Lake Burntshore, Aaron Kreuter
Lake Burntshore, Aaron Kreuter
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

Lake Burntshore
A Novel

Author: Aaron Kreuter

Narrator: Samantha Piper

Unabridged: 14 hr 20 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: ECW Press

Published: 05/31/2025


Synopsis

A funny and emotionally resonant coming-of-age novel about one summer of momentous social and political change at a Jewish sleepover camp It’s the summer of 2013 and 21-year-old Ruby, a counselor at Camp Burntshore, can’t wait to supervise a rowdy cabin of 11-year-olds, smoke weed by the fire, and argue about which city make the best bagels. But when Brent, the camp owner’s son, hires Israeli soldiers to deal with a staffing shortfall, Ruby, a committed anti-Zionist, must decide if she’s willing to jeopardize her place at Burntshore to fight Brent over the contentious issues of Jewish belonging and settler colonialism, even as she finds herself falling in love with one of the soldiers, the sweetly handsome Etai. Soon it becomes clear that the conflict is not just about the camp’s internal divisions but also about Burntshore’s relationship with the neighboring Black Spruce First Nation, strained because of Brent’s larger scheme to buy the Crown land surrounding the lake. As campers swim, go canoe tripping, and stage an over-the-top musical, Ruby has to contend with her feelings for Etai while simultaneously trying to save her beloved camp from greed and colonialism. A social satire, romance, and political commentary all in one, Lake Burntshore celebrates the contemporary Jewish world through its most iconic symbol — the often idyllic yet always dramatic summer camp.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jo on April 22, 2025

Happy publication day 🥳🎉🎧 This is a tricky review for me to write. I didn’t hate the book infact I wholly appreciated the authors intention, the over arching message should’ve been really meaningful, but I struggled to find the satire? Or rather I struggled to find the humour in the satire. Personall......more

Goodreads review by Bailey on April 03, 2025

4.25 stars This book follows the staff at a Jewish summer camp over the course of a summer. As you would expect, it covers coming of age and teenage drama and bad behavior, but it also engages more seriously with world affairs. The camp invites Israeli soldiers to work at the camp as counselors, and......more

Goodreads review by J.J. on June 05, 2025

From my review in The Miramichi Reader: Lake Burntshore, the debut novel from acclaimed author Aaron Kreuter, is the hardest working book about teenage stoners at a summer camp you’re likely to read. What it manages to accomplish is nothing short of remarkable. It is premature to refer to the book as......more

Goodreads review by hiaa123 on May 05, 2025

There's a lot going on in this book, and it starts off with so many characters. Even by the end, I'm not sure I have a grasp on who everyone is, their role, and age. I think Part 2 is when I really got into enjoying the book. There is a lot to like and appreciate, and I liked the expansive yet conta......more

Goodreads review by Steve on April 17, 2025

This one was interesting in the sense of the background narrative of the Jewish culture / history including persecution, occupation, Zionism, holocaust, Israel, etc and this was fascinating with all this at the backdrop of the story… On the other hand, this is a coming-of-age story set in a summer ca......more