May 2026 - Gone-Away Lake > Likes and Comments

Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright
Published: 1957
Awards: Newbery Honor Book 1958


Summary: "It tells the story of cousins who spend a summer exploring and discover a lost lake and the two people who still live there."

I started this last night and am enjoying it.

I finished it the very next night--enjoyed it quite a bit!

Wow that was quick! I should have time to start today or tomorrow.

Cleo wrote: "Wow that was quick! I should have time to start today or tomorrow."

Children's books make quick reads, especially if I'm not reading anything else at the same time.

I'm perhaps about a third of the way through. I like how Enright makes her children interested in things, like music and drama and entomology. And I completely understand Mr. Payton (Pindar) and his hornets. I have a greenhouse where European paper wasps have numerous nests. I leave them alone and they are completely fine. I can even work within inches of them. If they get disturbed about something, I just talk to them and they settle down. Unlike our common yellowjackets which can be vicious. So I just love the paper wasps!

Cleo wrote: "I'm perhaps about a third of the way through. I like how Enright makes her children interested in things, like music and drama and entomology. And I completely understand Mr. Payton (Pindar) and hi..."

Most wasps are not aggressive. As long as you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone. Ditto with bees. Only a minority of them have stingers. Yellow jackets are one of the aggressive species (not all stinging ones are aggressive, though. This just came up somewhere recently.

Karin wrote: "Most wasps are not aggressive. As long as you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone. Ditto with bees...."

You always have such interesting information!

I've finally been able to place a hold. The library system was down for a few days.

Cleo wrote: "Karin wrote: "Most wasps are not aggressive. As long as you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone. Ditto with bees...."

You always have such interesting information!"

Thanks! As long as I don't sound like a know-it-all, which happens in writing sometimes. Let me know if I come cross that way, because I tend to write short at times forgetting it doesn't convey my tone of voice or body language, etc.

Talk long, write short--it's a curse I bear.

Re wasps-do not eat bananas outside- I got stung on my upper lip!

I’m happy that you’re able to get the book, Rosemarie, but not happy that you were stung. Note taken! 🐝❌🍌

I have the same problem Karin. It’s usually because I’m short on time and so my posts can sometimes sound short. But I don’t think you sound like a know-it-all. It’s great that we’re able to learn from each other. So keep the information coming!

Cleo wrote: "I have the same problem Karin. It’s usually because I’m short on time and so my posts can sometimes sound short. But I don’t think you sound like a know-it-all. It’s great that we’re able to learn ..."

Thanks. I once had a couple of people feeling in a different group, but made an apology (there was one post that should have been worded better) and it was amazing how much that helped. Don't people apologize?

I miss private messaging here, because that's how the mod let me know what the feeling was.

You've met me IRL, but most people here haven't--I think that helps.

I miss the direct messaging too. I do think that it helps that I’ve met you but I also think people have alot less grace for others than they used to. People nowadays generally get offended too easily. I rarely get offended at anything even if I can be direct at times. ☺️

Cleo wrote: "I miss the direct messaging too. I do think that it helps that I’ve met you but I also think people have alot less grace for others than they used to. People nowadays generally get offended too eas..."

Good points. Sometimes I'm rather sensitive--I had a rash moment this morning when I got an odd email. Instead of getting off my email, turning off my VPN and checking our group website I contacted someone. Can't take it back! We know each other IRL so ideally it will get smoothed out, but it was not a smooth move!

I just finished this; I listened to most of it, and read the last few chapters after my audiobook returned and I couldn't renew it. The narrator was not very good, so that affected my opinion of the story, I am sure. I vacillated between 2-3 stars on this; probably if I had read it as a child I would have enjoyed it more. I think my main issue is connected to that idea though: to me, the story reads as very sentimental, and probably would have more so if I had read it as a child.

I like Cleo's point about the children having interests, and I agree with that; and there were some interesting tidbits on nature and 'old things,' but the story seemed to lack depth and float on that notion of sentimentality (which the narrator exacerbated). Thoughts?

Not that I think you'd have ever given this five stars, but I think the narrator ruined this book for you; I've had that happen to me before as well. For me this story was fun, plain and simple. There wasn't a great deal of realism in this and I don't think it was meant to be realistic :)

If I'd listened to the audiobook you did, I'd have disliked it I'm sure, especially since I'd hate to hear someone voice the elderly siblings. For me this was a fun adventure story that had I read this as a child would have given me plenty of fodder for daydreaming as I was trying to go to sleep at night.

I've just finished the book and really enjoyed their adventures.
The illustrations were delightful.

I have the sequel and will try reading it--hopefully I enjoy it as much as I did the first one.

I finished Return to Gone-Away. It's a cute book, but I really liked the first book. It was a fun, fast read.

Marcy wrote: "I just finished this; I listened to most of it, and read the last few chapters after my audiobook returned and I couldn't renew it. The narrator was not very good, so that affected my opinion of th..."

So I'm still only half-way through this one and it's been hard for me to pick up. I must admit that I don't find it that interesting and for whatever reason, the characters are just not resonating with me. I wonder if it's the setting, which is not familiar to me but that means Enright didn't quite make it come alive for an unfamiliar reader.

In any case, I'm going to try hard to finish it this month and come back with my thoughts.

I liked the first one which got better as it went, but the second one not as much. There were some fun scenes, but I felt it dragged early on with too much focus on the restoration of the old house.

I wish the sequel had never been written. The original has a certain charm and there's a little mystery as the kids explore and discover, but try to keep it a secret. The second book offers nothing to make up for going in with everyone knowing the whole story. It's a book about fixing up a house and is pretty dull going.

So we don't own it and don't bother to read it when introducing kids to Enright's other wonderful books. No loss.

Good points.