‘Road Ends’ by Mary Lawson       (2013) –  311 pages

Well, I finally did it, and I’m very happy that I did. I have now read all four of the consequential novels written by Canadian/English author Mary Lawson.

Although Lawson has lived in England a long time, all of her novels take place in Canada, her childhood home. The Cartwright family of ‘Road Ends’ live in the small town of Struan in northern Ontario, but the daughter Megan does move to London, England where much of the novel does take place.

Megan is the glue that holds the large family in Canada together. When Megan decides to begin a life of her own in London, her Cartwright family falls apart. Megan makes an outstanding success of herself in London, but she still gets worrisome reports from back home.

Megan gets a letter from her father saying that her mother Emily is expecting another baby.

“Her mother wouldn’t be able to cope. The place would be utter chaos.”

After the birth of her eighth baby, mother Emily’s only interest is the newborn baby, and she neglects everything and everyone else. Four year-old Adam must fend for himself.

Edward, the father, a successful bank manager, is rather a cold fish at home.  Usually he is immersed in his own reading and tries to avoid disturbances from his large family. When a neighbor tells the oldest son Tom who lives at home how helpful Edward was at the bank, Tom muses,

“Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, Tom thought bitterly. Maybe he should make an appointment to see his father at the bank. That way he might get ten minutes of his time.”

Son Tom has his own problems which prevent him from helping his family much. His best friend has committed suicide after a drunk driving incident killed a young girl. Maintaining one’s sense of well-being when faced with the vicissitudes of every day life is more difficult than one would think. However at home when Tom sees his little brother Adam wandering around the house going hungry, Tom does open a can of beans for him.

Here is a novel that can make the everyday life in a small town seem dramatic, important, and meaningful. There are not many authors who can write a long vivid novel that maintains one’s total interest and enthusiasm throughout. Mary Lawson has now written four of them.

Grade :    A