Ladies of the Lake: Women Rooted in Water

By: Kathleen Bagley, with Photographs By: Christine Thomsen

Ladies of the Lake offers a rare glimpse into the engaging lives of women who are rooted in water. Inspired by King Arthur’s Celtic water goddess, Vivienne, and by the modern Lady of the Lake, Anna Mable Smith Douglass, the author interviewed 23 women along the shores of Placid Lake in upstate New York. Taken as a group, these women represent a cross-section of human nature, each with a different and unique story. What makes these women similar is that all are drawn to the magical power of water and the enduring legacy of life on Placid Lake.

Ladies of the Lake also includes 155 accompanying photographs, many taken by local photographer, Christine Thomsen, of the women at home in their unusual camps and surrounding environments. Ladies like 82-year-old Helen Murray, who converted her camp to a popular club after World War II with zany style and grace; the eccentric yet practical artist Margo Fish, who hand-built the charming and enchanting Tapawingo compound out of intricate twig and stone and scratch-golfer and financial-expert Sue Riggins, who lost her one true love but managed to hang on to her camp. All are united by the lake’s remarkable hold on them. Placid Lake truly is the main character in their lives.

This book is for anyone who visits or appreciates Placid Lake and the Adirondack area and has an interest in the region’s rich culture and history. But it is also written for women- and men- who spend time on the water anywhere; for lovers of the changing seasons; for armchair enthusiasts who have never visited the area; and for anyone who wonders or delights in the serendipitous and inspiring lives of women everywhere. Ladies of the Lake is the first book of its kind to appeal to each of these readers.