Crow Lake
by Mary Lawson
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Read in January, 2008
It's hard for me to say why I liked this book so much. I'd heard a lot of great things about it and, to be honest, that always leaves me skeptical. And the book club thing has the same effect. I'm not one for what I consider poor me stories and I was always on the verge of wondering if this was going to end up just another one of those.
It didn't. Not in my eyes, anyway.
I quite liked Kate, the protagonist, and I found her refreshingly strong throughout. The story told of her upbrin...more
It didn't. Not in my eyes, anyway.
I quite liked Kate, the protagonist, and I found her refreshingly strong throughout. The story told of her upbrin...more
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It took me a month to read Crow Lake from beginning to end. Not because it's a long book, but because it's a slow book. It's a story of two girls raised by their older brothers after their parents die in a car crash. It portrays, poignantly and humorously, the close relationship between the siblings -- absolutely beautiful. The plot will not change the world, but by the end of the book, I felt like I'd met four people and I was sad to leave them. I'd love to accomplish that in my writing.
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Read in February, 2008
Crow Lake is the predecessor to The Other Side Of The Bridge, which I read first. Set in the same community in rural northern Ontario, it's an equally powerful piece of story-telling, displaying real emotional depth and compelling characterisation. The story describes the impact of tragedy on a group of siblings, the narrative unfolding through the eyes of Kate, the only one of them to leave her isolated community for the wider world. It's a novel about mistakes, disappointment and the lessons o...more
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Read in June, 2008
recommended to Emily by:
my grandmarecommends it for: mom, steph, claire, book club
I enjoyed this story. I was eager to see how it all turned out. Though entertained, I was a little disappointed at the end. It seemed a little anticlimactic and a bit unbelievable that Kate & Matt would have such unresolved issues as adults. It seems to me that the years not covered in the story (from when Kate was 8 until adult) would have been full of opportunities for resolution/discussion/drama. After the “bad year,” Kate would have still lived at home for at least another 10 ye...more
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Read in June, 2004
I chose this book for our June book club. It was a “Today Show” book choice. Told from the perspective of 27 year old Kate, the story is one of sadness (her parents died in a car crash 20 years earlier), forgiveness, guilt and growth. I enjoyed the story and especially the flaws that Kate has as a character and person. As a reader it was rewarding to witness her evolution as a character throughout the narrative. Our book club had some good discussion and most (though not all) liked the ...more
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Read in June, 2008
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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Read in January, 2008
This is very cleanly written, so it's a fast read. Just a good simple story about 4 children who lose their parents in a car accident and the struggles they go through to stay together as a family. The narrator looks back on how the choices each of them made altered their own lives as well as the lives of their siblings.
I've been reading a lot of emotionally wrenching stuff lately, so this was a nice calm read for a change!
I liked her second novel (The Other Side of the Bridge) a little ...more
I've been reading a lot of emotionally wrenching stuff lately, so this was a nice calm read for a change!
I liked her second novel (The Other Side of the Bridge) a little ...more
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Read in March, 2008
Most the other reviewers have mentioned the significants pluses of this novel, so all I can add is that this was not a book that I wanted to read, but that I needed to read. One is so immediately absorbed into the story that it is impossible to go one with life's daily tasks when the book is at hand. I finished it in two sittings and quickly looked to see if Ms. Lawson had written anything else. If you are seeking a beautifully exact tale of a remarkable, yet unremarkable family trying to rise a...more
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Read in September, 2007
At first I thought this was going to be a bit boring, but once I got into the story and knew more about the characters, I started to enjoy it. It's narrated by a young woman who lost her parents when she was seven years old and she and her younger sister are cared for by their two teen-aged older brothers. The book goes back and forth from the present to the past and she feels disconnected from her family when she goes off to college. A well written book by a first time author.
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Read in March, 2008
Eh. This was an okay book--oddly written. I had a hard time keeping up with the character (the book was written in first person); sometimes she would be talking about things that were currently going on, and would slide into something 10 years ago all in the same paragraph. Confusing, and I feel like the "current day" Kate was a bit formulaic--yeah, we all get that your parents were killed and you have comittment problems and issues letting your boyfriend into your life.
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Read in November, 2007
a fabulous read, beautifully written with vivid characters. It's a short, easy read but I found myself very moved by the representation of the Morrison family. This novel is never overly sentimental or gushing - it's one which will stay with me for a long time and whose characters I will remember fondly - something which doesn't happen that often to me!
Since there isn't the option to give 4.5, I've given it 5, only because I'm probably too harsh at times....
Since there isn't the option to give 4.5, I've given it 5, only because I'm probably too harsh at times....
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Read in March, 2007
So so. A complex intrigue about a broken family.
The interesting thing in this book, is the way Kate sees things, and how she gradually comes to realise that other people (such as her beloved brother) don't see these things in the same light, which causes the way she views the world, and past memories - to change.
The little tidbits about life in the ponds were cute and enjoyable.
Overall, a very fast reaf, nice, but not too exciting.
22.3.07
The interesting thing in this book, is the way Kate sees things, and how she gradually comes to realise that other people (such as her beloved brother) don't see these things in the same light, which causes the way she views the world, and past memories - to change.
The little tidbits about life in the ponds were cute and enjoyable.
Overall, a very fast reaf, nice, but not too exciting.
22.3.07
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Read in April, 2004
recommends it for:
All
Crow Lake is one of best novels that I ever read. I missed the characters for literally months after I finished. This is beautifully written, amazing characters and hugely readable.
It is about a family where the parents have been killed in an accident and the older two boys decide to step up and take responsibility for their two young sisters. We see things through the older sister's eyes.
Amazing book.
It is about a family where the parents have been killed in an accident and the older two boys decide to step up and take responsibility for their two young sisters. We see things through the older sister's eyes.
Amazing book.
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Read in March, 2008
This is a pretty interesting book-- subtle environmentalism, and also a really great ending. I enjoyed the way she portrayed intellectual ideals. Also a good book for the classroom-- maybe about a 9/10th grade appeal. The only thing that was kind of silly was the sort of obviously "feel sorry for me" story that held most of the story (but was kind of redeemed for me at the end).
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recommended to Mary by:
found on my own
recommends it for: everyone who thinks they have figured out how someone else should live.
recommends it for: everyone who thinks they have figured out how someone else should live.
This book described how we assume others want their lives to be like ours. It describes a successful sister who feels disappointment for her brother's less educated, less "successful" life, esp. since he was key in motivating her interest in science. It's a beautiful, well-written story about a woman who comes to learn a powerful lesson from her "less successful" brother.
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Read in May, 2005
Crow Lake drew me in slowly and quietly and then wouldn't let me go. It was about family dynamics that included a tragedy early on. It flipped between the past and the present with a mystery going on in the past that she worked up to.
Even though I couldn't really relate to the characters, I liked them and cared about them and didn't want to leave their world.
Even though I couldn't really relate to the characters, I liked them and cared about them and didn't want to leave their world.
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Read in December, 2007
This is a kind of book that I really like, if I can settle down enough to read it. It's a "quiet" book that mostly takes place inside the head of the female narrator. It was a very moving look at the way that our assumptions about how others feel can dictate so much about the decisions we make--and about how hard it can be to ask if your assumptions are true.
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Read in January, 2008
Although I read this in preparation for a group discussion, I'm glad I did so. The story draws you into it; I really wanted to know more about the characters at the end.
Narrated by the second youngest of four children who are orphaned when their parents die in an auto accident, Crow Lake tells about the aftermath & the children's attempts to cope.
Narrated by the second youngest of four children who are orphaned when their parents die in an auto accident, Crow Lake tells about the aftermath & the children's attempts to cope.
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
Yes
I really enjoyed this book. I thought that it was well written. Kate was an interesting choice for the author to tell the story from. Kate was a very intense character. It would have been interesting to hear the story from the other characters point of view too. The ending left a bit to be desired. I was hoping for a little more resolve.
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Read in November, 2006
This is a very quick read but it sucks you into another place FAST! The story is depressing and tragic on one hand but so fascinating and uplifting on the other. It is full of resentment, love, humor, hearbreak and misunderstanding which basically is life. I was so sad when this book ended and could't wait to discuss it!
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