Here is a gorgeous, slow-burning story set in the wild terrain of northern Ontario, where heartbreak and hardship are mirrored in the landscape. For the farming Pye family, life is a Greek tragedy where the sins of the fathers are visited on the sons, and terrible events occur - offstage. Center stage are the Morrisons, whose tragedy looks more immediate if less brutal, bit is, in reality, insidious and divisive. Orphaned young, Kate Morrison was her older brother Matt's Protegee, her fascination for pond life fed by his passionate interest in the natural world. Now a zoologist, she can identify organisms under a microscope but seems blind to the state of her own emotional life. And she thinks she's outgrown her siblings - Luke, Matt and Bo-who were once her entire world.
In this universal drama of family love and misunderstandings, of resentments harbored and driven underground, Lawson ratchets up the tension with heartbreaking humor and consummate control, continually overturning one's expectations right to the very end.
I read this novel by Mary Lawson for the The Canadian Book Challenge and am pleased to say that I enjoyed it immensely. Crow Lake tells the story of the Morrison family and how, in a small community, all lives are inter weaved. Passing from past to present, we quickly learn the story of Kate and her brothers and sisters, who tragically lose their parents. We also meet the Pyes, a family that has struggled for generations with a hidden turmoil.
I was able to read this book rather quickly, despite how busy I have been at work. Well written and wonderfully descriptive in it's narrative, Crow Lake is all in all an exciting and fast read. While the novel starts off slower, by the fourth chapter I was quickly hooked. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a beautifully written story about a troubled, but loving family.
4.5/5
