Rating: 3 out of 5
Crow Lake
by Mary Lawson. (Bantam Dell, 2002)
Review by Erin Gurry
There is a place called Crow Lake, which on the
surface appears to be a quaint town with quiet,
peaceful inhabitants. Underneath the tranquility
there lies unforgivable secrets and fears. A
tragic event leaves the Morrison children orphaned
and wondering how to go on with the only life they
have even known. They discover that the decisions
they make now will affect not only their futures,
but also the history of the entire town. Family
struggle and financial hardships shape the life of
the Kate, a Morrison orphan. She has had to watch
her brothers make mistakes and sacrifices to
protect each other. Now that she has grown and
moved away, coming back to Crow Lake brings back
memories and the dreadful feeling of remorse. She
struggles to accept the past and in turn, it
continues to haunt her future.

While all of us have had determining experiences
that affected our future, this story shows how
important each decision can be. Although the
storyline has terrific potential, it begs for
fewer toggles between the past and future. Kate's
childhood setting has adequate potential for a
fully self-contained narrative without the need
for the jump to future events. However, Crow Lake
is an acceptable read with a fresh plot. Lawson
has created wonderful characters with cherished
relationships in a simple, rural setting.



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