Book Review: Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

Amazon Description:
Canadian writer Mary Lawson's debut novel is a beautifully crafted and shimmering tale of love, death, and redemption. The story, narrated by 26-year-old Kate Morrison, is set in the eponymous Crow Lake, an isolated rural community where time has stood still. The reader dives in and out of a year's worth of Kate's childhood memories--when she was 7 and her parents were killed in an automobile accident that left Kate, her younger sister Bo, and two older brothers, Matt and Luke, orphaned. When Kate, the successful zoologist and professor who is accustomed to dissecting everything through a microscope, receives an invitation to Matt's son's 18th birthday party, she must suddenly analyze her own relationship and come to terms with her past before she forsakes a future with the man she loves. Kate 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 lives with earth-shattering consequences. But does the tragedy really lie in the past or 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 of the reader's consciousness long after the last page is turned. --Nicola Perry, Amazon.co.uk

MY REVIEW:
I borrowed this book from a friend because it 'looked' good. I am totally a 'judge a book by its cover' kind of person. Sometimes this totally backfires on me, but not this time. This is definitely the best book I have read in a while. The writing is beautiful, the characters and plot line complex, yet believable. I have read several books that weave back and forth between past and present and don't remember any author doing such a good job of it as Lawson. It was effortless and enjoyable reading. I will definitely be looking to read more from her.

MY RATING:
5 STARS!!

NEXT UP: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger