Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3488 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Canadian writer Mary Lawson's debut novel is a beautifully crafted and shimmering tale of love, death and redemption set in the eponymous Crow Lake, an isolated rural community where time has stood still. Narrated by 26-year-old Kate Morrison, we dive in and out of the troubled woman's childhood memories over the passage of a year--when she was seven and her parents were killed in a motoring accident, leaving Kate, her younger sister Bo and two older brothers Matt and Luke orphaned. The proverbial can of worms is opened for our heroine when she receives an invitation to Matt's son's 18th birthday. The successful zoologist and professor, so accustomed to dissecting everything through a microscope, must suddenly analyse her own relationship and come to terms with her past before she forsakes a future with the man she loves. She is still in turmoil over the events of that fateful summer and winter 20 years ago when the tragedy of another local family, the Pyes, spilled over into their own lives with earth-shattering consequences. One dark night, a shivering Laurie, Pye's only son, stands mute in their porchlight, straining to share something with them but, startled, turns and runs away. The many strange, longing looks which pass between Matt and Marie, Pye's eldest daughter. And the awful night when Marie stands in their doorway whispering unspeakable horrors. In Kate's eyes, the Pye family drown out the hopes and dreams of her own in that one moment. But does the tragedy really lie in the past or is it in the present? Lawson's narrative flows effortlessly in ever-increasing circles, swirling impressions in the reader's mind until form takes shape and the reader is left to reflect on the whole. Crow Lake is a wonderful achievement that will ripple in and out the reader's consciousness long after the last page is turned. --Nicola Perry

Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat
‘A remarkable novel, utterly gripping…I read it at a single sitting, then I read it again, just for the pleasure of it.’

Daily Mail
‘Beautifully written, carefully balanced, Mary Lawson constructs a history of sacrifice, emotional isolation and family love without sounding a false note’

Customer Reviews

lacks any depth
I completely disagree with the blurb on this one. It is dreadfully written and has no depth whatsoever. I was unable to identify with any of the characters and the only part of the family life I could really understand was the will to achieve. I couldn't work out why Kate couldn't bring herself to speak to her older brother Matt years after their family tragedy. Even once the author revealed this it still didn't seem quite right.

The blurb informs you of this slow burning story, well for me it didn't even get ignited, let alone burn slowly. I found Kate, the narrator of the story a dreadful character. It wasn't even the lack of empathy she exhibited but she was simply awful. I can't see why she had to be written this way as I didn't feel it reflected the nature of who she was as a child even following the tragic incidents that occurred. For me, the only aspect in its favour was its length; which thankfully was short.

frustrating to read!
I have never been so frustrated while reading a book as I was with this one! All the way through this book I was trying to figure out what year it was taking place in...which ruined any chance of actually enjoying it. The story was OK and if I am being honest a little boring. I only finished it because I paid for it. Do not buy this book, if you must read it go to your local library and check it out.

Crow Lake
This book gives a real sense of time and place with wonderful descriptions of rugged countryside and extreme weather. The story is based around a struggling family, and through the different strands of the story, it is apparant throughout that Matt for some reason fails to fulfill his sister Kate's idea of his potential. There are no great plot twists, but this doesn't stop it being a really good read. It is almost worth reading for Luke and Bo alone.