Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1471 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-06
• 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

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.

TOUCHING
"Mrs.Stanovich arrived at least twice a week, heaving her bulk from behind the steering wheel of her husband's battered truck and puffing her way up to the front door with two loaves of bread balancing on the top of a bushel basket of corn, or a leg of pork tucked under her hand and a sack of potatoes under the other."

Crow Lake was very touching for me. Kate Morrison narrates her story with the human touch, which allowed me to feel her every emotion, the joy, the relief, sadness, the good, the disappointments and otherwise.
Crow Lake is set in the terrain of northern Ontario.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Morrisons are thrown into great despair while at a tender age. Luke, Matt, Kate are at school and Bo their little sister is still a babe, ever to be found on the arm of big brother Luke.
When disaster strikes, the family feels like they have been thrown off the deep end without a lift support. But rescue comes in the help of the country folk friends who are willing to do their Christian duties in this small knit society. They make sure that they are well looked after and fed. Some even pitch in with the housework, and the mysterious Pike family offer part time jobs to the boys. The boys take the labour as it is very much needed at this time.
Kate delves into all aspects of their life, their life on the pond, the quiet moments together listening to the birds; nature was at their back and front and also the beach.
Towards the end of the novel, Kate shows a picture, which relates to them eighteen years later. Kate is now a Zoologist and there are some great changes in their lives as adults. It soothes and touches the heart in a bittersweet way. This is an ideal gift for a good friend, and I highly recommend it.
Reviewed by Heather Marshall Negahdar (SUGAR-CANE 15/07/08)

Thought Provoking & Beautiful
I want to say this is a gentle story, but I do not wish to infer that it is shallow or lukewarm. It is exactly the opposite. It has great depth, understanding, beauty and strength. I had the voice of Kate in my head as she narrated her tale. The writing is so keen I could clearly decipher her accent and the measured but deliberate way she speaks.
The atmosphere created by the writing had me holding my breath waiting to see what happened next. There is no razzmatazz, no bells and whistles, just simple, well written, from the heart storytelling, which is so insightful it made me wonder if the author lived out some of the scenarios herself.
As the pages turned with ease I was listening to the story of a child, and a young woman carrying her inner child inside her and still trying to cope with the fall out from the trauma following the loss of her parents at 7 years of age.
The novel has an aura of mystery and suspense that expands slowly as the tale reaches its climax. Kate is ultimately forced to confront her painful past in order to exorcise the ghosts and face the truth for her own sake. A stunningly beautiful read, which provides food for thought afterwards. Enjoy!!!