Crow Lake ... finally

I finally have a chance to post on Crow Lake. In short, I liked the story although I don't think I'd ever go in for seconds. I finished the book about a month ago, so this review will be a little sketchy. I will try to do my best.

Crow Lake did not leave a lasting impression. As I think back on it, there is nothing that stands out. I felt no great loss or sadness, nor happiness or joy. The storyline was interesting enough for me, but it did not resonate with me. This is due, in part, to my lack of connection to the main character, Kate. Because her adult self was hard to reach in the story -- even for her boyfriend -- I was not pulled in to her emotions.

When I first started reading the book, I anticipated being pulled in deep emotionally. The narrator kept referring to a tragedy that was to occur later. It sounded so ominous. There was a lot of buildup. Even when a tragedy -- her parents' death -- occurred, I kept waiting for something more to happen. Although Kate may have also been referring to the tragedy of her brother, Matt, not being able to attend school, this still did not seem to tragic to me. After meeting him, he seemed happy with his life.

I guess this brings another couple of points: 1) We are all responsible for our own happiness and 2) What is tragic to one is not tragic to another. Kate in the book was very wrapped up in her brother Matt's happiness. I think her teacher, Miss Carrington, fueled this concern: The teacher would come by the house to tell the family that it "wasn't too late" for Matt to attend college. For a 6-year-old, a teacher can be very influential. As for the tragedy of Matt not going to college, in the end, Matt made his own choices. He seemed to have decided that not attending college was not a tragedy. He and his other brother also sacrificed for Kate herself.

Kate's perspective of the events during her childhood were very different from her brothers' perspective. It's that shade of childhood that comes down over what's really happening. Kids can't know what's going on in the adult world. Kate seemed to be stuck with this shade down for most of her early adulthood, too. I am glad it began to lift as she visited her family in the last scenes.