is a great reminder that you don’t have to board a train to Narnia or Hogwarts to have an adventure. There are plenty of adventures to be had closer to home.
October 21, 2025
4 ★ — (really liked it)
"quote"
{Reviewed 2/20/24} °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°
I liked this every bit as much as the first time I read it! AND SOMEHOW DIDN'T REALIZE THEY WERE VICTORIAN HOUSES??!! I did not recall that but I read this before my obsession started XD Min and Pin are dears and I loved the descriptions of Gone-Away. A lovely story! (only reason I'm not rating it a 4.5 stars is because I don't care much for the the children except maybe the Blakes lol, the adults are amazing though)
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
Recommended for readers who love: history, old folks, summer misadventures, pretend play. Similar to The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright. Set in 1950s?? New York. Feels most like-summer-in which the story takes place 🫧
***Content Warnings, or things that caught my attention: "heck" is used quite a bit, mentions of the possibility of ghosts (there aren't any)
All thoughts are my own!💫
"quote"
{Reviewed 2/20/24} °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°
I liked this every bit as much as the first time I read it! AND SOMEHOW DIDN'T REALIZE THEY WERE VICTORIAN HOUSES??!! I did not recall that but I read this before my obsession started XD Min and Pin are dears and I loved the descriptions of Gone-Away. A lovely story! (only reason I'm not rating it a 4.5 stars is because I don't care much for the the children except maybe the Blakes lol, the adults are amazing though)
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
Recommended for readers who love: history, old folks, summer misadventures, pretend play. Similar to The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright. Set in 1950s?? New York. Feels most like-summer-in which the story takes place 🫧
***Content Warnings, or things that caught my attention: "heck" is used quite a bit, mentions of the possibility of ghosts (there aren't any)
All thoughts are my own!💫
March 23, 2015
This was charming, just a sweet story. It's not particularly exciting, and it feels very much like, "What I did on my summer vacation." I enjoyed the meander through Gone Away Lake, and the cast of characters, but I think like Fair Weather, this is a book I really enjoy, but my reaction wouldn't go further. On the other hand, I suspect I would have loved it when I was a child. I always enjoy a secret club. And I am happy that Aunt Min and Uncle Pinder might have some more company now.
In other news, Aunt Min apparently had an Aunt Eulalia. What is with all the terrible "Eu" names cropping up in books lately? Must have been the time period.
In other news, Aunt Min apparently had an Aunt Eulalia. What is with all the terrible "Eu" names cropping up in books lately? Must have been the time period.
January 17, 2018
I was surprised how much I enjoyed Gone Away Lake, considering that it lacked most of the things I require in a book. There was little or no plot, no tragedy or mystery or fighting, and no bad guys, and it was just a happy little book. Which I don't normally love. But somehow this was great. 🤔
April 8, 2024
2024 Reread
I was looking for a light, easy book to read that I knew I'd enjoy and decided to read this again. It was fun. Portia and Julian were great and once again I wished I could stumble upon a place like Gone-Away.
3.5 stars
I read this first many years ago and loved it. This time around I enjoyed it, but I also noticed some things that I didn’t care for.
First off, the characters were such fun. I enjoyed Portia (I won’t call her Porsh since she doesn’t care for that name) and her delight so many things. Julian was a typical boy interested in bugs, and creatures, and exploring. I liked the relationship between these two cousins.
As for the two old people these cousins discover, they were charming! It made me stop and think what it must have been like to have grown up in the late 1800s and see so much change happening in the world. Then to be able to “go back in time” almost to your childhood again and enjoy life through their new friends. They had grown tired of the changing world with all it’s rushing and bustle, and find delight in Portia and Julian.
I wish I could discover an old Victorian ghost town like they did! But it was fun to explore it through their eyes. It is a simple story of a delightful summer. No big plot or thrilling, exciting things happening, but that’s okay. Life isn’t all about excitement. At least not my life!
My biggest complaint was the euphemisms that were used quite a lot, as well as “heck” and a few other slag words. This is not a Christian book. But aside from the things I mentioned, it is clean.
I was looking for a light, easy book to read that I knew I'd enjoy and decided to read this again. It was fun. Portia and Julian were great and once again I wished I could stumble upon a place like Gone-Away.
3.5 stars
I read this first many years ago and loved it. This time around I enjoyed it, but I also noticed some things that I didn’t care for.
First off, the characters were such fun. I enjoyed Portia (I won’t call her Porsh since she doesn’t care for that name) and her delight so many things. Julian was a typical boy interested in bugs, and creatures, and exploring. I liked the relationship between these two cousins.
As for the two old people these cousins discover, they were charming! It made me stop and think what it must have been like to have grown up in the late 1800s and see so much change happening in the world. Then to be able to “go back in time” almost to your childhood again and enjoy life through their new friends. They had grown tired of the changing world with all it’s rushing and bustle, and find delight in Portia and Julian.
I wish I could discover an old Victorian ghost town like they did! But it was fun to explore it through their eyes. It is a simple story of a delightful summer. No big plot or thrilling, exciting things happening, but that’s okay. Life isn’t all about excitement. At least not my life!
My biggest complaint was the euphemisms that were used quite a lot, as well as “heck” and a few other slag words. This is not a Christian book. But aside from the things I mentioned, it is clean.
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