The Way the Crow Flies: A Novel - Hardcover

MacDonald, Ann-Marie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060578955 ISBN 13: 9780060578954

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2003

Synopsis

"One of the finest novels I've read . . . .a fiercely intelligent look at childhood, marriage, families, the 1960s, the Cold War and the fear and isolation that are part of the human condition.... it is not only beautifully written.... it is equally beautiful in its conception, its compassion, its wisdom, even in its anger and pain. Don't miss it." -- Patrick Anderson, Washington Post Book World

The optimism of the early sixties, infused with the excitement of the space race and the menace of the Cold War, is filtered through the rich imagination of high-spirited, eight-year-old Madeleine, who welcomes her family's posting to a quiet Air Force base near the Canadian border. Secure in the love of her beautiful mother, she is unaware that her father, Jack, is caught up in a web of secrets. When a local murder intersects with global forces, Jack must decide where his loyalties lie, and Madeleine will be forced to learn a lesson about the ambiguity of human morality -- one she will only begin to understand when she carries her quest for the truth, and the killer, into adulthood twenty years later.

About this title

Review:

To create a colourfully realised narrative seen through only youthful eyes is not an easy task, as the glut of badly written novels in this vein attests. Fortunately, some writers possess the skill in no uncertain terms. Ann-Marie MacDonald is such a writer, and The Way the Crow Flies is an arresting contribution to the genre. Every word is at the service of the narrative trajectory, and MacDonald never loses sight of her primary aim: to present to the reader all the pain, splendour and humour of the human condition.

The McCarthy family has thrived after the Second World War. When the family is posted to a secluded Canadian Air Force base, a new world opens for eight-year-old Madeleine, who is intoxicated by the sights around her. Her world, she thinks, is perfect: an exquisite mother and a dashing father who is a wing commander. But this is the early 1960s, and the cold war is in place. Madeleine doesn't know that her father is involved in a world of secrets, and when a savage killing in the region begins to affect the family, cracks begin to appear in Madeleine's perfect world. Twenty years pass, and Madeleine's life is still affected by the search for the truth and a killer.

Weighing in at some 700-odd pages, The Way the Crow Flies reads quite as compellingly as a much shorter novel, and the earlier sections of the book are magically rendered, with Madeleine an affectingly drawn character. But MacDonald's story extends beyond this era; the latter part of the book, as her heroine grows older, is quite as assiduously detailed as the earlier sections. The author's subjects are commitment and betrayal, and these themes are realised in the context of a trenchant and distinctive narrative. MacDonald's earlier Fall on Your Knees achieved some acclaim, but this one is likely to bring her many new readers. --Barry Forshaw

Review:

"MacDonald's most impressive accomplishment is her uncanny ability ... to vividly re-create the wonder, humor, and fears of childhood."--Booklist (starred review)

"Ambitious ... interesting ...tender, generous ...[THE WAY THE CROW FLIES] is both an unblinking and a big hearted book."--St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Astonishing in its depth and breath, it artfully weaves one family's struggles into the fabric of the Cold War."--People

"Both terrifying and moving."--New York Times Book Review

"Heartbreaking, startling, profound."--New Jersey Courier Post

"Ambitious ... intriguing ... A grand sweeping saga."--Kirkus Reviews

"Beautifully crafted ... To submit to ... THE WAY THE CROW FLIES is to be both transported and haunted."--Seattle Times

"Rich and complex ... hard to put down ... MacDonald deserves another prize for THE WAY THE CROW FLIES."--San Diego Union-Tribune

"A powerful story, delicately layered with complex secrets, told with a masterful command of narrative and a strong moral message."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0060578955
• ISBN 13: 9780060578954
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 736