SOLVED. Early 2000s UK fiction. Girl's brother (Matt?) is obsessed with ponds or pools and wants to study them. Girl blames brother's wife for brother not following his dreams. [s]

[Rachel]

A book I read somewhere around 2000-2010. Contemporary adult fiction, and I think the author was female.

The main character was a girl who lived somewhere in the UK where there were a lot of ponds or pools (I can't remember if they were tide pools or something else?) Her older brother (Matt?) was obsessed with the ponds/pools and wanted to study them, e.g. become a marine biologist or something similar.

The chapters alternated between the siblings' childhood and the present day when they were adults. The main character resented her sister in law (Matt's wife) because Matt never became a marine biologist after all. Due to an unplanned pregnancy he married very young and didn't get to pursue his dreams. The sister thought this was very unfair and blamed it on the brother's wife.

Towards the end of the book Matt explains to his sister that he is happy with his life and that she needs to stop being resentful on his behalf. I really thought the book was called either The Ponds or The Pools, but I can't find anything with either title that looks similar, so maybe I'm wrong about the title. It is definitely not The Pools by Bethan Roberts.

Any help appreciated.

[Ayshe]

Crow Lake maybe?

[Rachel]

I think this is it, Ayshe. I was so sure this was a British book, but I was wrong! (it's Canadian). Thank you for your help.