Welcome to BookCrossing! This is a site for catching and releasing books for those who want to share the joy of reading. If you find this book, please leave a journal entry to let previous readers know how and where you found the book. Feel free to do this anonymously if you wish. You are welcome to keep the book, but I encourage you to pass it on and let it continue its journey.

This novel was longlisted for the 2021 Book Prize. It weaves together the lives of an elderly woman dying in a hospital, a young girl whose sister goes missing and a man trying to leave his failed marriage and big-city job behind. Lawson's writing reminds me of Alice Munro's and she explores small-town life in Northern Ontario in the same way that Munro did for Southern Ontario, though there's a little more suspense and darkness in Lawson's writing.

It's surprising to me how completely engrossed I was in the stories of very ordinary people, though perhaps these people encountered more than their fair share of misfortune. I'd also liked Lawson's earlier book, Crow Lake, very much.

This is my choice for the Favourite Book of 2022 Roundabout hosted by dark-draco. It is actually a second copy, as the first copy has been stalled.

Here is the order in which it will be travelling:

mathgirl40 (Canada)
mcsar (Canada) -- skipped for now
valpete (USA)
Echode (USA)
Cross-patch (UK)
Greenbadger (UK)
Poodlesister (UK)
Estelle1806 (Ireland)
Fifna (Netherlands)
Von Asdrasthe (Austria)
Sonkku (Finland)
Icila (France)

This book was supposed to go to mcsar, but she cannot be reached, and then to Valpete, but she informed me that she already has access to a copy, so it's now on its way to the next reader on the list, Echode. Enjoy!

This was a very fast read. Loved all the characters, especially, Clara, who is the delightful 8-year old sister. Glad I was able to read this on an electronic device and have Mathgirl80 forward the hard copy to the next reader.

And it has landed in Seattle! Much gratitude for procuring another copy, mathgirl40...

Finished 2/16/23:
It had me at Moses the cat! (I had my own Moses the german shepherd RIP)
Very engrossing. The author was skilled at writing from the POV of different characters & their distinguishable voices. A small town in Ontario becomes the haven for some messy lives and big mistakes.
It's not a hopeful story, but a great one, nevertheless.

On its way to Cross-patch ✈️

It has arrived and has joined a very small tbr pile.

This is a self-confessed book about trust and acceptance. I remember loving Crow Lake, another novel dissecting family relationships. It has left me feeling calm and emotionally satisfied. One cannot ask for more. Thank you mathgirl40.

Off to Greenbadger.

This has arrived with me, thank you.