A Town called Solace

The story is set in the fictional town of Solace in Northern Ontario (Canada) in 1972. Three people are at the heart of the novel. Seven-year-old Clara, whose rebellious sister Rose has run away from home. Mrs Orchard, a widowed elderly neighbour, who asks Clara to feed the cat while she is in hospital. Liam, a recently divorced man in his late thirties who comes to live in Mrs Orchard’s house. And there is Moses, Mrs Orchard’s cat, unaware of how he connects the three characters. From three different points of view the story unfolds and tells the reader how the characters come to terms with the past and find possibilities for a new beginning. Mary Lawson tells a quiet, timeless story about people whose characters are drawn with great empathy. All storylines centre on loss, longing and love. The book was longlisted for the Booker Prize 2021.