By Lauren Groff
“The day I returned to Templeton steeped in disgrace, the fifty foot corpse of a monster surfaced in Lake Glimmerglass.”
At first glance, Lauren Groff’s debut may seem like a horror novel, with its mysterious title and cryptic beginning. However, readers who venture deeper will find that it’s really a love story to her hometown: a picturesque, bucolic village that most of us know as Cooperstown, NY (home of the Baseball Hall of Fame), but admittedly renamed Templeton by the author for this novel. Although a strange, enormous sea creature of some kind has been dragged out of the local lake, there are other monsters lurking in Templeton, the town where Willie Upton was born and where she returns at the beginning of the novel.
Some important things to know about twenty-eight year old Willie:
She is fleeing a doomed love affair with her very married archaeology professor after trying to run his wife down with a small plane.
She is carrying the child of previously mentioned archaeology professor.
She is a descendant of the town’s very wealthy founder, Marmaduke Temple and therefore part of one of the town’s most important families, though most of the family money is gone.
Her mother Vi was a hippie living in a commune in San Francisco when Willie was conceived and doesn’t know which of three possible men is Willie’s biological father.
Unsure of her future with her professor, her pregnancy and her status at Stanford, where she has been working on her doctorate, Willie returns to the place she once fled to recuperate, but finds her hometown is not the peaceful town she remembers. Her bohemian mother has found religion and is dating a minister. The discovery of the monster from the lake has drawn throngs of visiting scientists and news media to town, in addition to all the tourists. Willie's best friend and fellow student Clarissa has been diagnosed with lupus and her condition is quickly deteriorating. Then, Vi announces that Willie’s biological father is not a stranger after all, but a resident of Templeton. With Vi refusing to name names, Willie must use a few clues and her research skills to dig deep into the history of her ancestors and the town of Templeton to discover the truth about her past.
Monsters of Templeton is an enthralling book that feels almost like a memoir, with family trees, old photos and even a town map. The author takes us along on Willie’s journey into this charming, idyllic town where secrets and lies hide just beneath the surface. Although some readers will find Willy slightly self absorbed (though I personally like that she has flaws), this is a unique and fascinating story.
Unsure of her future with her professor, her pregnancy and her status at Stanford, where she has been working on her doctorate, Willie returns to the place she once fled to recuperate, but finds her hometown is not the peaceful town she remembers. Her bohemian mother has found religion and is dating a minister. The discovery of the monster from the lake has drawn throngs of visiting scientists and news media to town, in addition to all the tourists. Willie's best friend and fellow student Clarissa has been diagnosed with lupus and her condition is quickly deteriorating. Then, Vi announces that Willie’s biological father is not a stranger after all, but a resident of Templeton. With Vi refusing to name names, Willie must use a few clues and her research skills to dig deep into the history of her ancestors and the town of Templeton to discover the truth about her past.
Monsters of Templeton is an enthralling book that feels almost like a memoir, with family trees, old photos and even a town map. The author takes us along on Willie’s journey into this charming, idyllic town where secrets and lies hide just beneath the surface. Although some readers will find Willy slightly self absorbed (though I personally like that she has flaws), this is a unique and fascinating story.
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