Crow Lake

Crow Lake is Mary Lawson's bestselling first novel. It got a lot of buzz when it was published in 2003 and I always meant to read it but didn't get around to it until now.
Set in Northern Ontario it is the story of the Morrison family. The parents die in a car accident, leaving 4 children behind. The two teenaged brothers, Luke and Matt, take over the care of their young siblings, Kate and Bo. Kate, just 7 years old at the time of her parents' deaths, narrates the story from the point of view of a child and as an adult preparing to return for a family gathering with her partner, Daniel.
The novel is about the sacrifices made to keep the family together. It's about having to hide grief for fear of fracturing what little is left after tragic loss. It's about the love that keeps the family going. It's about a small community that does what it can to help.
I tore through it quickly, not wanting to put it down, and find myself thinking about it days after I finished it. It's a quiet book, touching without veering into sentimentality and I recommend it.