But I ain't looking back on the seeds I've sown: THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET.

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kayla Carter and her husband are so excited to be building their dream house in the neighborhood of Shadow Ridge Estates in Round Hill, North Carolina. But then tragedy strikes and he dies while working on the house. Then Kayla is confronted by a mysterious woman who warns her against moving into the property with her young daughter. Kayla finds the property creepy, honestly, between her husband's accident and the trees that seem to swarm the house. Soon she meets her new neighbor, Ellie, whose family has a history with the property that dates back years. Is Kayla's property really bad news--and does Ellie know why?

This is a mesmerizing story told from dual points of view: Kayla, in 2010 and Ellie, in the 1960s. It delves deeply in the South's horrible history of racism and does so in the most personal way, through our cast of diverse and fascinating characters. In the 1960s, Ellie decides to becomes involved with SCOPE, an organization devoted to helping black individuals register to vote. Everyone is against this--even, at first, the minister running SCOPE in the Round Hill area. Ellie's parents are appalled, convinced harm will befall their daughter, as well as what her involvement may mean for their family's reputation. Her brother, Buddy, worries about her safety as well. Her best friend, Brenda, refuses contact, and her boyfriend, Reed, ends their relationship.

But Ellie is strong and determined; she joins SCOPE, making new friends and falling in love with a black man named Win. Ellie's story is absolutely captivating, as Chamberlain makes clear the absolute prejudices and challenges facing black people in the 1960s. There's a lot of history and much of this story is heartbreaking and will anger you, as many of these tales from the 1960s can.

As for Kayla's story, it's not quite as engrossing as Ellie's, though it does provide the link between the two time periods. For Kayla, she's on a quest to discover if her property is haunted or if she's just suffering from bad luck. We learn how her life intersects with Ellie, which is interesting in itself.

Overall, this is such a touching tale--you become so attached to the characters and absolutely appalled at some of the events that unfold. Chamberlain does a great job at highlighting the utter injustices of racism through the prism of a story, as well as painting a sad history of a particular piece of property. HOUSE is part mystery and part historical/character driven fiction. It will certainly stick with you. 4+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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