Echo Lane

by Sandra Kelly

Patsy Keane survived her childhood, and some days that's all that matters. As the child of an alcoholic mother, Patsy is not prone to nostalgia. She lives in a world of her own creation, where Beverly Keane's maternal shortcomings are just a bad memory. It would be a perfect world if Patsy wasn't eternally haunted by the memory of what really happened on the day her sister Kathleen went missing-and by the foolish lie she told that day. She's lived with it for forty-two years. Since that terrible time, Patsy has distanced herself from everyone and everything in her past. She is now a well-respected teacher in Calgary, the proud owner of a vintage home, and the occasional companion of a lovely man who seems content to keep their relationship casual. It's a stable life-until a mysterious woman shows up at her door claiming to be Nora Stone, a childhood friend of Kathleen's. Nora further claims to have information about Kathleen's fate, facts she acquired in a manner that defies belief. As Patsy tries to figure out whether Nora is real, real but crazy, or something even more sinister, the rest of her carefully compartmentalized life begins to come apart, one well built piece at a time.

275 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2023

Reviews

[CarolG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Patsy Keane, adult child of an alcoholic mother, is haunted by her sister Kathleen's disappearance 42 years ago. She lives a quiet life and is a well respected teacher in Calgary Alberta. One day a mysterious woman shows up at her door claiming to be Nora Stone, a childhood friend of Kathleen's, and says she has information about Kathleen's fate.

I'm not sure what drew me to this book, must've been some of the reviews on Goodreads. I borrowed a copy from the library and mistakenly thought it would be a fast and breezy read. Unfortunately not. For one thing, even though the page count is only 275, the pages in this edition are extra small and so is the font so my poor old eyes had a hard time with it. For another thing, the chapters are much longer than I usually like. I also had trouble maintaining focus on the story and it took me quite a while to read it.

The writing was fine and I really liked Patsy as a character but the story itself left me feeling flat. It's been such a long time since Kathleen went missing, not that Patsy should forget her, but I wasn't all that into solving the mystery, especially after Nora describes how she came to be in possession of the information which she came all this way to impart to Patsy. I did enjoy some of the current happenings - her brother Nathan's accident, Patsy's reunion with her mother Bev and Patsy's relationship with Tom.

Thanks to the London Public Library once again for the loan of this book.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank-you to Sandra Kelly for an ARC of Echo Lane.
Patsy Keane is living a fairly quiet life as a 55 year old high school English teacher, working on restoring her vintage house in an older neighbourhood in Calgary. She has a "friends with benefits" relationship with her neighbour Tom, and watches out for her younger brother Nathan who is an alcoholic.
Then Nora Stone arrives at Patsy's door, opening up a huge box of memories from Patsy's past. Nora lived next door in Lazy River, Ontario when they were both children. She brings up the mysterious death of Patsy's younger sister when she was 5 years old, and Patsy is forced to face once again the long-buried memory of that time in her life.
And thus begins a story that is told in multiple timelines mostly through the internal voice of Patsy. We learn about the deep sadness, abuse and negligent upbringing that she endured. Her experiences shaped her to be extremely strong, resilient and full of faith in the human spirit. The subject matter is tough but the author has given Patsy a sense of humour and caustic wit that keeps the story lively and fast-paced. Patsy had many wise words and an honest, vulnerable way of explaining her experiences. I loved her character so much.
There is a huge cast of characters in the book - I won't soon forget Patsy's mother Bev, Kay Gallagher her surrogate grandmother, and of course Nora. But there were times when I was confused by some of the other side characters. It would probably be best to try to read this book in a few days, in order to keep everyone straight. I marked many quotes in this story.
Congratulations to Sandra Kelly on her debut of literary fiction. This book was captivating and engaging right til the very satisfying ending.

[Sandra Lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm almost exclusively a reader of non-fiction so when I occasionally dip into fiction, I want it to be good. I wasn't disappointed. I looked at the cover and thought, "Is this a women's book?" As it turns out, the answer is "no". I think this book would be interesting to almost anyone expecting a puzzle, an enigma, a page-turner. Oddly, there's no way to categorize it; it's a murder-mystery but not a murder-mystery. It's social commentary but not social commentary. It's magical realism... but not.

I found in each chapter a new taste and twist on some loosely inter-related events and began to wonder if there could possibly be any way these all fit together. But every chapter always drew me into its own little scenario until as I neared the end of the book, all the pieces clicked into place, with of course, a grand twist in the final pages.

This is a very well-written story and in my opinion, worth reading and saving on the bookshelf for a re-read a couple of years down the road. Looking forward to the next one by Ms. Kelly.

[Elinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for my in-person book club, and it was a treat. The main character is a 55-year-old woman still suffering from a tragedy that happened in her youth, but that hasn’t stopped her from reaching success in her teaching career, and landing a hunky age-appropriate boyfriend. She is a survivor, one who doesn’t consider herself a victim in spite of her chaotic upbringing by an alcoholic mother.

Then another woman arrives on the scene, one who holds the key to unlocking the mystery in Patsy’s past. I flew through this novel mainly because of the author’s witty dialogue and snappy writing. I particularly enjoyed the satisfying resolution to the mystery, and the effect it has on Patsy’s life. This is the author’s debut novel and I look forward to reading more by Sandra Kelly.

[Danika Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars
An intricately woven story of family, loss, and the history that haunts us, Echo Lane brings us into the world of Patsy Keane, a wary middle-aged woman with a dark past. When a woman claiming to be a childhood friend appears on her doorstep, Patsy finds herself pulled back into the troubled life she left behind. Half-forgotten stories, ghostly messages, and a painfully-sharp present weave a story of the past that seems all too alive. Both heartbreaking and humorous at once, Echo Lane untangles a multigenerational story of loss and redemption, leaving you with a new sense of hope in the process. Readers of The Lovely Bones and Angela's Ashes will find much to enjoy here!

[Anna Sewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a profoundly affecting book, tackling deep issues with warmth and humanity. At the same time, Ms. Kelly keeps the reader guessing, and the ending is both satisfying and realistic, with one good surprise to leave you thinking...
If you enjoy family dramas about gutsy, good-hearted people, give this one a go. It will stay with you.

I was lucky enough to get hold of an Advance Reading Copy. Echo Lane launches June 3rd and is now available to pre-order from Stonehouse Publishing.

[Anthony Bidulka · Rating 5 out of 5]

A damaged life rebuilt is at risk of being torn apart again. Is some damage too great to recover from? Are some mistakes too grave? Echo Lane deals with darkness and desperation yet somehow manages to maintain a sense of humour. Get ready for some wonderfully drawn characters who propel the reader through even the toughest passages.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I greatly liked this book, it was fluid to follow the story and I related to Patsy’s trauma surviving her childhood and struggling in her adult life. This book has been an eye opening and I look forward to reading more books like these !