Crow Lake is the story of four children growing up on a rural farm who endure a tragedy that changes the trajectory of their young lives. To complicate matters, they live next door to another very dysfunctional family, and their lives intersect in unexpected ways. This book easily earns four stars for its suspenseful, moving storytelling. Sometime you just want to read a book that is well paced, engaging, and tugs at your heart a bit, and Crow Lake completely fits the bill. The characters were also interesting and nicely developed. I would definitely reach for this author again. ( )

Tras la repentina muerte de sus padres, los hermanos Morrison, dos niños y dos niñas, deciden permanecer juntos y criarse solos. Años después, visitan el peculiar paisaje de su infancia y rememoran las emociones y sentimientos que marcaron sus vidas y moldearon su personalidad.

How many ways can a book break my heart? This one managed all the ways it’s been broken by books before, and maybe invented one or two new ones. It's too deep to say lightly, "tissues required," and too deep for tears. It hit me, as they say, where I live.

A short synopsis: The Morrisons are four siblings whose calm, orderly, don’t-express-your-emotions life is derailed when their parents die in a car crash; right away the oldest brother, Luke, sacrifices his plans to become a teacher in order to raise his two very young sisters and to make sure his brother Matt finishes high school and goes on to college. But the two boys have different ideas of what sacrifices should be made, and events both in and out of their control turn everything totally upside down.

How it moved me: Now that I’m in my late 50s I am more aware than ever how a single decision changes the course of a life. How a young person’s plans for education and career can be stopped cold by a poor decision; conversely, as in my case, how a simple choice between two entry-level job offers following high school graduation can lead to an amazing climb up a ladder that was never even on the horizon. Reading Crow Lake made me more aware of just how easily a life can be wrecked, and how thankful I am that mine turned out the opposite. It also makes me worry even more for my teenage great-nieces, and pray even harder that they will make wise choices as they decide on schools, careers, and life partners.

I was surprised to learn that it is Mary Lawson’s debut novel. She is certainly a born storyteller — not only does she have a smooth and pleasantly readable writing style, her ability to heighten the story’s tension is wonderful. She scatters tiny nibbles of the big plot point at the most unexpected moments, and I was gobbling them up eagerly. I’ve happily added Ms. Lawson's other two books, The Other Side of the Bridge and Road Ends, to my want-to-read shelf. ( )

A gently reflective and yet compelling story about the lives of four young people whose lives are turned upside down one day when our narrator, Kate, was seven years old. The setting is rural Canada and Kate and her 17 year old brother Matt share a fascination with nature, science, wildlife, and most especially the ponds which are near their house. 20 years on and a zoologist and Kate thinks she has outgrown her childhood upbringing and her rural siblings. Can she unpick her history and her emotions? A beautifully written novel which almost feels like it isn't going anywhere in places but which is gently drawing you along a journey of discovery. ( )

This one kinda creeps up on you. Excellent read. I have a feeling I’ll remember this one for a long while. ( )