Mary, Mary tells the story of a rather dysfunctional Cape Breton family. Amid the disfunction is Mary, who is sweet, caring and always taking care of those around her. She lives with her erratic mother and alcoholic grandmother, who have had challenging lives and find themselves in a state of resentment and bitterness. Mary also has her aunt and uncle who are going through their own ups and downs, along with her cousin, Sheena who Mary never felt particularly close to. When a couple of new tenants move into the apartment upstairs, Mary feels the need to break out of her routine and live for herself.
This is a very nice and enjoyable read, with Lesley Crewe’s trademark sense of humour. The family is undeniably dysfunctional and all the characters have their own selfish tendencies, but not without redeemable qualities. The author finds the perfect balance of positive and negative traits that have you rooting for everyone and wanting them to better themselves and succeed. I did find there to be one too many revelations, which felt a bit over the top and made the overall story feel like there was too much going on. Having said that, it is a pleasant read with memorable characters.
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