After reading Mary Lawson’s Booker longlisted novel, A Town Called Solace last year, I decided to check out her debut book, Crow Lake.
Crow Lake deals with the Morrisons, a family of six who live in a farming district in northern Ontario. One day their parents die and this leads to the eldest brother assuming the role of family caretaker.
The rest of the book is about the trials this family goes through. Fights, relationships, major decisions etc. The story is narrated by third child, Kate, who is presently reading zoology and is wondering about her relationship with her husband. Eventually Kate has to return to the village as one of her brothers children is holding a party and she wonders if she can cope with returning to her past.
Crow Lake is a story about family ties, that’s obvious from the start, however it is also about how the environment can influence a person. Kate’s choice of career stems from the fact that she was surrounded by nature and that love was nurtured by her brother.
The book itself is good. Writing style flows, characters are strong and the plot works. The thing is, I found it lacking flair. Think of Crow Lake like a meat and two veg sort of thing. It’s good, wholesome and faultless but some extra additions would make one appreciate it more.
The Bobsphere 