MicheleReader's Reviews > Last House

This family drama begins in 1953 where Nick Taylor, a veteran of WWII, is a lawyer at American Oil. His wife Bet, a Vassar graduate, has put aside her career aspirations and is a full-time mother to Katherine and Harry. Nick keeps his visits to the Middle East private from his family. His friendship with Yale school-mate Carter Weston brings the family to Vermont where Nick purchases the secluded "Last House" which serves as an escape amidst the country's fear of the Russians and bombs. The story shifts to 1968 full of protests and radical movements. Katherine becomes a part of this world which isolates her from her parents. Harry becomes interested in ecological activism, which is counter to his father's career in oil.

I was impressed with Jessica Shattuck's novel, The Women in the Castle, an intriguing post-WWII story set in Germany. Her latest book, Last House is very different yet also engaging. The subject of the U.S. involvement in Iran for the sake of oil, was an interesting one. The book captures the spirit of the various movements in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It's a well-researched story that takes one family through the decades and how each character is impacted by the political climate of the period and their own beliefs and ultimately the decisions they make. This book moved more slowly than most of the books I read. My favorite "character" was the Vermont house as it served as a place of unity for the Taylor family over time.

Rated 3.75 stars.