A Town Called Solace: ‘Will break your heart’ Graham Norton

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Right from the beginning, there is an undercurrent that all is not right. From previous books, I know it will be a while before we get to find out what that undercurrent is. It is subtle, but it is there. Written in simple language, it’s easy to get drawn into each of their stories and watch them develop. Living in the town of Solace is Clara, who is almost eight years old and traumatised by the disappearance of her adored sister, Rose, a rebellious teenager who has left home but has not been heard from since - despite Rose promising faithfully to get a message to her younger sister. Standing vigil at the living room window and longing for Rose's return, Clara is even more upset when she sees a strange man moving into Mrs Orchard's house next door. Clara, we learn, has been given the key for Mrs Orchard's house so that she can look after Moses, Mrs Orchard's cat, whilst the elderly lady is in hospital - but, Clara wonders, how has this man obtained his key? And what is he doing in Mrs Orchard's house?

Set in the frozen north of Canada in 1972, this is a novel of painful histories and the moments in life when we can change for the better. some vocabulary and other elements are distinctly not Canadian and/or do not ring true to the time frame. The sister is called Rose – and her mother regrets the harsh words she exchanged with her in a life together which now seems too brief

Mary Lawson might as well have titled her new book A PLACE called solace because in these challenging times, her story transports the reader to a more redemptive place. This book is about family and found family. It is about small town Solace, where everyone seems to know everyone’s business.This is a character driven novel (my favourites)that left me feeling like these people had become a part of my life. The town is indelibly printed on my mind. For a short while, they were part of my world. I have spent half my life trying to suppress that memory. When I was in St. Thomas’s, the psychiatrist, Dr. Leander, said that whenever it or something similarly disturbing came into my mind I was to replace it, calmly but firmly, with something positive. He said we were all able to control our thoughts to some extent. At first I didn’t believe him, I didn’t see how it could be possible to simply push side such anguish, but actually, with practice, it was. Some of the time, at least”.

I listened to the audiobook, which also has 3 different narrators who did an amazing job. This was the first audiobook that I did not feel the need to increase the speed.Mrs. Orchard, aka Elizabeth, is in the hospital with a heart condition. Her narrations are thoughts to her deceased husband. Through Elizabeth, we learn why she left her home to Liam, the third character. We also learn of Elizabeth’s past and what she feels she needed to atone for. A Town Called Solace, like her other books, is about family relationships. And even though it doesn’t delve into themes I’d call “Shakespearean” because of their complexity and universal truths—themes of her earlier books, Crow Lake, Road Ends, and The Other Side of the Bridge—it is no less affecting. These three come together in a way that shows that each person matters, even if their gifts aren't apparent to them without the help of the others. I loved little Clara, who was a suspicious thing even as a toddler. Mrs. Orchard loves kids and has known Clara all her life and she delights in the way Clara won't take anything at face value. It's no surprise that Clara has a lot of blunt questions for Liam and his presence in Moses' home and life. Poor Clara, her early suspicions seems to have foreshadowed that adults won't tell her anything. They won't tell her what happened to her sister, what happened to Mrs. Orchard, they are always "protecting", which seems to amount to just telling her lies. Liam doesn't know what to do with this girl in his house everyday but she helps him grow, just as Mrs. Orchard helps him grow. I wouldn't mind staying in this story for longer, I enjoyed being with all three of these characters. Many of them consider how people grapple with the past – whether personal experiences of grief or dislocation or the historical legacies of enslavement, apartheid and civil war. Many examine intimate relationships placed under stress, and through them meditate on ideas of freedom and obligation, or on what makes us human,” said Jasanoff. “It’s particularly resonant during the pandemic to note that all of these books have important things to say about the nature of community, from the tiny and secluded to the unmeasurable expanse of cyberspace.”