This book realistically showcases just a few of the injustices and inequalities of the 60’s. Through Ellie’s eyes I experienced just a fraction of the emotional and physical turmoil that had free reign during that time in the south. I was pulled into this story to such a degree that my heart raced, and my mind refused to stop thinking about it once I turned the last page.

This is written in two time periods, each clearly defined. Within the early pages we are given the connection that Kayla and Ellie share. But it quickly becomes evident that there is something more lingering in the dark woods behind the house at the end of the street. I felt the heavy weight of the past as well as the fear of the present that consumed both of these characters. This author did an amazing job of bringing them to life, making me care and yet allowing me to form my own opinions prior to the end.

With each turn of the page I never knew what I was going to find. Fear, abuse, life threatening prejudice or the sweet pull of new love. I was totally engrossed within the lives of both of these women. When the truth is unveiled at the end, I wasn’t shocked, but I still loved how it unfolded.

This book was so absolutely amazing that I can’t even gather my thoughts or know where to start for my review! Powerful, influential, important. Gripping, emotional, dynamic. Diane Chamberlain blew it out of the park with this one, I have no doubt whatsoever that this book will be a national bestseller for a long, long time and will be just as big, if not bigger, than The Help. Brilliantly written, I flew through this book eagerly and savored every word. I tend to get infuriated when reading about racial inequality, segregation, discrimination, and racism, and I was all fired up and emotional when reading this. Because the author was able to introduce us to her characters in such a way that the reader felt connected with them, it was easy to feel emotional right along with them. The dual timeline and narrators added to the intrigue and also pulled everything together. I was captivated by both but was definitely more drawn towards Ellie’s story than Kayla’s, but both were riveting. After reading the author’s background on what motivated her to write this book made me feel even more invested. As she said, “It’s distressing that politics continue to play such a pivotal role in what should be a basic American right”. This continues to be an active injustice that still exists today! Am I so naive to think that the mantra I say almost daily, “Be Kind”, is only that? Just words said to a child before they go to school each day? Is this not something that adults can follow and live by, too? Do we really care what color skin someone has even today? I am disgusted and frustrated. Let’s help make a change. Start by reading this book, recommend it to others, discuss it, and, at a minimum, join the movement in educating others and raising awareness. Most of all, please BE KIND.

The Last House on the Street blends the past with the present with so many of the same issues being faced. Diane Chamberlain does an excellent job telling this story and keeping the reader engaged. I enjoyed how she blended the 1960’s with the current day. Chamberlain is a master storyteller!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, I was provided an ARC of The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

****Coming out January 11,2022****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Diane Chamberlain weaves the lives of two strong independent women, Kayla and Ellie,whose pasts connects, into a story that will draw you in from the first page to the last!

A dual time line book that alternates between 2010 with Kayla: an architect, a recent widow, and a mother to 3 year old girl and 1965 with Ellie: a university student who gets involved with Civil Rights Movement and then defies her family’s approval by spending the summer working on the SCOPE Project.

Kayla is left feeling a bit uneasy when Anna Smith shows up without an appointment asking her to help in architecting her remodeling project of her house. Anna Smith appears to know more about her husband’s death and family than she is comfortable with. This leaves Kayla reeling and giving second thoughts of moving into her new house. Kayla decides to go against her father’s request to sell the house and instead and moves in. What will Kayla discover and encounter after moving in?

Kayla and Ellie become neighbors when Kayla moves into her new house. As their friendships grows, these two women discover how their pasts are connected and what secrets are discovered. Will their friendship last through all that they are discovering? This book will have you turning the pages to find out!

I love how this author integrates significant historical events into her books! It makes for fascinating and intriguing stories!

Definitely one to be added to your TBR list! A great book club pick as it will lead to great discussions!

Alternating POVs set in NC: Ellie, 1965, volunteers for the SCOPE program to help register rural Black families to vote. Kayla, 2010, a grieving widow prepares to move onto the street where Ellie grew up. Chamberlain’s books are compulsively readable and this is no exception. I loved learning about the SCOPE program and want to make an effort to do my own research and learn more. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and I would have preferred if the book was only from Ellie’s perspective. That was a much stronger storyline. Chamberlain continues to be an auto-buy author for me.

Chamberlain is such an engaging author, she knows just how to pull you into her characters and story.
The Last House on the Street follows two women, Ellie and Kayla. Their pasts and present are intertwined in ways that come together beautifully. Both characters are written with such depth and emotions it's hard to put this book down. The emotions are raw and real.
I enjoyed not only their stories but a glimpse into the Civil rights actions that took place back in the 50's and 60's. The reality of what other demographics went through during history are not only incomprehensible, but Chamberlain intertwined it into the story with such grace and made it not only a great story but also a history lesson.
Read this book, you won't be disappointed!

The Last House on the Street is an amazingly powerful novel. Told from two different perspectives during two different time periods in the same town in North Carolina; 1965 and 2010, I was immediately drawn to both Ellie and Kayla, and thought the point where their lives intersect was very well written. This book is powerful and emotional. While the subject matter is difficult and some may find it uncomfortable, this story absolutely needs to be told. Ellie and Kayla are strong women, and this book will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to St. Martin's and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

Title: The Last House on the Street
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Genre: Mystery/thriller
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

When Kayla Carter's husband dies in an accident while building their dream house, she knows she has to stay strong for their four-year-old daughter. But the trophy home in Shadow Ridge Estates, a new development in sleepy Round Hill, North Carolina, will always hold tragic memories. But when she is confronted by an odd, older woman telling her not to move in, she almost agrees. It's clear this woman has some kind of connection to the area...and a connection to Kayla herself. Kayla's elderly new neighbor, Ellie Hockley, is more welcoming, but it's clear she, too, has secrets that stretch back almost fifty years. Is Ellie on a quest to right the wrongs of the past? And does the house at the end of the street hold the key?

This book….almost broke me. When I finished reading it, I felt like I’d been stabbed in the heart. It’s told in multiple timelines: the present with Kayla and fifty years ago, with Ellie. I enjoyed both, but Ellie’s story was by far my favorite.

Reading about Ellie’s struggles during the civil rights movement and the things she experienced was hard but compelling. I loved how it was all tied in to what Kayla was facing at her new house, and I was unprepared for the real story that came out at last. I highly recommend this read! It’s a mystery/thriller wrapped with historical fiction, and I was unable to put it down.

Diane Chamberlain is a bestselling author. The Last House on the Street is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

This was a wonderful story although hard at times to read told in There are dual timelines. The timelines are 2010 and then goes back to 1965, about the SCOPE project. Another great book by Diane Chamberlain. Anxiously waiting on what her next book.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kayla and her husband have built their dream home. It is where they plan to spend the rest of their lives and raise a family, until her husband has a fatal accident in the home. Kayla is left floundering. Can she move in, can she continue on. Then she has a strange visitor. A mysterious woman shows up at her place of work. She basically threatens Kayla and her daughter to stay away from her new home.

This novel is set in two separate time lines, 1965 and present day. I enjoyed the present day more than 1965…that is…until the end. It all comes together with a big gasp or two or three!

This story is complicated and emotional. The tension in both timelines will have you absorbed completely into this haunting tale. The mystery and the buried secrets will have you engrossed until the very end. And to tell you the truth…this story will stay with you for a while. I went into a reading slump after this!

Well, Diane Chamberlain has done it again! Need a dang good read…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This was truly a wonderful book! I have heard great things about this author’s work but for one reason or another I had never actually picked one up myself so this was my first experience with her work. To say that I am impressed would be an understatement. This book not only entertained me it made me think and sometimes made me rather uncomfortable. Diane Chamberlain definitely has a new fan.

This book is told from two different points of view. Kayla’s point of view is set in 2010. Kayla is a young widow and mother of a small child. She is ready to move into the home that she designed with her husband in a new development but feels uneasy about the move. Ellie’s story takes place in 1965. Ellie signs up to be a part of the SCOPE program that wants to help the black community register to vote. She is assigned to live in the community with a black family and is able to experience the poverty that they live with on a daily basis.

I have often found that when a book is told in dual timelines, I usually gravitate towards one timeline more than the other. With this book, I enjoyed both timelines equally and when they finally came together I was in awe of how perfectly the pieces all seemed to fit. I found myself thinking of this story when I wasn’t reading and am angry at the injustices that the characters endured. I thought that descriptions were quite vivid and helped to bring an emotional element to the story.

I would highly recommend this book to others. I thought that it told a powerful story that will stay with me for a while. I will definitely be reading more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press.

Master storyteller Diane Chamberlain has done it again. She has created two strong female protagonists that we meet in separate time periods. In the summer of 1965, this reader was fourteen and getting ready to go to high school. I never heard about SCOPE and probably had not heard of the Voting Rights Act which was waiting to be signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Ellie Hockley is a college student who has three more years of college to complete her degree in pharmacology. Her boyfriend completed school in three years and has a good job at a local bank in their hometown of Rock Hill. She has decided that she is going to spend the summer volunteering for SCOPE and help educate Blacks on how to register to vote when President Johnson signs the bill. This does not go over well with her family. Her summer will be filled with danger. The second time period set in 2010 sees twenty-eight-year-old Kayla an architect, mother of a two-year -old, and widow getting ready to move into a new house in Shadow Ridge Estates. Her father, Reed, helps her take care of her daughter, Rainie.

These two stories will come together eventually. There is danger and mystery, involved in both storiy lines. I could not stop reading once I started and finished the book in a day and a half. Chamberlain has the knack to make readers feel like they are part of the story. I also learned a lot about a part of our history that I did not know. My thanks to St. Marin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

This suspenseful novel will have you staying up past your bedtime as it is hard to put down. Truly deep and emotional....
I love this author.

I received a copy of this from the publisher in exchange for fair and honest review.

In 1965, twenty-year-old Ellie Hockley has been dating Reed, who is earning fast promotions at the local bank, for four years and everyone, including Reed, expects them to marry. Round Hill, North Carolina is a close-knit community in which the residents are all acquainted and knew each other's business. Her parents are unaware that while serving as a reporter and photographer for the University of North Carolina's newspaper, Ellie was assigned to cover a protest against segregated business establishments. As Ellie and her lifelong best friend, Brenda, watched the students, professors, and townspeople kneeling side by side in the street, blocking traffic, Ellie took pictures and found herself "moved by their quiet courage." Ellie was influenced by her late Aunt Carol, a champion of civil rights who took part in the 1963 March on Washington at which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke. "Impulsively, before I had a chance to change my mind," Ellie relates, "I took my place at the end of the line -- which was in the gutter -- and got down on my knees" next to Gloria, the only black woman in her pharmacology class.

Home for the summer, Ellis is expected to work in her father's pharmacy. Listening to him read the newspaper, she learns that SCOPE will be comprised of more than five hundred volunteers canvassing seventy-five rural counties "with the aim of removing racism from American politics." Only thirty-four percent of black voters are registered, so SCOPE participants will be trained to encourage and assist them to register. "I knew in a way I couldn't explain even to myself . . . that I was going to be one of those white students working to register Negro voters. I knew it the way I knew my own name," Ellie recalls.

But in 2010, Kayla Carter is mourning her husband, Jackson, and steeling herself to move into the home they designed. The staircase in that home is where Jackson died tragically, leaving Kayla to raise their daughter, Rainie, alone. Kayla feels trapped. She dreads living in the house without Jackson, but doesn't want strangers to live in it, either. The new subdivision in which it sits, Shadow Ridge Estates, is on the outskirts of Round hill. With expansive windows, it is the only house in the new development that has been completed, situated at the end of the road. Behind it are dark woods -- "straight out of a Grimms' fairy tale." Just up the street, the old Hockley house is still occupied by Buddy Hockley, Ellie's brother, who refuses to sell to the developer. Growing up, the Hockley kids "just about lived in those woods, climbing trees, playing hide-and-seek, and fishing in the lake." They even had a tree house in an enormous oak tree. Kayla discovers it's still there and, unbeknownst to her, Jackson renovated it. Kayla's father, Reed Miller, admits that he hoped Kayla and Jackson would not build their home in the new development because, as a kid, he and his friends thought the woods were haunted. In fact, there remains a circular clearing in the woods where the local KKK used to meet in secret. Kayla is shocked when he tells her, "I knew some of those Klansmen. Back then, a lot of otherwise upstanding people in town belonged."

Kayla also remains rattled by the unsettling visit to her office from a woman who called herself Anna Smith and appeared to be disguised. She refused to remove her sunglasses and wore a red wig. She knew about Jackson's death, Rainie, and the new house. Speaking in a deep, raspy voice, she told Kayla, "No one should've put a house there to begin with. All those new houses. They don't belong. But especially that one. Yours." Worse, she claimed she has been "thinking about killing someone. I've been thinking about it for a long, long time. Years and years and years. And now I have the chance."

Author Diane Chamberlain compellingly recounts the experiences of the two women through alternating first-person narratives. Ellie convinces the local minister at the A.M.E. church to let her be part of SCOPE, even though the students selected are only supposed to be Northerners. He fears that Ellie's involvement might adversely impact the program, but her conviction wins him over. Her parents, Buddy, and Brenda are all horrified, disapproving, and worried about their own standing in the community when she announces her plans for the summer, but she will not be dissuaded. She completes the training and is partnered with Winston Madison, a young black junior at Shaw University in Raleigh who, in contrast to Ellie, is assigned to the area precisely because he is from the county and knows the people who live there.

SCOPE's mission is fraught with dangers that Chamberlain details from Ellie's perspective. She is well-meaning, but naive and idealistic. In various ways, as initially feared, Ellie's presence complicates the volunteers' efforts, despite her earnest desire to help bring about change. Ellie's experiences serve as a poignant reminder of life in the South during the tumultuous 1960's as the civil rights movement gained momentum in America. She is shocked to learn that North Carolina has "more Klan members that all the other states put together," and that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and looming enactment of the Voting Rights Act are causing them to enhance their efforts to maintain the segregated status quo.

And in 2010, Ellie and Kayla come face to face when Kayla sees Ellie at the Hockley house and stops to introduce herself. Kayla is mystified by Ellie's strange reaction when she learns that Kayla is the daughter of Reed Miller. Ellie has returned to Round Hill for the first time in forty-five years. She has been living in San Francisco where she teaches yoga. Now she is back in North Carolina to care for her mother and Buddy, who is terminally ill.

As strange and disturbing events disrupt Kayla's efforts to settle into her new residence, Chamberlain reveals how young Ellie's life unravels as a result of her feelings, choices, and refusal to conform to the expectations of her family and friends.

Chamberlain's two narratives merge as Kayla learns about Ellie and Reed's history, as well as what actually took place in the woods that long-ago summer. Chamberlain's story is full of her signature twists and shocking revelations. Young Ellie is endearing and sympathetic, but clearly inviting tragedy as she stubbornly refuses to see the world as it should be, rather than how it is. Chamberlain credibly illustrates how dramatically different the Ellie who returns to Round Hill is from the young woman who turned her back on her home and family forty-five years ago, although not even Ellie knows the whole truth until the story's jaw-dropping ending. Kayla is equally empathetic. She is a young, grieving widow intent on keeping her daughter safe who finds herself at the center of a mystery she could never have anticipated. Every supporting character is believable -- Chamberlain expertly conveys the political climate through characters who seem despicable with the benefit of hindsight but, in their own estimation, were justified in taking whatever measures necessary in order to preserve their way of life.

In The Last House on the Street, Chamberlain smartly tackles contemporary issues by relating a tale set fifty-seven years ago. The ongoing fight for voting rights is in the headlines on a daily basis, as politics figure prominently into "what should be a basic American right" but still isn't in far too many regions of the United States. The Last House on the Street is a powerful commentary not just about the ongoing struggle for voting rights, but also about racism, social injustice, and the freedom to love whomever one chooses. It is heartbreaking and memorable as a result of Chamberlain's restrained telling of a cleverly-plotted, riveting story -- neither of her narratives lapses into a preachy or self-righteous tone. Rather, Chamberlain lets the villains in her tale self-identify through deftly-timed revelations of their reprehensible beliefs and actions.

True to Chamberlain's style, The Last House on the Street is an exploration of relationships, particularly with respect to Ellie, who tragically comes-of-age with the knowledge that not all relationships can or should be long-lasting, even though we carry the memories of them and the lessons we learned from them with us for the rest of our lives.

Diane Chamberlain captivates her audience with powerful messages that arouse intense emotions.

“The Last House on the Street” alternates between two intriguing timelines. It explores racism, prejudice, and social injustice and their influence on family dynamics in a small community.

This fascinating tale begins in 1965, focusing on civil rights, and concludes in 2010, weaving the two timelines together for a flawless ending. It is packed with history, injustice, superstition, and the perfect amount of romance.

Ellie is an incredible character who is committed to bringing an end to voter discrimination. If only more people had her passion and empathy!

Excerpt:
<blockquote>“If you work for SCOPE, you’ll have to be watchful. Every place you go. Everything you do,” he said. “The thing the Klan hates more than a Negro man is a white person who tries to help a Negro. Have you really thought this through?” he asked.”</blockquote>

Everyone should read at least one book by this author!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. I’m voluntarily leaving my honest review.

#thelasthouseonthestreet #dianechamberlain #netgalley #stmartinspress #bookreview #justfinishedreading #civilrights #voterdiscrimination #bookstagrammer #historicalfiction

This is an excellent historical fiction novel that will stay with you for a long time. The story is told in alternating chapters by Kayla Carter, a present day architect whose husband died in a fall while building their dream house, and Ellie Hockley, a 20 year old North Carolina girl who spent the summer of 1965 participating in the SCOPE program to register black voters. The time is one in which many white Americans remained blissfully unaware, reading about riots and marches on the news but not directly affected by them. Even Ellie, who lived there, was unaware of the Negroes near her. The book shows us the conditions they lived in and the fear they lived in as Ellie experiences it. We see just how predominant the KKK was in North Carolina and what KKK rallies were like. You can feel the fear and the hatred through the author's words and Ellie's actions. The mystery in the book comes through the connection between these two main characters. Ms Chamberlain developed these characters into women who feel like friends. Her depictions of the surrounding countryside make you feel like you are there. It was a book I could not put down. I was a teenager at the time and the news did not report instantly on every little thing like now. I realize I too was blissfully unaware of what was happening. Books like this, although fiction, can bring these times to life and are very worthwhile reading especially today.

I wasn’t sure I would be able to write this review, there were so many aspects of this book that touched me deeply.Historical fiction, suspense and mystery,racial injustice and so much more all came together in what to me would seem to be a best seller well on its way. Told in dual timelines, it was very easy to keep track of what was going on. A touching, poignant and hear ending story that I am glad I read.

The Last House On The Street made for a fabulous, enthralling read that captured my every emotion, anger, fear, sadness, disgust, and surprise. Set across two timelines in North Carolina, the story follows two women on a voyage of heartbreak, injustices and prejudices. I can't wait to read more from this author

I haven't met a Diane Chamberlain novel I didn't love, and this was no different. A heavy hitting historical fiction with characters that have etched themselves into my mind and heart, I know I won't soon forget the story of the last house on the street.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain that I read and reviewed.
I really enjoyed this book even though I had a good idea of where it was going to go as I was reading it. It still held an emotional punch that really makes the reader think about how life was back then and how in some ways it is the same today with all the racial racial hate that is still going on.
Once again Chamberlain writes a book that makes the reader really think about things. This is another excellent read.
I am giving The Last House on the Street five out of five stars.