On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah (published 1999) tells the story of Annie Colwater, who is searching for herself after her only child leaves home and her husband of 20 years asks for a divorce. Her small logging hometown of Mystic, Washington, is quite the contrast to her wealthy and sterile Los Angeles life. As she revisits old friends and helps a lonely young girl after the death of her mother, she begins to remember who she was before she was a stay-at-home mom and wife. A strong sense of place in the Olympic National Forest contributes to making On Mystic Lake a lovely, albeit a dated, novel.
After reading Kristin Hannah’s more recent works and being incredibly impressed with the research, writing, and deeply satisfying plots, I was a little bit disappointed in this early Hannah work. She tried too hard in describing people, at least. We got the point about how wealthy Annie is, but the narrator kept emphasizing her cashmere and diamonds, for example. I also felt like the whole premise of the novel was dated: Annie’s husband didn’t want her to work but to be a stay-at-home mom, but now she feels like she needs to do something else. The book may have been contemporary when it was first written but that entire premise is a dated story concept now.
Ironically, I feel a bit unmoored like that right now. I’ve been a stay-at-home homeschooling mom but now the homeschooling is over and I must figure out what I want to do for myself. I haven’t been working outside the home, much as Annie had not been. But unlike Annie, I am not in a marriage where I’ve been demeaned and ignored. My husband was very much a part of my children’s upbringing, and he is certainly not having an affair with his colleague. So, although there is much different about our situations, I can appreciate Annie’s basic ennui with life. Unlike Annie, I don’t think moving to a small town to make a garden is going to change my perspective.
On Mystic Lake is like a love-song to the Pacific Northwest. The descriptions that feel tedious when about Annie’s clothing, car, and house feel satisfying as they describe the unique forested setting of Mystic, Washington. The foggy, rainy spring gives way to a lovely June that is enviable because of the tranquility. No wonder tourists visit this area of the U.S.! It’s lovely.
In the end, the book is satisfying. Lousy husband is tossed aside and small-town romance can flourish, but only after a few missteps and confusing twists. This is a novel like a Hallmark movie, with “moving to a small town to start a bookstore” vibes throughout. But there is a place for Hallmark movies, and this spring season story is one I did enjoy, dated aspects and all.
