ALL INFORMATION IS FROM THE PUBLISHER
New York Times bestselling author Kate Morton is back on October 20th with THE LAKE HOUSE,
a gorgeous and spellbinding tale of family secrets, intertwined
destinies, and a lakeside estate in Cornwall, England. It’s an intricate
and detailed novel, one that demands the right cover.
Lynn Buckley, a jacket designer, took on this challenge. Here’s what she had to say about creating the stunning, imagery-packed cover.
Q: How did you come to work on this cover?
A: I was given the project by Albert Tang, the Art Director for Atria
Books, whose work I have long admired; though I hadn’t yet had the
opportunity to work with him. So I was excited about the book itself,
but also was excited to work with Albert for the first time.
Q: Where did the inspiration come from?
A: I looked at the author’s previous covers in the US, and her
previous covers in other countries. It’s interesting to see how other
designers interpret the same book and author. Then I read the novel, and
made note of the tone, and specifics, like what the house looked like
and other visual elements in the novel. I also made note of any
metaphors or aspects of the novel that might lead to a visual
representation. I decided the cover might benefit from a female figure.
The house was extremely important in the book. The protagonist is
entwined with the house over many decades, and I wanted to convey that
somehow. Merging the two images of the woman and house came from that
idea. The lake itself was also important, so I wanted to make sure water
was also represented on the cover.
Q: How many design variations did you go through?
A: Quite a few—I tried a woman on her own, on a dock by a lake,
without a house. I also tried a few women in water–though they looked
like they were drowning. Another variation included a drowned butterfly
metaphor for the protagonist, who is age 14 at the start of the novel,
and becomes somewhat stuck there due to events in her adolescence.
Q: What was the most difficult aspect of designing this cover?
A: Getting the basic design right was relatively easy, but getting
the little details right was a bit more difficult. All the type on a
cover has to be clearly readable, of course, and getting these images
to merge well with the type was a challenge. Also, getting the house
right was tricky. Though there are thorough descriptions in the book,
everyone has a different picture in their head of what is in a novel. I
had more of a castle-ish image in my head, but the house was more of an
estate-house. So I had to keep getting rid of spires and towers!
THE LAKE HOUSE by Kate Morton
Atria Books | 512 pages | ISBN: 978-1-4516-4932-1 | October 20, 2015 | $28.00
About THE LAKE HOUSE
From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The
Secret Keeper and The Distant Hours, an intricately plotted,
spellbinding new novel of heart-stopping suspense and uncovered secrets.
Living on her family’s idyllic lakeside estate in Cornwall, England,
Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously
talented sixteen-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries
she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure…
One midsummer’s eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of
guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their
youngest child, eleven-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace.
What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never
imagined.
Decades later, Alice is living in London, having enjoyed a long
successful career as an author. Theo’s case has never been solved,
though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. Miles away,
Sadie Sparrow, a young detective in the London police force, is staying
at her grandfather’s house in Cornwall. While out walking one day, she
stumbles upon the old estate—now crumbling and covered with vines,
clearly abandoned long ago. Her curiosity is sparked, setting off a
series of events that will bring her and Alice together and reveal
shocking truths about a past long gone…yet more present than ever.
A lush, atmospheric tale of intertwined destinies, this latest novel
from a masterful storyteller is an enthralling, thoroughly satisfying
read.
About KATE MORTON
Kate Morton, a native Australian, holds
degrees in dramatic art and English literature. She lives with her
family in Brisbane, Australia.
