Search - Crow Lake

First novels are tough. Many haven't mastered the art of "show, don't tell" in their story-telling. Mary Lawson does a beautiful job of getting you to feel the emotions of the characters and their varying reactions to the tragedy that occurs near the beginning of the book. This is especially hard, since the setting is a small farming community where you are not supposed to show your emotions. You are supposed to be stoic in face of anything and everything, although stoicism can easily lead to feelings of martyrdom.

Perhaps this novel captivated me, because I grew up in a household where words of anger were not spoken, but certainly the anger was there. She described very well what it's like to swallow that anger and keep it down throughout your life.

The ending is quiet, and will disappoint those who want some large explosive fanfare ending. But I found it very intense, even in its quiet realization. It's a fairly quick read and will be of interest to those who like to know what makes people tick.

The story of a woman's struggle to come to terms with childhood traumas and how they have impacted her adult life. An easy read that I didn't hate, nor did I love. It's like the vanilla pudding of books, tastes good, but not the most memorable.

Tender, exquisite. It's as if I was lying in bed all curled up in some cold sheets that were yanked away from me, but then replaced by a soft warm comforting blanket instead. I felt like I grew right along with Kate, even when that was difficult and a shock. Overall a wonderful book!

This book was all that hoped it would be. It's a very fast read (one day), but it is well written. I made a connection with all of the characters and even some of the townsfolk. The way the story built I was worried that another member of the family would die and I was delighted to discover that it was only a dream that would be killed. Who's dream exactly?....that it what made the story so great. A true act of kindness does not require a thank you. We all have wants and dreams for our loved ones, but we have to be understand that they often find true happiness on their own, in spite of us. Great story!

I liked it, not loved it but liked it. She has a nice style, the characters are real. Enjoyable, easy summer read.

A friend passed this book along to me with a thumbs up. Not knowing what to expect I was very surprised to find I was drawn in from the very beginning. It was an enjoyable read.