Memoir Review

Lake Journal
by Thomas Schlueter
ISBN-10: 1413489729
Review by Heather Froeschl

Having been touched by a cabin on a lake myself, Tom Schlueter's "Lake Journal" brought back that feeling of escape, if only in my mind. Even if you haven't spent time in a real cabin yourself this book of essays will bring you there, or close to it.

Schlueter's Wisconsin cabin was built by his grandfather, and his essays explore every aspect of it. His memories of family times and alone times fill this journal with reminiscences that are very much a part of Americana. The lessons his grandfather passed on are just as valuable, if not more so, than the cabin itself. With wonder at nature, finding a respect and awe for the forest, through sad times and happy moments of reflection, Schlueter shares his little piece of heaven on earth.

From summer days spent fishing and paddling about in the lake to winter visits that brought the challenge of traversing the frozen waters and taking hours to warm the cabin up enough to sit down without freezing, every season is admired. The escape from daily life is what a cabin on a lake is usually about, but Schlueter helps readers to understand that it is not just an escape but a reconnection with what is truly important...family, nature, and self.

The book is a delightful read, an escape in itself, and should find its way into the hands of every cabin-goer, perhaps into every cabin to be enjoyed by generations to come.