Advisory Committee Chair
Kerry Madden
Advisory Committee Members
Daniel Siegel
James Braziel
Gale Temple
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2013
Degree Name by School
Master of Arts (MA) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
Eight Days in Oak Lake is an incomplete fictional novel about teenage Laine Reardon, who finds her life in turmoil after her family embarks on a trip to Oak Lake, Mississippi, for a family reunion. On the trip, Laine learns a disturbing secret about her father, and she is reunited with her childhood friend, Jake Donnelly. With sisters she often does not understand and parents who have their own problems, Laine seeks solace in the now-grown boy she grew up with. As she struggles to understand her feelings for Jake and deal with the revelation about her father, Laine is crushed by a secret that Jake has been hiding as well. She puts her feelings of betrayal aside to maintain her family's image by attending the reunion. Laine must decide whether to expose the secrets or to move on and let go of her hurt and anger. The story touches on issues of sibling rivalry, family dynamics, young love and the transition from adolescence to adult-hood.
Recommended Citation
Eubanks, Cyndi, "Eight Days in Oak Lake" (2013). All ETDs from UAB. 1611.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/1611