Lake Effect by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
It’s 1977 in Rochester, New York, and life for two families on Cambridge Road is about to forever change. When Nina Larkin’s newly single friend gifts her a copy of The Joy of Sex, Nina suddenly realizes she wants more than her going-through-the-motions marriage. Nina falls into a relationship with Finn Finnegan – which turns out to be not just a fling, but a deep love. At last Finn and Nina can hide it no longer, running away for quick divorces and an even quicker remarriage. The scandal sends shock waves through both families, particularly for the Larkin and Finnegan children, who have themselves been enmeshed all their lives. Some relationships bend, while others break, yet the families remain tied together as time marches on. Warm and bighearted, Lake Effect bursts with the messy realities of life and all the ways we hurt and heal the ones we love. Fans of family stories like Sandwich and Tom Lake, this one’s for you.
Reviewed by Mary Kinser, collection development librarian, Whatcom County Library System
(Originally published in Bellingham Alive March 2026 issue.)