On My Bookshelf

Crow Lake, Canadian writer Mary Lawson's debut novel, is set in a small rural farming community in northern Ontario. The four Morrison children have been suddenly orphaned when a car accident claimed their parents. Narrated by Kate Morrison, seven at the time of the tragedy, the story shifts between present and past. Kate is now in her twenties and a professor of Zoology at a university in Toronto. As a child she idolized her elder brother Matt; he taught her to love nature, and likely planted the seed for her career choice, but now she feels estranged from all three siblings, and going back to Crow Lake will not be easy. She is haunted by memories of  her childhood and feelings of guilt over the sacrifices made by her two older brothers to keep the four children together.
A story written with depth and honesty, it's a study of family relationships, love and loss, regrets and resentment, hidden secrets and dreams sacrificed. Lawson, a distant relative of L.M. Montgomery, was born and raised in southwestern Ontario. She has written a beautiful story about family and about life, rich with description and characterization. I was drawn into the story quickly, and just had to keep reading. This is a story/family that will remain with you long after you've finished the last page. A #1 National Bestseller, Heather's Pick, a Globe and Mail Best Book, winner of the Ontario Library Association Evergreen Award and the Amazon.ca First Novel Award. Definitely worth the read, and a great choice for bookclubs.
What are you reading this week?
Spring has arrived (supposedly) and my birthday has come and gone. For us spring brought snow, after several weeks of warmer temps, bare ground and dreams of an earlier spring... Easter is almost here, seems way too early... I'll be back soon with another small finish, just some quilting to complete, and the binding.

Peace,
Linda

"I love books. I love that moment when you open one and sink into it, you can escape from the world into a story that's way more interesting than yours will ever be." ~ Elizabeth Scott