In this riveting story of family bonds and buried truths, a young woman’s homecoming becomes a reckoning as four days together threaten to shatter the comfortable lies that have held her family together.

Set in the summer of 1967, the Levitsky family reunites for a long weekend in the suburbs—an idyllic holiday for the “perfect” family. But Nora has always known better. Growing up under her mother Lillian’s explosive temper, Nora found solace only in the family’s housekeeper, Clara. That bond remains her anchor during this uneasy return home. Over the next four days, old secrets come to light—testing loyalties, unraveling facades, and forcing Nora to confront the truth about what she truly wants for her future.

I wanted to love this book so much. The premise is rich with tension, history, and emotion, but ultimately it leaned too heavily on the past—constantly revisiting what led the characters here—instead of propelling them forward. While the writing was strong and the family drama layered, I found myself wishing for more momentum and growth in the present storyline.

Hemlock Lane is a triumph of character nuance and development. The overarching story takes the reader through each member of the Levitsky family’s background, weaving their characterizations into the family’s current events. However, Fine shows that blood doesn’t always make a family, as Clara, the live-in housekeeper, has a profound impact on each member of the Levitsky family.

Each chapter of this book told the family’s story from a different members’ perspective. While the details were wonderfully intricate, they didn’t always lend towards the plot development of the overall story. Fine does a great job with each character’s backstory and layers the past with the family’s present in a way that builds to a natural, if open-ended, conclusion.

I’d like to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reading and reviewing this book.

Nora is an independent young woman ahead of her time, academically oriented and career focused, who has devoted her life to finding an escape from her overbearing mother. Her loving father is a milquetoast, living in the shadow of his emotionally unavailable but demanding wife. Her spoiled sister is married to someone who can’t quite take care of her in the style she’d like and she relies on their parents to supplement their lifestyle. The most sympathetic character is Clara, the live-in housekeeper who has devoted her life to the girls, especially Nora, who is like the daughter she never had the chance to have. Clara sees to it that Nora launches into her destiny, leading a life of satisfaction far away from her family ties.

Each long chapter offers a different point of view on this family drama, but, for me, felt like a long-winded way to tell a story. As much as I cheered for Nora for her to step into her dreams and felt for Clara as ‘her girl’ left to start her new life, I didn’t find any real action to drive this story forward as it was based much on the introspective telling from each character’s perspective. As a whole, this book left me feeling meh.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book pulled me in with its messy family dynamics and buried secrets. I liked how the story unfolded over just four days—it gave it an intense, claustrophobic feel. Nora was such a layered character, and I really felt her struggle between love, loyalty, and wanting her own life. The relationship with Clara was my favorite part—it showed both comfort and complication.

At times, the pacing felt a little slow, but overall it was a heartfelt, emotional read about family, truth, and finding the courage to choose yourself.

Hemlock Lane is the story of a family with complicated dynamics and how they get to be that way in the first place. I liked how we got to see things from every major character's perspective. Reading this book felt like inhabiting every character's mind.

I have always loved books that are just a character study, and this definitely felt like a book full of character studies. It would have been 5 stars, but nothing really got resolved at the end, so 4 stars it is.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author, Marshall Fine, for an eARC to review honestly.

In genral, I don't think there is anything essentially wrong with this book.
I personally enjoyed the setting and ambience, the characters for the most part, I love a family drama with a character-driven narrative, and multiple POVs. And I recommend this book to any readers who also enjoy that.
I just didn't love it because I never felt connected to any of these characters. I empathised with their struggles, but I didn't personally relate to any of them, so I could never fully enjoy my reading experience.
Hopefully, other readers will feel more connected to them and enjoy this book more than I did.

This was such an engrossing read! Full of family drama, long-buried secrets, and the kind of tension that simmers just under the surface until it finally boils over. Set over one summer weekend in 1967, we follow Nora as she returns home to face the sharp edges of her mother’s temper, the quiet complicity of her father, and the one person who’s always been in her corner, their housekeeper, Clara. What starts as a “perfect” family gathering quickly unravels into a raw, emotional reckoning, as hidden truths and private desires bubble up. It’s messy, heartfelt, and ultimately about figuring out which family bonds are worth holding onto and which ones you have to let go of to live your own life.

I was really surprised by how consumed I was with this book. I had never read anything by Marshall Fine before, but I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more from him. While it’s essentially just about a family, I love stories told through different POVs, especially when they explore how each person deals with generational trauma. This was a great, fast read that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. My first by this author and I did enjoy the easy writing style. A bit of a slow paced familial drama, but all in all a good solid story.

This book is a piece of Americana set in a very interesting era, following the fortunes of Nora, a woman who might be considered a little ahead of her times in terms of her educational aspirations and professional ambitions.

Set in the sixties, the novel tells the story of an upper middle class Jewish family. Offering multiple points of view, including that of the family's domestic helper Clara, it does provide insights into toxic relationships and social constraints.

But this one was perhaps not for me - it moved too slowly and I found the frequent references to Nora's desire to escape her mother's clutches a bit repetitive. I have no doubt the book will find its readers, since many reviewers seem to have enjoyed it!

I enjoyed the author’s debut novel last year and found this latest book exceeded my expectations. It is a thought-provoking and insightful exploration into the overt and covert dynamics underlying a dysfunctional family.

The novel is told through the perspectives of five members in the Levitsky household. The chapters reveal both the current circumstances as well as the historical perspective as the family grew. Fueled by a childhood of insecurity, the matriarch, Lillian, has evolved into a grasping, controlling shrew who has distanced herself emotionally and physically while spewing her criticism and anger at will. Sol, her long-suffering husband, leads a dual life. He is assertive and successful in business but weak and compliant at home at the expense of his children’s well-being. Amelia, the eldest daughter, constantly seeks her mother’s approval, a hopeless endeavor at best. The youngest daughter, Nora, never bonded with Lillian and has lived her life with the goal of escaping her mother’s grasp by achieving a PhD and moving hundreds of miles away. Lastly, there is Clare who came to be the family nanny/housekeeper at the tender age of nineteen. She became Nora’s “secret mother” over the ensuing decades and, in truth, kept the family together by managing the household and her temperamental employer.

The family is in crisis as everyone conceals essential information from Lillian to avoid triggering her anger. The long-standing fissures in the family are revealed as inevitable change rocks Lillian’s world. The author approaches the humanity of each character with sensitivity and compassion, which is a challenge with Lillian’s personality. Overall, I enjoyed this novel for its depth of character development.
I would have appreciated an Epilogue to follow through with the individual storylines, but I also see the value in leaving an open-ended conclusion to feed the reader’s imagination.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Hemlock Lane is a chilling and atmospheric thriller that expertly blends suspense with deep psychological insight. Marshall Fine’s writing creates a tense, immersive experience, drawing readers into a world filled with secrets and danger. The characters are complex and flawed, making their motivations intriguing and the story unpredictable. I appreciated the careful pacing and the way the novel balances mystery with emotional depth. It’s a gripping read that kept me on edge until the very last page.

So, I should first admit that I opened 'Hemlock Lane' on my kindle expecting from the title that it would be a crime mystery/domestic noir. When there wasn't a murder in the first 20%, I started to realise I'd got the wrong end of the stick about genre. Instead, it's a well-written character study of a middle-class household in 1960s America, with each chapter giving a deep-dive into a different perspective and backstory: there's Nora, the high-achieving bright spark daughter, her beau Stephen, her parents Lillian and Sol, and the maid Clara. My favourite character was Nora - she is ambitious to complete a PhD and forge an interesting career path, casting aside more conventional expectations. The opening section focuses on her and has something of Bonnie Garmus' 'Lessons in Chemistry' about it - I would have been quite happy to carry on following her adventures for the rest of the novel.

Much of the focus of 'Hemlock Lane', however, is on the dominating and problematic character of her mother Lillian, the family matriarch. Why is Lillian so bitter and unhappy? This started to feel, for me, the main question being raised by the story. Occasionally, the characterisation goes into villainess territory - as if she's a Livia or a Cruella de Vil. At one point, her young daughter is hurt and spurting blood, and Lillian appears more concerned with the blood messing up her nice wallpaper. She snaps at her husband that she never wanted the child in the first place. But mostly, it's smaller put downs and controlling behaviour, towards her husband as well as her children. She is very negative about Nora's ambitious life plans - the idea that she might move to Chicago and beyond her control.

Early on, it's briefly mentioned that Lillian immigrated to the US when she was three years old, and that she had cousins in 1930s Berlin who were desperately trying to get out of Nazi Germany. There are hints of trauma and anxiety ("My family, or what's left of it, is in Brooklyn."), that perhaps underlie the later descriptions of her character such as: "Lillian had many fears, which she kept at bay by imposing as much control as she could over other people in her life... In many ways, she spent her life operating from a defensive crouch, guarding against encroachment on the order she tried to impose." I remember reading that there was much silence around the Holocaust in the postwar era - it wasn't until the 1970s there there started to be more memorialisation and open discussion. What has Lillian got pent up in relation to the war? I'm not sure whether this is the train of thought the novelist intended readers to go down - but there are those hints. I prefer this more sympathetic interpretation of the character, anyhow, rather than seeing her simply as a harridan causing problems for her ambitious young daughter Nora. Perhaps she has her reasons.

*SPOILER ALERT*
I found the plot-line involving the maid Clara quite tricky to get my head around. It had echoes of golden-age Hollywood melodramas such as Stella Dallas and Imitation of Life. To be honest, it made me feel quite uncomfortable it is such a messy situation, with a lot going on in terms of social class, loneliness and manipulation. At first, Clara is constantly described as almost too good to be true (and this brings uncomfortable echoes with the stock character of the cheery maid in Hollywood films of yore, ever ready to serve - "Lillian's movie fantasy come to life: the kind of live-in help that waited on Myrna Loy or Jean Harlow"). Then latterly, Clara's behaviour is revealed as slightly creepy - in her own way, just as controlling as Lillian, just cleverer at it. She is able to manipulate with aplomb. It is a relief that her character gets her own chapter, exists in her own right, beyond being an ever-patient saint of a servant waiting on this family, but she remains inextricably entwined with them even so. This part of the plot perhaps did drift into domestic noir/psychological thriller territory, as the title 'Hemlock Lane' hinted - the maid who is secretly crossing boundaries, who eavesdrops on the family, and thinks of one of the daughters as belonging to her (to the extent she turns down a marriage proposal as it would mean giving up the job and not seeing the little girl). I was left wondering at the end whether the author expects us to side with Clara against Lillian, to view her as Nora's true mother (in spirit), or to find her slightly sinister? At the end, Clara appears exultant - but I felt a bit uneasy.

Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This book is a very compelling, complex, layered and emotional family drama that lured me in with the first sentence!

This engaging and nuanced family drama by Marshall Fine offered an absorbing and emotionally resonant reading experience. I was immediately drawn into its central premise, which explores how a weekend reunion can bring a lifetime of carefully concealed secrets to the surface.

The narrative focuses on Nora, a young woman returning to her family's home in 1967 for a long weekend. As I read, I felt the palpable tension stemming from her difficult relationship with her explosive mother, Lillian. The author expertly builds an atmosphere of simmering resentment and unspoken truths, revealing Nora's secret plan for her life—a plan her father knows nothing about, but which her trusted housekeeper, Clara, has been helping her orchestrate.

The book maintains a steady, character-driven pace, with layers of family history and personal desires being peeled away over the course of four days. The suspense comes not from a traditional mystery, but from the psychological pressure and the uncertainty of what will happen when Nora's secret is finally revealed. I appreciated how the story explores the complex bonds that tie a family together and the courage it takes to break free from them.

I found the author's ability to craft a compelling story that is both a reflection of its time and a timeless tale of finding one's own path truly impressive. It's a solid choice for those who enjoy character-focused dramas that explore the search for personal freedom within the confines of family obligation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

This was a bit of a random pick for me, something about the blurb drew me into reading this book and I am so glad I did. I enjoyed it immensely. Set in the summer of 1960's, it is all about the Levitsky family and how the whole family is brought together for a long weekend. Each family member has something going on in their life and it was interesting to piece together what would happen. Secrets, lies, betrayals all happen between this family. It was an interesting concept to a story and one that really worked. I loved it and the ending was so good.

Hemlock Lane is a quietly powerful story of fractured families, long-held secrets, and the ways we carry the weight of the past. With its multi-generational cast and layered character work, this novel draws you into the heart of a family that feels as real as your own.

The premise is deceptively simple—Nora returns to her childhood home for a brief four-day visit, intending to share news that will change her future. But what begins as a seemingly routine trip quickly unravels into a reckoning with old wounds and buried truths. Nora’s relationship with Clara, the housekeeper who became a surrogate mother, adds emotional depth, grounding the story in a bond that feels more genuine than any blood tie.

The structure of the novel is one of its greatest strengths. Multiple narrators give us windows into different eras, different choices, and different regrets. It’s fascinating to see how each person’s decisions ripple through time, affecting others in ways they could never have predicted. The way the story moves between perspectives feels natural and adds richness to the narrative without ever becoming disorienting.

Marshall Fine’s writing captures the emotional quietness of domestic tension—the unspoken looks, the silences, the conversations you don’t have but can still feel humming in the background. While the prose at times leans a bit formal or stilted, especially in the beginning, it quickly settles into a rhythm that suits the tone of the story.

If anything, I wished the ending had lingered just a bit longer. After so much build-up, the final pages arrive quickly and could have benefited from a little more space to breathe. Still, the resolution is satisfying, and the emotional beats land well.

For readers who like:
-Quiet revelations
-Multi-generational family dramas
-Emotional journeys

Final Verdict
Hemlock Lane is the kind of novel that sneaks up on you—it begins quietly but slowly pulls you in until you’re completely absorbed. Perfect for fans of introspective, relationship-focused fiction and a fantastic pick for book club discussions. The story may be short, but its impact lingers.

Grateful to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Marshall Fine for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Hemlock Lane caught me and drew me in from the start. Initially, I thought we'd focus on Nora, the younger daughter looking to make her life her own...not the life her mother wants her to live.

What was surprising is that we had multiple narrators, of different generations, and we learn how they might have come to the decisions they've made along the way.

The characters are richly developed, each carrying their own burdens and histories, and the characters give us a story that you will want to dive into.

Initially, I thought I wasn't sure about the ending...but now, the next day, I feel it was exactly right.

#HemlockLane #NetGalley #LakeUnionPublishing #MarshallFine
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Hemlock Lane is a beautifully written exploration of memory, family, and the often unspoken truths that shape us. Set during a seemingly idyllic summer weekend in 1967, it subtly peels back the layers of a family held together by carefully crafted façades. Nora’s return home isn’t just a visit—it’s a reckoning. Her relationship with her mother, the deeply moving bond with Clara, and the tension running through the Levitsky household are rendered with emotional precision.

Marshall Fine’s prose is gentle yet incisive, and the pacing allows each character—and secret—to unfold with care. I especially appreciated the way the novel captured the quiet heroism of everyday people, and how the most courageous choices are often the hardest, and most personal.

A perfect read for those who enjoy introspective fiction, intergenerational dynamics, and stories that embrace emotional complexity with grace.

Thank you to Marshall Fine, the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

The Levitsky family—two parents, two daughters, and their indispensable housekeeper, Clara—live on quiet Hemlock Lane. Clara is much more than staff; she’s the emotional glue holding this unraveling household together, especially for the daughters, who view her as their “secret mother.”
Nora, the youngest, returns home for the weekend after earning her PhD. Her parents, particularly her controlling mother, Lillian, expect Nora to move back permanently. But Nora is harboring secrets: a boyfriend her family doesn’t know about, and a new job in Chicago. Throughout her life, she has sidestepped her mother's unpredictable temperament, often leaning on Clara for comfort and maternal advice.
This compelling novel follows the Levitsky family as they navigate the tensions and buried truths of family life. Twists, emotional upheaval, and long-hidden revelations keep the narrative engaging. Most characters are sympathetic—except for Lillian, whose relentless need to dominate those around her makes her particularly difficult to endure.
I found myself completely absorbed, eagerly turning pages to discover what might unfold next. However, the story’s ending felt sudden and unresolved, leaving me wanting just a bit more closure.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.