The Path to the Lake

by Susan Sallis

After David died, Viv tries to escape her sense of guilt by running, mainly around the nearby lake — a desolate and deserted place. But through her misery she makes some unexpected friends and, as a new life opens up, she can confront the secrets that haunt her.

Genres: Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Susan Sallis was the author of over twenty bestselling novels, many of them set in the West Country. She was born in Gloucestershire and lived in Somerset with her family. She died in 2020.

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author, a story of loss and being helped to find yourself through the kindness of strangers. A book that is true of the suffering that many people have to live with, but it’s so well written that you feel part of the journey. Well worth 5 stars

[sharon check · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secrets and ghosts.

Vic recovers from the accident that kills her husband but nothing is the same. As she struggles to understand the author takes her on a convoluted journey introducing fascinating characters who each have their own stories. I struggled a bit to follow all the story lines and keep the generations straight. But the story kept me turning pages until the end and even going back to re-read some passages to understand how they were all related.

[Ann Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viv had been married to David. He died in a car accident, they were both in the car however Viv survived. They had been arguing at the time of the accident. Viv was left without any family or friends. As a means of escape Viv runs, often in the middle of the night. A neighbour, Mrs Hardy befriends Viv and does help. Along the way tragedy comes to the Hardy family. Sounds like a depressing read however it isn't all depressing.

[Catherine Skyrm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very little point

Viv has had an upsetting and abusive childhood. She then gets into a marriage which gives her much joy and one huge regret It's a weirdly written novel without much to grip your attention.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story of dealing with guilt

At some points this story was fun and mysterious. And yet a little creepy. Especially the father of the main character s baby. Can't really feel like that was possible.

[Lorna Dykstra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book kept hinting at a big reveal and, to be fair, there was a revelation, of sorts. But I am not sure that I understood it. Or, I did and am shying away from it because I thought it was unpalatable. It’s not badly written and I was quite interested in Viv’s story and would have loved it if whatever was haunting her was made more clear. But I felt like the mystery surrounding Viv’s past remained rather murky. So although I was heavily invested in the characters, I wanted a more clear-cut outcome. In the end, I just felt muddled. And that’s not a great way to end my reading year.

[Stefani · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah...not my cup of tea. I practically skimmed the second half and I will give it away if anyone wants it.

[Bronwyn Rykiert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was okay.

[Barbara Verchot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am on vacation and picked this book up at a book exchange. It was not what I expect at all. Probably would not have chose it if I had known thinking it would be too stressful. It was not. Susan Sallis wove the incest issue into this book in a very adept manner. It is very much true to how the 'awakening' to the emotional and physical damage a victim deals with happens - as the psyche can handle it. However, the resolution does seem a bit contrived. I would read another title by her.

[Meirav Berale · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a let-down! I've read several of her novels and have always found her such a good writer, but this time - no, I just couldn't get into the story. It starts with nobody's viewpoint, then moves from Vivian's to David's to even David's dad for a bit, then back to Vivian's - so you just don't get inside a character's head. Even when it shifted to a first-person narration by Vivian, I still couldn't get into it. Got as far as page 30 and the story still hadn't grabbed me.

[Helen Strobridge · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry to say that I hated this. Never before have I completed a book and then put it straight in the bin! I found the total overload of grief & guilt running through the book too uncomfortable to tolerate, along with a 'ghost' theme that was barely credible. Completing it became a chore and the hoped for happy ending did not materialise.

[Rosslyn]

A story of secrets, loss and final redemption as the lead character faces her history and demons to find her "place". An okay read, the secret keeps you hooked o the end.