“ThedayIreturnedtoTempletonsteepedindisgrace,thefifty-footcorpseofamonstersurfacedinLakeGlimmerglass.“SobeginsTheMonstersofTempleton,anovelspanningtwocenturies:partacontemporarystoryofagirl’ssearchforherfather,parthistoricalnovel,andpartghoststory.Inthewakeofadisastrousloveaffairwithherolder,marriedarchaeologyprofessoratStanford,brilliantWilhelminaCooperarrivesbackatthedoorstepofherhippiemother-turned-born-again-Christian’shouseinTempleton,NY,astorybooktownherancestorsfoundedthatsitsontheshoresofLakeGlimmerglass.Uponherarrival,aprehistoricmonstersurfacesinthelakebringingafeedingfrenzytothequiettown,andWillielearnsshehasamysteryfatherhermotherkeptsecretWillie’sentirelife.Thebeautiful,broodyWillieistoldthatthekeytoherbiologicalfather’sidentityliessomewhereinherfamily’shistory,sosheburiesherselfintheresearchofhertwistedfamilytreeandfindsmorethanshebargainedforasachorusofvoicesfromthetown’spast--somesinister,allfascinating--riseuparoundhertotelltheirsideofthestory.Intheend,darksecretscometolight,pastandpresentdayareblurred,andoldmysteriesarefinallyputtorest.TheMonstersofTempletonisafresh,virtuosoperformancethathasplacedLaurenGroffamongthebestwritersoftoday.
