4.5 stars. A historical novel of social justice told in two timelines, it's also a bit of a mystery/thriller and a love story.

In 1965, Ellie Hockley joins SCOPE, and spends the summer canvassing to help blacks register to vote. Her family and the KKK are not pleased with her involvement, especially when it comes to light that she's fallen for her co-canvasser, a black man named Win. What happens next has Ellie fleeing to California. In 2010, Kayla is an architect who designed her dream home with her recently deceased husband. She keeps getting warnings to stay away from her home. The Hockley home is right down the street, and after 40 something years, Ellie is back.

"When Kayla Carter's husband dies in an accident while building their dream house, she knows she has to stay strong for their four-year-old daughter. But the trophy home in Shadow Ridge Estates, a new development in sleepy Round Hill, North Carolina, will always hold tragic memories. But when she is confronted by an odd, older woman telling her not to move in, she almost agrees. It's clear this woman has some kind of connection to the area...and a connection to Kayla herself. Kayla's elderly new neighbor, Ellie Hockley, is more welcoming, but it's clear she, too, has secrets that stretch back almost fifty years. Is Ellie on a quest to right the wrongs of the past? And does the house at the end of the street hold the key? Told in dual time periods, The Last House on the Street is a novel of shocking prejudice and violence, forbidden love, the search for justice, and the tangled vines of two families."

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Last House on the Street is the story of a family in conflict, love, resilience, hatred, intolerance and racism. These themes are confluent throughout and I felt so emotional reading about Ellie, who is a crusader for civil rights. Her story takes place in North Carolina when the KKK was terrorizing her town. She felt so strongly about helping the black folks that she signed up for SCOPE (Summer Community Organization and Political Education), against her family’s advice. The story of what Ellie endured and watched her friends suffer through is completely relevant to today’s times.

This book is written with a dual timeline, the other half about Kayla, a single mom who moves into the last house on the street where some of the horrors of those times took place. It’s the same neighborhood where Ellie grew up years before.

These two women come together and try to make sense of the racial tensions of the past, while Kayla tries to understand why her beautiful, new home feels haunted, for lack of a better word.

Diane Chamberlain has made me really think about the racial divide in this country. As I write this, it is Thanksgiving Day and I’m thinking about how grateful I am to have the love of family and hoping that everyone can come together and love each other instead of hate each other simply because of the color of one’s skin. This book is a must read and deserves every one of the five stars I’ve given it.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Jan. 11, 2022
Forbidden love, racism and violence intertwine in Diane Chamberlain’s newest novel, “The Last House on the Street”. Told by two different women in two different eras, whose lives connect in more ways than even they know, Chamberlain tells a powerful and thought-provoking tale.
After the devastating loss of her husband, Jackson, Kayla and her young daughter are looking for a new start. Kayla and Jackson worked tirelessly as the architects on a house in a new development, but Kayla’s excitement has waned since losing Jackson, and she is anxious to move into the house where she was supposed to be living a happy life with her loving husband. However, Kayla and her daughter move in despite it all, in hopes of moving on. One day, an eccentric older woman confronts Kayla, threatening her home and her daughter, insisting she pack up and leave the community. Kayla begins to receive more than verbal threats and she is facing more questions than answers. Why would anyone in her new community want her gone? What secrets is her new house keeping?
Chamberlain’s story is narrated in two time periods, 1965 and 2010, by two very different women, Ellie and Kayla. Both women have struggled with immense loss and have been forced to start over, immediately connecting with the reader through their bravery and strength.
“House” covers the emotional and sensitive topic of racism in the Deep South during the 1960s, and yet manages to do it with grace and respect. As a white reader, child of the 80s, who is about as far North as you can get, I was able to experience this torrential time almost first-hand through Chamberlain’s characters.
Chamberlain connects both characters to each other well, and her story flows effortlessly. Her talent exudes throughout, as the plot perfectly ebbs and flows, drawing the reader in. When the ending came around it was unexpected yet heartbreaking, but yet it also managed to provide satisfaction and relief to the reader.
“The Last House on the Street” is reverential, unique, and in an entire genre on its own. It addresses a hot-button issue while still managing to include a forbidden love and the relationship between two families, connected by loss. Chamberlain continues to deliver with her powerful novels, and I’m always eager for the chance to read anything she writes.

The Last House on the Right 🪧
Publisher : @stmartinspress
Author : @diane.chamberlain.author
Publication : Jan 11, 2022
ARC : @netgalley

The Last House on the Right is dual timeline novel taking place in 1965 & 2010, covering the lives of two women & their families during a time of great emotion.

It’s 1965 in the south and there is an incredible amount of racial injustice. Ellie Hockley was a writer for the school paper. She wrote about the protests and how she felt compelled to stand with those who took to the streets. She often shared her ideas with her Aunt Carole, one of the only people in her life who held similar opinions & values. Ellie learns of a program that is dedicated to educating Black people on the Voting Rights Act by canvasing in uncomfortable areas and, despite many warnings, decides to throw herself into the lions den. Ellie commits to doing what’s right regardless of the risk, even if it that means being disowned by her own family.

2010, Kayla Carter & her husband are both architects and have finally designed their dream home. Shortly after, tragedy strikes the new construction and Kayla begins to question if moving into their new home is still the right choice. Kayla receives an unexpected visitor at her office who seems to know more about Kayla & her daughter Rainie than she would like. Kayla decides that regardless of what has happened, she feels like it’s only right to move in. It is then that Kayla meets her new neighbors, the Hockley’s.

What a moving & humbling story. Chamberlain does an exquisite job with the fluidity of this novel & bringing everything to a head at the end. You will not believe the truths that are exposed by the light 45 years later.

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain - two women, two stories – so good! 1965 we meet Ellie who is a NC college student who decides to spend her summer break as a volunteer helping to register black voters in the county she grew up in (part of the SCOPE project) without her family and friends support. 2010 we meet Kayla who is a recent widow and is moving into a home she and her late husband designed, She is nervous about the move with her young daughter after the recent death of her husband, and the property according to some is haunted. She and Ellie end up being neighbors where their stories collide as the Kayla learns more about Ellie’s history and the woods around her home. This is the first book I have read by Diane Chamberlain and I loved it! I felt like I was part of the story and am still thinking about it afterwards – I highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book which is scheduled to be released January 11, 2022.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

The Last House on the Street is told through two POV in two time periods—in 2010 recent widow Kalya Carter 2010 moves into new house in Round Hill, NC, with her four year old daughter. An odd woman warns her not to move in and some strange things are happening at her house. In 1965, Ellie defies her Round Hill family and signs up with the SCOPE Project (Summer Community Organization and Political Education) where white college students lived with rural black citizens to register them to vote. The two women’s story converge in 2010.

I loved Ellie's story and was heartbroken time and time again. Sadly, it is amazing that 56 years later, so many of the social justice issues remain the same.

I highly recommend this book.

I had both the digital copy and the audio book. I preferred the audio book which had excellent narration by Susan Bennett.

Two women are connected to a tragedy by a house in a well-to-do neighborhood. As one tries to make sense of what happened, the other wants to forget the entire incident. Author Diane Chamberlain returns with her attention to detail in the compelling yet incomplete novel The Last House on the Street.

Kayla Carter can’t focus these days. Her husband, Jackson, died in a terrible accident in the half-finished house the two of them designed together. Now the house is done, but she has no inclination to move in. Yet she doesn’t have a choice. She and Jackson sank most of their money into the home, and it was his dream house to live there and raise their three-year-old daughter, Rainie.

Even before Kayla moves in, though, there are problems. A strange woman visits her at the architecture firm where she and Jackson worked together. The woman threatens Kayla—at least, it sounds like a threat—and it freaks Kayla out. After she moves in, someone begins harassing her with property damage and fake phone calls but she doesn’t know why.

Her new neighborhood, Shadow Ridge Estates, was supposed to be a refuge in their small town of Round Hill, North Carolina. The woods behind the house leave Kayla feeling unsettled, but Jackson loved them and picked their lot because of the close proximity to nature. He even insisted on floor-to-ceiling windows so they could look out and see the woods.

Kayla’s apprehension remains when she meets the Hockley family who live in the only old house left on the street. Everyone else is gone and gave the developers their blessing to redo the entire area. The Hockleys are the lone holdout, and Kayla’s dad tells her he wouldn’t be surprised if they never let their house go.

The connection between her father and the Hockleys, particularly Ellie Hockley, puzzles Kayla. She discovers that there’s more than a social connection. At one time Ellie and Kayla’s father were in love. Ellie, in fact, saw herself settling down with Kayla’s dad.

All that changed when Ellie got involved with a civil rights organization in the 1960s dedicated to helping Black people register to vote. Ellie’s eyes are opened to the racism in her own backyard, and she’s also drawn to another volunteer. Her parents barely tolerate her sense of civic duty, but for Ellie it’s an eye-opening experience that changes her permanently.

As Kayla and Ellie get to know one another, Kayla discovers some startling truths about Shadow Ridge Estates. She and Ellie will both have to decide if they can live with what she finds—even if that means admitting uncomfortable realities about themselves.

Author Diane Chamberlain excels in her research into race relations in the past, and once again her story shines because of her careful detailing. Here Chamberlain highlights the SCOPE project, a 1965 civil rights initiative to reach rural Black families. Ellie’s involvement in the group gives readers another window into that tumultuous time of history.

The book alternates between Ellie’s story in the 1960s and Kayla in present-day Round Hill. Chamberlain’s prose and character building shine during Ellie’s sections. Ellie’s apprehension at getting involved with SCOPE as well as her change of heart toward the people in her life are natural and organic. Readers will have no problem getting involved with her side of the plot.

By contrast, Kayla’s storyline is weaker. There isn’t nearly as much movement in her subplot. Kayla’s main function is to mourn her husband and wonder why someone would want to harass her; her sections are clearly to heighten tension for Ellie’s sections and also to act as transitions back to Ellie’s story.

The style and methods of harassment against Kayla border on juvenile. When the harasser’s identity is revealed, readers might scratch their heads rather than be shocked. Also, the main portions of Ellie’s story are compelling, but readers will find themselves asking a lot of questions about the rest of her life.

Early on it’s revealed that she lives in California now, and vague mentions are made of her activism there. Yet readers never find out how she made it from North Carolina and the gut-wrenching events there all the way to the west coast. The leap is too big to make without some kind of information to bridge the gap.

The historical portions of the book are compelling and a must-read. The rest of the book doesn’t quite live up to that same benchmark.

WOW, I am emotionally charged after reading Diane Chamberlain’s new novel The Last House On The Street. The only bad thing about finishing one of her books is that I have to wait too long for her next one to come out.

The story takes place in 1965 in North Carolina during the time of segregation, civil rights, the Ku Klux Klan and Martin Luther King. I learned about SCOPE, the Summer Community Organization and Political Education Project, a civil rights initiative lead by King to get congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965. White college students were recruited to go to rural areas and educate African Americans on the importance of voting. As you can imagine this brought about major conflict, extreme danger and death. Many of the people involved in the project have been emotionally effected throughout their lives due to what they witnessed during this short time. Ellie along with the entire small community of Round Hill, North Carolina were never able to recover from the events that took place in their community during 1965.

I found the beginning of the story to be a little simplistically written and thought I might be disappointed but as I kept reading that was definitely not the case. I became so attached to the characters and felt such hatred towards the bad people and such compassion, love and respect for the good people. I wanted to jump in the story and be part of the action. I would love to see this as a movie.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Make sure to make this one of your first reads of 2022.

I have to say this wasn’t my favorite. It started out good but I lost interest in the middle of the book. The story is told from multiple viewpoints that despite being years apart they connect. I finished it, but it wasn’t a page turner. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Very engaging story and storytelling. I would say that it seemed a bit too long and probably could have done without Kayla's portion. It just didn't add the right layer.

I hate to say this one didn’t completely work for me. It started off strong. I was really compelled to keep reading, but it just dragged in the middle. By the time I got to the end I just wanted it to be over.

I really enjoyed this book. The author is one of my favorites, I love her ability to tell stories that keep me reading for more

(3.5⭐️) The exquisite, new house at the end of Hockley Street was designed with detail and attention. But more importantly, it was designed with love by two architects eager for a happy ever after there amongst the beauty of that land.

But that land’s history is one of tragedy. And tragedy rarely stays buried.

This story is told in dual narrative. In 2010, we meet Kayla, who is recently widowed and preparing to move into the Hockley Street house she designed with her husband. It’s hard to push aside the grief over him dying on the very steps he designed. Her anxieties are quickly compounded as she and her daughter are threatened by a mysterious woman.

In 1965, twenty year old Ellie Hockley has just finished her second year of college. Her family has lived in Round Hill for generations and are well respected. When Ellie joins the newly instituted SCOPE program, where she will assist in registering black voters, she is met with opposition from everyone, including her family.

History has a place in the present day, and though nearly fifty years apart, Ellie and Kayla’s stories intersect.

Though the writing is good and the storyline is solid, I never quite connected with the characters the way I desired. The emotions that Kayla went through, grief and anxiety, are ones I’ve dealt with recently. Yet, I didn’t feel as tied to her as I expected. Likewise, I believe strongly in the causes Ellie fought for. But again, I didn’t feel her fire and zeal as if it were my own.

Chamberlain tackles timely issues from a little known historical perspective. Sadly the issues she writes about in this book are still present today, and this book offers a poignant reflection on how far we’ve come, yet how far we have left to go.

Thank you Diane Chamberlain, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

Ugh - in a GOOD way. I feel a little speechless, a little sad, a lot disgusted (by certain historical events and characters in this story) and think Ellie is a character that’s going to stay with me for awhile.

The Last House on the Street is my first book by Diane Chamberlain, but definitely not my last *adds her backlist to cart*

Spoilers ahead -

This story is told in dual timelines - Ellie in 1965 and Kayla in 2010. Ellie is on the cusp of adulthood as she navigates who she wants to be during the civil rights movement. Kayla is navigating her feelings about moving into a home lovingly designed with her husband, who is recently and tragically deceased.

There is a little mystery as to how their storylines overlap and why.

I loved Ellie’s story and reading about how she was growing into such an tenacious, brave and admirable character. I found reading about her involvement in SCOPE very interesting. Her relationship with Win broke my heart.

I will be honest in saying that I didn’t connect to Kayla as well, and some of the conversations she had felt trite. As well, her grief surrounding her husband’s death felt contrived. Maybe that’s harsh, because we never really got to know Jackson, but it felt like he withheld information from her and was suspicious, but we never really got to dive into that.

I definitely recommend adding this to your must read list of 2022!

A big thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Diane Chamberlain for the free e-ARC in exchange for my review.

Five stars for this woven story. She had me at the reflective sunglasses!
We go through so much in life friendship, love, birth death. Diane Chamberlain writes it best.

Well-written story about two women, Ellis and Kayla. linked by events that took place in 1965 in North Carolina and decades later in the same town in 2010. I enjoyed the time period of the book - the Civil Rights movement - and the themes the book explores around the courage of many young white and Black students who tried to help Black Americans register to vote and the hatred and violence of the Ku Klux Klan who were desperate for society to remain unchanged.

Some scenes in this book are difficult to read but it is also a deeply felt story of courage, and doing the right thing when it is not the popular thing to do. The author did a good job creating what it must have been like to have been black and living with the blatant racism that existed in the 1960s in the deep South in the U.S. The author also effectively used dual timeframes to tell Ellis’ and Kayla’s story. At first, the stories appeared unconnected but came together smoothly as the story unfolded. I also liked that the story was well-paced and the main characters were very likeable and vulnerable. I read this book in a little over a day and I was sorry for it to end. A novel well worth your time!

Terrific story! A timely novel that explores issues of racism and voting rights. Told in two different converging points in time, it was interesting and evocative enough to keep the reader compelled to continue reading. Some of the dialogue was trite which took away from the story. Still, worth reading this book.

Beautifully written, told in the past in 1965 and the further 2010. Kayla now in 2010 is dealing with her own tragedy that happened in her newly built home when some one comes and starts making threats. In her quest to find normalcy and she gets to know her new neighbors who happen to know her dad. Ellies part is told in 1965 when she join SPOKE civil rights activists. These chapters seemed so much deeper, I really looked forward to them and finding out more about the work she was doing and how that effected her life and others. I loved how it all came together and you get to see how things worked out.

The Last House on the Street is told in alternating time lines. Kayla's story take place in 2010 when she is about to move into her dream house with her husband and daughter when her husband dies unexpectedly. Kayla experiences some events that make her afraid to move into her new home. The people in town hint to some mysterious things that have happened and she fears that someone is trying to scare her into not moving into her new home.
Ellie's story takes place in 1965 where she becomes involved in a group that helps people register to vote during a time of racial injustice.
One of my favorite things about Diane's writing is trying to figure out how the characters in each time line are connected. I have never been disappointed in anything that I have read by Diane. Although, I was able to read an advanced copy through NetGalley, I have pre-ordered my copy to keep on my shelves.

Diane Chamberlain could write the phone book, and I’d gobble it up and savor each page. While I wasn’t head over heels for this particular story, I still found the dual timeline format taut, smart, historically interesting and compelling enough.. It was a slow build to an engrossing finish.