The Way the Crow Flies: A Novel

Ann-Marie MacDonald

Oct 2009 · Harper Collins

About this ebook

 “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.

Ratings and reviews

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the style and the setting of the '60s. It did drag a little and the murder that whole book wrapped around was left a little unmotivated, without much punishment or resolution. Still, it was an absorbing read, with a very unique style of writing that I really liked. I would definitely read more bu her, though I think it would be subject dependent because I liked the young narrator much better than the older one.

Perfect.

About the author

Novelist and dramatist Ann-Marie MacDonald is the author of the internationally bestselling and award-winning novel Fall on Your Knees. She is also the playwright of Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet, which won the Governor General's Award for Drama. She lives in Toronto.