The Way the Crow Flies

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

View other editions of The Way the Crow Flies.
View books by Ann-Marie MacDonald.

Utterly compulsive reading - Rated
Shocking, terrifying and nightmare-provoking. I had to get to the end in the shortest possible time. An unforgettable book.

Hard-hitting - stunning - Rated
What a book! It pulls no punches, whizzes backwards and forward in time, and deals with a very uncomfortable subject, but at the same time it is eminently readable. It is precisely set in time and place by the use of various devices - French, Acadien and Metis phrases, political references, etc - and is devastatingly believable. Definitely a book to be re-read - and there are precious few of those!

Darkness on the edge of town... - Rated
To review this novel in depth, I feel, would be to give away too many of the myriad intertwined secrets, which make this such a brilliant read. I had thought of giving the title to this review "Le Carre meets To Kill a Mockingbird", however that makes this, the second novel by Canadian author Anne Marie McDonald appear derivative, and insults the originality of the novel. The narrative combines elements of childhood whimsy, Cold War spy thriller and murder mystery in equal parts, without ever becoming formulaic. It explores the darker themes of childhood more thouroughly than the author's original novel, "Fall On Your Knees". A must read.

An incredible book! - Rated
I bought 'The Way the Crow Flies' on holiday; looking for a trashy easy-to-read paper back for the beach. What I got was a book that had me gripped, tingling, aghast and often horrified. Reading through the fingers of my hand like a scared child watching a ghost film on TV. The strength of the writing has you gripped by the lapels. The depiction of life seen through a child's eyes is awe inspiring. The wonderful and clever intertwining of a 'Who Dunnit' with a family love story, political aspects of the era, a child's introspection and a Somerset-Maugham like ablilty to succinctly introduce believable and strong characters make for a book you simply can't put down and leaves one breathless.
It is an absolute must.

Could even be the best book I have ever read! - Rated
This book was brilliant from start to finish. It's the sort of book which is an extremely gripping and a brilliant story on the surface but which also has another layer of hidden depth if you look closely enough. For example, the book teaches you that every little action can help to create one massive consequence. It show us that in the real world people are ignorant of what these little actions in life actually are. People often blame someone or something entirely for a consequence just because this person or thing is the only clear solution. This book really makes you consider human attitudes and behaviour; both kindness and evil, and pleasure and pain.

Madeline is a beautifully developed character and everything that happens in her life is highly important to the reader. Ann-Marie MacDonald has an amazing talent for bringing places and people to life. Through this book, Ann-Marie MacDonald has wonderfully demonstrated that the nostalgia of childhood is both painful and beautiful.

You would be a fool not to read this book. I am so upset that I have finished it!