Crazy Sorrow

Martha Wilson is Canadian correspondent for the Japan Times (Tokyo) and
a Toronto-based freelance editor and writer.

This debut novel by Susan Bowes is the story of Rebecca Peterson’s
turbulent childhood and journey toward freedom.

Rebecca’s Nova Scotia girlhood and emotional entanglements with
friends and relatives are lovingly depicted, as are the many facets of
small-town life: family pranks, church suppers, and visits to eccentric
older neighbors.

Bowes’s writing is often witty and exuberant. Unfortunately, it is
also maddening. The author’s energetic verbs and profusion of
exclamation marks sometimes leave the reader on the verge of exhausion.
Still, there are moments of powerful writing, particularly as the climax
of the story approaches.

Rebecca’s quest for the truth at the heart of a dark family mystery
occupies her attention well into adulthood. She must come to terms with
her mother’s alcoholism and with her aunt Marion’s secrets. The
reader sympathizes, but longs for a speedier resolution. At nearly 500
pages, this book is self-indulgent. Bowes has spent her talent on a
project that needs considerable trimming.