Relative Happiness

R. Gordon Moyles is professor emeritus of English at the University of
Alberta. He is co-author of Imperial Dreams and Colonial Realities:
British Views of Canada, 1880–1914, author of The Salvation Army and
the Public, and editor of “Improved by Cult

This is romance with a difference. It is set in Glace Bay, where life
may seem a little stagnant. We are introduced to Lexie Ivy, who is, as
one of her friends puts it, “a beautiful woman inside and out, who
covers herself under big baggy clothes. Who keeps her head down and
hides behind her hair. Who has the most beautiful eyes and a complexion
to die for, but no one sees that because [she] won’t let them.”

Always outshone by her beautiful sisters, more acceptable as a mother
than a lover, Lexie finds an outlet in acting until love eventually
finds a way into her heart and life. Sound maudlin? In some ways it is.
But Crewe approaches the subject with such rare humour and such an
easy-going style, and invests the characters with such believability
(especially in their conversations) and so many
“been-there-done-that” experiences, that we are drawn into Lexie’s
world, wishing her the happiness she deserves.

Crewe has a deceptive way of writing that seems so casual yet, when
looked at closely, is resonant with feeling; vivid in its depiction of
lifestyles, character moods, and individual differences; and often
effortlessly funny. The dialogue is so revealing of character and place
that one feels as if one belongs. And, certainly, Cape Breton is a
“belonging” kind of place. Altogether, this is a delightful novel
from a talented new writer, full of warm feeling and genuine love.