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A Town Called Solace Mary Lawson

A Town Called Solace By Mary Lawson

A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson


$17.49
Condition - Like New
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A Town Called Solace Summary

A Town Called Solace: 'Will break your heart' Graham Norton by Mary Lawson

Set in the frozen north of Canada in 1972, this is a beautiful Booker Prize longlisted novel about painful histories that need reckoning with and the moments in life when we can change for the better.

'I've been telling everyone I know about Mary Lawson . . . Each of her novels is just a marvel' ANNE TYLER


**A DAILY TELEGRAPH AND OBSERVER BOOK OF THE YEAR**

Clara's sister is missing. Angry, rebellious Rose had a row with their mother, stormed out of the house and simply disappeared. Seven-year-old Clara, isolated by her distraught parents' efforts to protect her from the truth, is grief-stricken and bewildered.

Liam Kane, newly divorced, newly unemployed, newly arrived in this small northern town, moves into the house next door, a house left to him by an old woman he can barely remember, and within hours gets a visit from the police. It seems he's suspected of a crime.

At the end of her life Elizabeth Orchard is thinking about a crime too, one committed thirty years ago that had tragic consequences for two families and in particular for one small child. She desperately wants to make amends before she dies.

A Town Called Solace explores the relationships of these three people brought together by fate and the mistakes of the past. By turns gripping and darkly funny, it uncovers the layers of grief and remorse and love that connect us, but shows that sometimes a new life is possible.

'Poised, elegant prose, paired with quiet drama that will break your heart. The sort of book that seems as if it has always existed because of its timeless perfection' GRAHAM NORTON

'These interwoven stories of three people at different stages of life...will stay with me the way good friendships stay with you. It's already one of my favourite books of the year' RACHEL JOYCE

A Town Called Solace Reviews

It's already one of my favourite books of the year * Rachel Joyce *
She has the God-given ability to convey the complexities of human nature in everyday language... Like a magician, Lawson hides her technique, and makes it all seem as natural as breathing -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *
A contemplative story about loss and regret, a slow burn of a read with a fire at its heart -- John Boyne * Irish Times *
Lawson's writing is such that it appears effortless but, as all the strands come together to create a rich and satisfying tapestry, her genius for storytelling becomes apparent * Irish Independent *
The doubts, difficulties and uncertainties of the human condition are carefully examined in a way that is both heartbreaking and joyful * Scotsman *
Subtle and darkly funny, this tender novel unspools the interconnected lives of her beautifully drawn characters * Daily Express *
An absorbing novel * Sunday Express *
Lawson has carved out a world in Northern Ontario that's vividly, absorbingly real... Carries you along from midnight to dawn, oblivious of the time * Literary Review *
A Town Called Solace keeps you breathless with anxiety, then relief and finally even joy -- Ferdinand Mount * Observer *
Close to perfection * The Times *
Beautifully written and so finely crafted; told in the kind of prose I most admire because it takes what appears to be complicated and makes it clear . . . These interwoven stories of three people at different stages of life, and yet each struggling with their own form of loss and grief, will stay with me the way good friendships stay with you. It's already one of my favourite books of the year -- Rachel Joyce
Mary Lawson writes with a pure simplicity... she has the God-given ability to convey the complexities of human nature in everyday language... It was only on a second reading that I came to realise quite how intricately plotted A Town Called Solace is: like a magician, Lawson hides her technique, and makes it all seem as natural as breathing... she possesses an instinctive feel for when to withhold information, and when to release it -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *
Lawson's books are a pleasure to read - they conjure a space where quiet reflection and owning your past mistakes bring gentle rewards; they feel kind and wise and brimful of empathy -- Siobhan Murphy * The Times *
This is Mary Lawson's fourth novel and I'd recommend a binge immersion... Lawson has carved out a world in Northern Ontario that's vividly, absorbingly real; she captures tones and voices with exactitude in writing that's idiomatic but never flashy and carries you along from midnight to dawn, oblivious of the time. -- Nooni Minogue * Literary Review *
Poised, elegant prose, paired with quiet drama that will break your heart. The sort of book that seems as if it has always existed because of its timeless perfection -- Graham Norton
You can't get much farther north than the Ontario of Mary Lawson's icy, compelling stories of calamity and redemption. A Town Called Solace keeps you breathless with anxiety, then relief and finally even joy -- Ferdinand Mount * Observer *
A contemplative story about loss and regret, a slow burn of a read with a fire at its heart -- John Boyne
Close to perfection -- Christina Hardyment * The Times, *Audiobooks of the Year* *
Lawson's writing is clear and emotive... In this poignant novel, rightfully recognised by the Booker judges, the steadfastness of children brings solace to lost grown-ups -- Francesca Carington * Sunday Telegraph, *Novel of the Week* *
There's a beauty and simplicity in her [Lawson's] stories set in small-town Canada -- Nina Pottell * Prima *

About Mary Lawson

Mary Lawson's first novel, Crow Lake, was loved by critics and readers all over the world; it was translated into 25 languages and published in 28 countries. It was a New York Times bestseller, won the McKitterick Prize and spent 75 weeks on the bestseller lists in her native Canada. Her second novel, The Other Side of the Bridge, was longlisted for the Booker Prize and selected for the Richard & Judy Book Club. And, most recently, Road Ends was described as 'tender and surprising . . . a vivid and evocative tale' in the New York Times. Mary came to England in the 1960s, and lives in Kingston-upon-Thames.

Additional information

GOR011314738
9781784743925
1784743925
A Town Called Solace: 'Will break your heart' Graham Norton by Mary Lawson
Used - Like New
Hardback
Vintage Publishing
20210218
304
Long-listed for Booker Prize 2021 (UK)
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
The book has been read, but looks new. The book cover has no visible wear, and the dust jacket is included if applicable. No missing or damaged pages, no tears, possible very minimal creasing, no underlining or highlighting of text, and no writing in the margins

Customer Reviews - A Town Called Solace