Listen to a sample
Lake Effect
- Author
- Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
- Narrator
- Marin Ireland
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 3 March 2026
- Run Time
- 8 hours 55 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Family life fiction / Stories about family, Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Modern and Contemporary romance, Narrative theme: coming of age, Narrative theme: love / relationships, Narrative theme: death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: identity / belonging
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
'Sparkling… a joyful classic in the making' JENNY JACKSON, New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street
'I could not put it down!' SHELBY VAN PELT, author of Remarkably Bright Creatures
It’s 1977 and an air of restlessness has settled on the residents of Cambridge Road in Rochester, New York. When Nina Larkin is given a copy of The Joy of Sex by her newly divorced friend, she can no longer dismiss the nearly non-existent intimacy of her marriage. Just as her oldest child, Clara, is falling in love for the first time, Nina finds herself longing for the forbidden: a midlife awakening. An intoxicating fling with a neighbour brings Nina a freedom she never thought possible—but also risks the reputations of both families and unravels Clara’s world, just as she stands on the threshold of adulthood.
Years later Clara, now a successful food stylist in New York City, has never been able to move past the long-ago scandal. Drawn back home by the pull of a family wedding and wrestling with her own demons, she makes a pivotal decision that turns her life upside down.
Written with Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s signature humour and insight, LAKE EFFECT is a wise and probing look at love and desire, mothers and daughters, loss and grief, and what we owe the people we love most.
Critics Review
-
'A sparkling novel of love and family and the wreckage of a passionate affair. Lake Effect is tender and bittersweet, a joyful classic in the making' JENNY JACKSON, New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street
-
'Lake Effect pulled me right into its messy, intimate web of neighbors, lovers, mothers, and daughters. Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney brings warmth and humor to this nuanced exploration of betrayal and its echoes, drawing each character’s perspective so finely that I could swear I know these people. I could not put it down!' SHELBY VAN PELT, author of Remarkably Bright Creatures
-
'Satisfying… Sweeney captures the zeitgeist of the ‘70s with key passages in cultural history: along with the divorce spike of those years, the plot weaves in the research at Xerox that ultimately led to the personal computer, the early days of cable food shows, the beginnings of the AIDS epidemic, the way people could disappear in a time before email and smartphones and social media, and more… Sweeney’s insight into all the ways people who love each other end up at bitter odds gives the warm-hearted novel a welcome bite. An inviting family drama with the warmth, interest, and edge readers love in Sweeney’s work' KIRKUS REVIEWS (starred)
-
'A story of desire, jealousy, fragile family bonds, and choices both freeing and haunting, this is a gift from Sweeney' LIBRARY JOURNAL
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
'[A] cracking novel' PLATINUM MAGAZINE
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
- Narrator
- Marin Ireland
- Duration
- 8 hours 55 minutes
- Release Date
- 3 March 2026
- ISBN
- 9780008799465
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Family life fiction / Stories about family, Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Modern and Contemporary romance, Narrative theme: coming of age, Narrative theme: love / relationships, Narrative theme: death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: identity / belonging
Synopsis
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE NEST, a stunning new novel about adultery, first love and other family secrets… 'Sparkling… a joyful classic in the making' JENNY JACKSON, New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street 'I could not put it down!' SHELBY VAN PELT, author of Remarkably Bright Creatures It’s 1977 and an air of restlessness has settled on the residents of Cambridge Road in Rochester, New York. When Nina Larkin is given a copy of The Joy of Sex by her newly divorced friend, she can no longer dismiss the nearly non-existent intimacy of her marriage. Just as her oldest child, Clara, is falling in love for the first time, Nina finds herself longing for the forbidden: a midlife awakening. An intoxicating fling with a neighbour brings Nina a freedom she never thought possible—but also risks the reputations of both families and unravels Clara’s world, just as she stands on the threshold of adulthood. Years later Clara, now a successful food stylist in New York City, has never been able to move past the long-ago scandal. Drawn back home by the pull of a family wedding and wrestling with her own demons, she makes a pivotal decision that turns her life upside down. Written with Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s signature humour and insight, LAKE EFFECT is a wise and probing look at love and desire, mothers and daughters, loss and grief, and what we owe the people we love most.
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.