This story is emotional, and hard to read at times. However, I believe it is an important read. I highly recommend it.

This book was great! I did not expect the twists at the end! This was a great look at what times were like during the era of getting blacks the right to vote. I especially enjoyed this in depth look into one family and how this touched them.

Great character development, timeline was interesting. Timely subject matter.
I was trying to guess the outcome and was surprised by the ending

Diane Chamberlain's "Big Lies in a Small Town" was one of my very favorite books of 2020, so I had high hopes for "The Last House on the Street" -- and I was not disappointed. Like "Big Lies," the new novel alternates between past and present, giving us a look at how events decades ago continue to impact people's lives. Also like "Big Lies," "Last House" takes place in North Carolina, Chamberlain's home state.

Kayla Carter and her husband Jackson, both architects, designed and built their dream house in a brand-new development -- but before they could move in with their young daughter, Jackson was killed in an accident. Kayla opts to go ahead with the move anyway. However, living in the house at the end of the street turns out to be more than she bargained for when strange things start happening. A mysterious woman in disguise shows up at her office to threaten her, and Kayla learns that the property has an eerie and tragic history, including the death of a young girl many years before.

Kayla's story alternates with that of Ellie Hockley, a college student who decides to spend the summer working for the SCOPE Project, a civil rights campaign to register Black voters. Ellie's commitment to helping Black North Carolinians fight for their rights ostracizes her from her family and friends, and her fellow volunteers are suspicious that the southern White woman really has what it takes to do the hard, often thankless work of organizing. Ellie doesn't give up -- but when she develops a close friendship with Win, a Black volunteer, even the very hint of an interracial relationship endangers not just the cause, but their lives.

How do these two stories intersect? That is part of the fun of reading this novel, which vividly portrays a pivotal time in U.S. history -- and inevitably brings to mind the challenges people continue to face in exercising their sacred right to vote. In the words of another Southern writer, William Faulkner, "The past is never dead. It's not even past."

This is a riveting story told in two timelines. 1965 and 2010. In 1965 we are in North Carolina with a group of civil rights workers. They want to help black people register to vote even though they face bigotry and violence. A young woman named Ellie wants to help, even though her white family does not support her. This part of the book is brutal in places and very well written. Then, we have Kayla in 2010 who has just moved into the house she and her deceased husband built, very near to where Ellie grew up. Something about her house is cursed, not only with her husband's death but also involving the thick woods and kudzu around the house.
I loved this book and hated to see it end.

Diane Chamberlain does it again with a compelling story in The Last House on the Street. Honestly, I had no idea what this book was about when I started it. But, if Chamberlain writes it, then I read it!

As in many of her other books, this one too takes place in North Carolina. It also features dual timelines from 1965 and 2010 from two women, who remarkably meet up in the later timeline. I love when authors do this!

In 1965, we learn about the SCOPE project, Summer Community Organizing and Political Education, which focused on voter-registration and community organization in anticipation of imminent passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Ellie, our narrator for this time-period is adamant about leaving college to work for SCOPE although her parents are furious with worry and outrage that she’d do this. She is trying to create a better world like her aunt had instilled in her to do.

Because Ellie is from Southern North Carolina, she is targeted by many as a traitor for working with the black community and giving them the tools to organize and vote. She stands her ground for as long as possible until tragedy strikes, and she is sent home. I liked her storyline over the current day timeline. I learned so much about the time-period and how awful racism and bigotry was in the south. Honestly, the imagery jumped off the page.

Kayla’s story, in 2010, took a while for me to warm up to. Once Kayla meets Ellie and they work together, I began to like Kayla much more. I guess I couldn’t understand why she’d want to move into a house where her husband just died. But then again, to each their own.

With two timelines and two strong plots this could have easily been two novels. A book you’ll think about long after you’re done reading, Chamberlain does a brilliant job of weaving past and present together combining a storyline set in 2010 and in 63 during the turbulent civil rights era in the south and voter registration. Powerful, heartbreaking, and thought provoking are a few of the adjectives I’d use to describe this book. Between the plots and excellent characters, even those you hate, this book took my breath away.

Diane Chamberlain is one of my favorite authors so I was thrilled to receive an ARC from #NetGalley. The Last House on the Street tackles some pretty heavy topics, racism and the civil rights movements with extreme and brutal honesty. Told in dual storyline format this book is raw, emotional and thought provoking.
I have often compared Diane Chamberlain's writing style to Jodi Picoult's whose books I've always enjoyed.

The only thing I didn't like about this book is that it had to end. Fabulous story addressing relevant social issues. Loved the character development, loved the plot. I highly recommend this book to all readers, it is engaging and you wont' want to put it down!

The Last House on the Street is a fascinating story told in two timelines.

The 2010 timeline features Kayla, who is reluctantly moving into her dream home after her husband dies in the home while it is being built. The house which she originally thought would be cozy nestled into the woods, now makes her uncomfortable. Her angst at moving in increases as it becomes apparent that at least one person does not want her moving in, and the house has a dark past.

In 1965, Ellie is a white college student that has been drawn to the civil rights movement and volunteers with SCOPE (Summer Community Organization and Political Education) to canvas black communities to educate and encourage individuals to register to vote when it becomes legal. She is doing this against her family’s and friends’ wishes – they would prefer she just live her life and not get involved in things that they don’t believe concern her. However, the more involved she gets, the more her passion for civil rights increases.

I enjoyed both timelines – finding both stories quite compelling. My only fault lies with how we the reader find out some of the truths from the 1965 story at the end of the book. The” love story” component of the story didn’t feel real to me. Other than that, I thought the characters were well-developed and the stories kept my interest, with 2010 and 1965 coming together in an interesting (albeit overly convenient) way.

Thank you NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book. Publication expected January 2022.

I couldn't put this down and finished it in 24 hours!

There are 2 POVs that run through most of this book. Kayla in 2010 and Ellie in 1965. The going back and forth was well handled though I have to be in the mood to follow this type of layout.

Ellie's actions since 1965 meet up with Kayla's actions in 2010 and the two women have a common bond, Kayla's dad Reed Miller. During the civil rights movement of the '60s Ellie's life choices set her off on a different path than anyone expected. Kayla, a recent widow, is moving into a house with her young daughter that she designed with her husband. Unbeknownst to Kayla someone didn't want the lot developed and they sure don't want the house occupied. But why?

I am not going to give away any more of the plot. It was very interesting and I don't want to spoil it!

I love Diane Chamberlain's books. The settings are always so Southern and charming, the characters relatable and engaging, and the stories easy to immerse yourself in. The Last House on the Street had all of this too!
It was tough reading, there was so much loss and heartache and the historical story was harrowing.
Another beautifully crafted gem from Chamberlain.

In 2010 Kyla is an architect in North carolina who recently lost her husband, Jackson while he was building their dream home. She is raising her almost four year old daughter, Rainie with her father's help. One day a woman named Ann Smith walks into her office giving her a warning about moving into her new home and leaves with an ominous message about killing someone.

In 1965 Ellie is a university student in North Carolina with a boyfriend named Reed when she decides to join SCOPE (Summer Community Organization and Political Education) to get people of colour to register to vote.

These two lives are inextricably entwined and as we read on we find out exactly how much Kayla and Ellie are really part of each other's history. I so love southern historical fiction but this one seemed really important even for today's concerns and what the GOP is doing to voting rights.

This book raises a lot of questions about so many issues...interracial relationships, racism, segregation and many more. As always I enjoyed reading about the past more than 2010. I like to think it is because I learned something. I really loved this story and I highly recommend it.

A deeply sad and moving story that is beautifully told. I enjoyed both of the two primary characters, and their separate timelines that are ultimately woven together. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this novel. Diane Chamberlain did an incredible job of intertwining two stories, Kayla and Ellie. Ellie has a unique past and the fact she has to come back to the Round HIll neighborhood brings up painful memories. Kayle has just lost her husband and has finally moved into the incredible house down the street that she and her late husband designed. HOw these two characters are connected will make it impossible for you to put this book down.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this novel.

Thank you to Diane Chamberlain, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC copy.

I am definitely going to have a book hangover from this book. It was so good. This was my first book that I have read from Diane Chamberlain, but it definitely won't be my last. I loved the way she wrote. The different perspectives and timelines weaved together perfectly, giving you just enough information as you went along. The book was incredibly hard to put down. This book focused on many heavy topics, including racism, forbidden love, small town prejudice and many more, but I felt like Chamberlain handled writing about these topics in a respectful and sensitive way. Chamberlain also had a great cast of characters. Some of them I absolutely loved, and some of them I hated, but she did such a great job writing them in order to make you feel strongly one way or another. I also loved the setting. The way the forest, houses, school etc., were described really helped you visualize the small town Southern USA setting perfectly. I highly recommend this book, just make sure you read it at a time when you can commit to reading it all in one go, because you won't be able to put it down!

Imagine how hard the role of a young white college student returning to her southern county to fight for voting rights might have been. The times were dangerous not just for blacks, but for the few idealistic white students who worked alongside black civil rights activists. Beatings and murder were not uncommon. Ellie, a young woman from Round Hill, North Carolina, puts her life at risk willingly but finds the risks to be very personal when her family and closest friends push back fiercely to challenge her conviction. I was raised during this period at a safe distance in the north and never considered what was demanded of the young students fighting alongside the civil rights figures that truly had everything at stake. Great read, fast paced and thought provoking.

This story is told in two timelines that end up converging. I enjoyed The separate story lines equally and was not disappointed when Ellie and Kayla met. The mystery was a good twist.

I always enjoy Diane Chamberlain’s fiction for the way she ties the present day to the past. This novel portrays one community’s struggle during the civil rights era and shows the repercussions that echo in the present day. I found the characters to be well developed and the plot is quickly paced. I was anxious to finish and figure out the mystery behind the last house on the street. While the events may be fictional it was easy to picture similar heartbreaking situations that actually happened in the not too distant past. Chamberlain, as always, handles difficult topics with grace and a lot of heart.

Diane Chamberlain has done it again!! Just finished up The Last House on the Street and it was wonderful! I don’t think I’ve looked up from my kindle in 48 hours. I’m actually sad it’s over. This book switches between Ellie in 1965 and her work as a civil rights worker and Kayla, a newly widowed mother in 2010. This one is not to be missed!