A compelling family story set deep in the woods of Ontario. Not exactly my usual fare, but I enjoyed the book immensely. As soon as I collected my thoughts about it and have a little more time I will write a proper review. ;o)

Here's the amazon review for now:
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?

This is gonna be a bookray:

kayjay33 (Canada)
starrdust (Canada)
phylwil (US -> anywh.)
nynjagrrrl (US -> US)
cat02886 (US -> ?)
BlackDevil (Finland -> EU)
Tregossip (UK -> EU)


I'll send the book on its way as soon as I have kayjay's address.

The book is on the way now, as of yesterday. I hope y'all will like it.

This lovely book arrived yesterday but I was away so will comment now. I am so eager to read it that I may put my present book aside and dig in.
Thank you Samulli for including me in the bookray.

My sister kayjay33 brought this book with her on a visit to my home in Manitoba, and I couldn't resist getting into it. A great read, which held my interest all the way. Thanks kayjay33 for sharing with me, and I will mail it on Wed Oct 3 to your book-ray participant.

I very much enjoyed this book which is set in Ontario Canada. It tells of the struggles and hardship of a family who lose their parents much too soon.It shows the love and sacrifices that the siblings deal with. I hope that I haven't held the book up for too long by letting my sister read it. It will go in the mail tomorrow morning at Eriksdale Post Office on it's way to Starrdust.
A Controlled Release.

This book arrived at my Post Office today ~ thanks for sending this on, kayjay33. I'm almost finished my current book and am heading up to northern Ontario (between Sudbury & Sault Ste. Marie) tomorrow morning for a week's vacation with my very dear friend, so I'm taking this book with me as I know I'll be able to start reading it. Really looking forward to this book!

Finished reading this book today and really enjoyed this author's writing. Felt very much a part of the family experiences, through the eyes and heart of Kate. Was going to share this book with my friend, who I was visiting this past week, but when I arrived the very same book was sitting on her table and she'd already read it as well! She also had a copy of the 2nd novel by Mary Lawson ('The Other Side of the Bridge') and she's loaned me that to read. Another serendipity experience with books!

I've sent a message to phylwil to ask for her address so I can send this one on its way.

Mailed off to phylwil today ~ happy travels, little book! :-)

Arrived in yesterday's mail and have read about 1/3. Very, very good.

Thanks, samulli, for sending it around and thanks to starrdust for the card

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of the complicated relationships among siblings who have lost their parents and are trying to survive the poverty of the region where they live. As happens in so many families, the blend of love, dedication and disappointment make it difficult for the main character to establish an adult relationship with her siblings. The insight she gains in the end provided, for me, a happy ending.

I am sending this off to ninjagrrrl with the morning mail.

Confirmation Number 0307 0020 0000 1003 7861

I caught this in the mail today. Thanks for sending it.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters are believable and well written. This will be sent to the next reader when I have the address.

The book arrived just a minute ago to my mailbox and is now waiting to be read. Thanks samulli for starting the ray and thanks for the tea bags nynjagrrrl! I'll be back as soon as I know more than just the backcover blurb. ;)

Lots of things happen, some of them awful and disastrous some happy with full of joy. Yet the physical happenings are not what is the core of this book but instead this book focuses on the minds of people among all these things going on. How children handle an unimaginable trauma of both parents being killed in a car accident? What kind of psychological struggles are going on in their minds and how different people handle things differently? How all this affects them later in life? Etc. This book also underlines how strong family love can be and what aspects it takes in form of sacrificing oneself, for example.

There are several layers in this calmly evolving story, each layer created carefully without any hurry, and one could read it many times always finding something new that was left unnoticed at the first time. Great book with impressive depth and athmosphere! However, the supposed-to-be-very-dark-secret between two families turned out to be just something quite normal and it let me a bit down as I was expecting something ”more” after all the hints and ”teasers” that the writer offered during the read.

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I've sent a PM to Tregossip and I'm waiting for her address. As soon as she PM's back, I'll mail the book. :)
Edit 17.1. - The book is ready to go, I'll drop it to the mail box tomorrow!
Edit 18.1. - MAILED! :)

Thanks for the book and the tea - lovely surprise - will enjoy both very soon

Am I really the last one for this book?

Can take my time then - A gripping novel

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