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A review by sandiet
A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson
5.0
Solace (verb): to give comfort to in grief or misfortune
Solace (noun): comfort in grief; alleviation of grief or anxiety; a source of relief or consolation
The dictionary provided all those definitions for solace and each one applies to the characters in this novel. Mary Lawson paints a vivid picture of the town of Solace and the people in this fictitious town in Northern Ontario. It didn't feel fictitious and I could relate to Elizabeth, Liam and Clare's sorrow. Elizabeth is in the hospital and it's apparent from the beginning she's not going to be going home, Liam is the man going through a divorce who Elizabeth has left everything to including her house. Clare is the young girl next door who Elizabeth has asked to take care of her cat Moses while she's in the hospital. Clare is also in distress waiting for her runaway sister to return home. Clare is an inquisitive child smart beyond her years and by descriptions you can see she has OCD tendencies. There are a few secondary characters in the story and they all play a role in how everything plays out. Small towns are unique in that everyone knows everything about the other (whether you want them to or not). All lives are intertwined and that's how it was with Elizabeth, Liam and Clare they all played a part in how each came together in some way. I loved this book and the mysterious air it had. It kept me turning the pages as I wanted to know how everything would turn out. Another Mary Lawson novel I'm happy to have read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada and Knopf Canada for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased view.
Solace (noun): comfort in grief; alleviation of grief or anxiety; a source of relief or consolation
The dictionary provided all those definitions for solace and each one applies to the characters in this novel. Mary Lawson paints a vivid picture of the town of Solace and the people in this fictitious town in Northern Ontario. It didn't feel fictitious and I could relate to Elizabeth, Liam and Clare's sorrow. Elizabeth is in the hospital and it's apparent from the beginning she's not going to be going home, Liam is the man going through a divorce who Elizabeth has left everything to including her house. Clare is the young girl next door who Elizabeth has asked to take care of her cat Moses while she's in the hospital. Clare is also in distress waiting for her runaway sister to return home. Clare is an inquisitive child smart beyond her years and by descriptions you can see she has OCD tendencies. There are a few secondary characters in the story and they all play a role in how everything plays out. Small towns are unique in that everyone knows everything about the other (whether you want them to or not). All lives are intertwined and that's how it was with Elizabeth, Liam and Clare they all played a part in how each came together in some way. I loved this book and the mysterious air it had. It kept me turning the pages as I wanted to know how everything would turn out. Another Mary Lawson novel I'm happy to have read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada and Knopf Canada for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased view.