Review of A TOWN CALLED SOLACE by Mary Lawson (New Release)

4 Stars 

I loved Mary Lawson’s three previous novels (Crow Lake, The Other Side of the Bridge, and Road Ends) so was thrilled to see a new title.  A Town Called Solace does not disappoint.

Set in 1972 in northeastern Ontario, this book gives the perspectives of three people.  Seven-year-old Clara keeps a daily vigil at her front window hoping for the return of her sister Rose who has run away.  One day she notices a man moving into the house of the neighbor, Elizabeth Orchard.  Clara promised to take care of Mrs. Orchard’s cat while she was in hospital.  The man who moves in is Liam Cane who has been gifted the house by Mrs. Orchard whom he hasn’t seen in 30 years.

Each of the three main characters is facing a crisis.  Clara is missing her sister and believes her parents are lying to her, and then she has to contend with the man who has moved in.  Liam is recently divorced and unemployed and is trying to figure out what he should do with his life.  Elizabeth, in hospital, thinks back over her life and slowly remembers what happened between her and Liam so many years ago.

Characterization is outstanding.  Clara, for instance, is portrayed so realistically.  Because of her age, her understanding of events is limited.  She is anxious about her missing sister and believes her parents are lying to her when they are merely trying to protect her from some harsh realities.  Clara desperately wants some order in the chaos that is her world.  Liam and Elizabeth’s actions show them to be less than perfect.  Some of what Elizabeth did in the past is difficult to accept, but given her circumstances, the reader cannot but have some sympathy. 

All three of the main characters are dynamic.  Clara learns to trust as she struggles with understanding the consequences of keeping promises and secrets.  Liam has many regrets about his past but learns that second chances are possible.  Martha faces what she did in the past and tries to make amends as best she can at the end of her life.

There is considerable suspense.  Where is Rose and is she safe?  Concern increases as time passes and no one has heard from her.  Elizabeth has secrets which she admits having spent half her life trying to suppress and a past she fears her friends and neighbours might learn about.  These secrets have something to do with Liam but the exact nature of them is unclear at first.

There is also humour.  Liam, as the newcomer in town, receives the cold shoulder treatment from the waitress at the only café in town.  Clara’s activities in Liam’s house cannot but bring a smile.  Then there’s the comment by Martha who shares the hospital room with Elizabeth.  Martha objects to getting an injection by saying “’I hate having things stuck into me . . . I didn’t even like sex all that much.’” 

I lived in northeastern Ontario for 35 years, having moved there 7 years later than the novel’s setting, so I enjoyed the references to places like North Bay, Sudbury and New Liskeard.  Though Solace is a fictional town, the author clearly indicates where she imagines it is located.  Liam, for example, picks up the local newspaper:  “It was called the Temiskaming Speaker and was published in New Liskeard – he’d driven through New Liskeard on his way here, a small northern town, though a metropolis compared to Solace.”  The mention of “quart baskets of blueberries” brought back memories of berry picking in the region she describes.

One issue I had is the time frame.  When the narrative switches to another person, it is initially unclear whether the time continues.  Several times, Clara’s point of view is given over a period of several days; then when Liam’s perspective is given, it covers some of these same days.  This back and forth is confusing at times.  Elizabeth’s stay in the hospital does not occur during Clara and Liam’s sections, but that is not a problem.  (I must also mention the 31 references to cookies.  Did everyone in 1972 eat cookies so much?)

I very much enjoyed this book.  It is a beautifully written story with a strong plot and realistic characters.  It also develops themes clearly but not in a heavy-handed way.  I’m certain more than a few readers will find some solace in reading A Town Called Solace.

Note:  I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.