What do you think?
Rate this book
Memory Lake: The Forever Friendships of Summer Camp
2102 Next Generation Indie Book Award winner, Inspirational category.
Summer Camp. These two words have been known to inspire many things in the hearts of young girls and prospective campers – from fear, loneliness and anxiety, to joy, freedom, and lessons learned that will last a lifetime. In Memory Lake by Nancy S. Kyme the author’s experience begins with the former, and is transformed by the latter. Part novel and part memoir of the author’s own transformative experiences at a summer camp on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Told in flashback as the main character Nancy drives to a camp reunion with her own daughter and her friend, the story will take the reader on an unforgettable journey back to their own teenage years, a difficult time for any young woman – and how the idyllic setting of the camp, her sometimes humorous and sometimes harrowing adventures, and the power of female friendships formed that will last a lifetime – can in fact change the form and direction of your life.
Anyone who ever attended summer camp will relate to these charming vignettes, and for those who have not – when you finish this book, you’ll feel as if you had.
Summer Camp. These two words have been known to inspire many things in the hearts of young girls and prospective campers – from fear, loneliness and anxiety, to joy, freedom, and lessons learned that will last a lifetime. In Memory Lake by Nancy S. Kyme the author’s experience begins with the former, and is transformed by the latter. Part novel and part memoir of the author’s own transformative experiences at a summer camp on the shores of Lake Michigan.
Told in flashback as the main character Nancy drives to a camp reunion with her own daughter and her friend, the story will take the reader on an unforgettable journey back to their own teenage years, a difficult time for any young woman – and how the idyllic setting of the camp, her sometimes humorous and sometimes harrowing adventures, and the power of female friendships formed that will last a lifetime – can in fact change the form and direction of your life.
Anyone who ever attended summer camp will relate to these charming vignettes, and for those who have not – when you finish this book, you’ll feel as if you had.
435 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Nancy S. Kyme
1 book4 followers Nancy S. Kyme is a 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Award winner, Inspirational category, for her debut novel-memoir, "Memory Lake: The Forever Friendships of Summer".
Kyme's literary interests are focused on the creation of a hopeful, plausible Fantasy/Science Fiction cross-over trilogy that combines metaphysical and scientific truths. She began writing this project in 1992 and continues today after taking a seven year hiatus to write a memoir about summer camp. She decided to 'write what you know' as a training tool to gain direction for her greater literary work.
Kyme currently resides in Lake Ridge, Virginia and is President of the DC Branch of the National League of American Pen Women, Prince William Arts Council Board Member, and Director of the Clearbrook Center of the Arts.
We are born to create. When striving for excellence, setting fear aside, anything is possible.
Kyme's literary interests are focused on the creation of a hopeful, plausible Fantasy/Science Fiction cross-over trilogy that combines metaphysical and scientific truths. She began writing this project in 1992 and continues today after taking a seven year hiatus to write a memoir about summer camp. She decided to 'write what you know' as a training tool to gain direction for her greater literary work.
Kyme currently resides in Lake Ridge, Virginia and is President of the DC Branch of the National League of American Pen Women, Prince William Arts Council Board Member, and Director of the Clearbrook Center of the Arts.
We are born to create. When striving for excellence, setting fear aside, anything is possible.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 17, 2012
Memory Lake is memoir about a mother driving to her summer camp reunion with her teenage daughter (and daughter's two friends) in the car while she reminisces about her camp memories and grieves for her own mother's untimely death. While the book is meandering at times - I found myself wondering if every last detail covered was really necessary because the book seemed long - and there were some typos and word mis-uses that bothered my editorial OCD self, I was still interested in the author's story. The writing is engrossing and the author's connection with her daughter and musings about her mother tie in surprisingly well to the camp stories that fill the majority of the book.
While my camp memories are different in many ways than the author's (this is about a generic summer camp, while all of my camping memories are tied to Girl Scouts), there are enough similarities to evoke nostalgia. And as a daughter and a soon-to-be mother, the family connections and thoughts were relatable as well.
While my camp memories are different in many ways than the author's (this is about a generic summer camp, while all of my camping memories are tied to Girl Scouts), there are enough similarities to evoke nostalgia. And as a daughter and a soon-to-be mother, the family connections and thoughts were relatable as well.
August 16, 2012
Know the author. Like to read good memoirs and autobiographies. This one is a novelized memoir. Should be a good beach book when I go to Boston next week. All about summer camp, a good mother/daughter read.
Finished Kyme's novel/memoir and interviewed the author about how to write a memoir.
Aside from the poetic language, detailed mother/daughter journey and, perhaps familiar camp memories, readers will enjoy Kyme's journey to understanding her own mother and grandmother.
Highly recommend.
Check out my post and link to my interview with the author at http://newgrandmas.com/13949/books-ga...
Finished Kyme's novel/memoir and interviewed the author about how to write a memoir.
Aside from the poetic language, detailed mother/daughter journey and, perhaps familiar camp memories, readers will enjoy Kyme's journey to understanding her own mother and grandmother.
Highly recommend.
Check out my post and link to my interview with the author at http://newgrandmas.com/13949/books-ga...
August 3, 2014
I thought that a memoir about the positive impact of girls' summer camp would be light hearted and uplifting. Plus, the author is an accountant (like me) and this is her first book! However, 470 pages is too many for this topic. The author is overly analytical and approaches the same subject from too many angles. The benefit of reading this book was that I do see a lot of myself in the author. Like the author learned, I should also stop critiquing my circumstances, look up to God for strength, and start enjoying the present.
September 16, 2011
This book is absolutely wonderful...I laughed. I cried. It's great for all ages, and is highly descriptive. The author did an amazing job of describing and illustrating her own personal growth through her teens, and successfully imparting her wisdom to her children. Her writing is both engaging and insightful...her experiences are priceless.
February 18, 2012
Run out (or click on) and buy this book! Now! Read it! It will change your life. It did mine.
May 4, 2012
Such a wonderful story.
July 28, 2012
Met Nancy at a Craft Fair in Haymarket. The book was fabulous and EVEN BETTER since I finished reading it at a Lake. I can't wait to read it again.
July 11, 2012
I liked this book. It reminded me of my camp days! What great memories!
September 22, 2012
Loved it!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews