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Solace in Winter: A Novel
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Expected 10 Nov 26Win a free print copy of this book!
1 day and 18:38:16
10 copies available
U.S. and Canada only
Winter in the small Canadian town of Solace is a season of hibernation. But this year, the snowfall brings a series of accidental encounters that will shake up the lives—and loves—of an old man, a student on the run and an abandoned dog.
It is deep winter, 1969. As the Vietnam War drives young men north across the Canadian border, widower Jack’s quiet life is overturned by two accidents that happen on the bend in the road into town. First comes a dog in a bad way. Next a draft dodger, seriously injured, lying in the snow. Suddenly, Jack’s cabin is busy with a growing cast of characters—and all the baggage, dreams and desires they’re carrying.
The atmosphere chills when Jack’s daughter Sally drops by one day and doesn’t like what she sees. What Sally does next changes everything, for everyone but herself.
This exquisite snow globe of a novel is a refuge, a story of connection and moral complexity set in the beloved world of Mary Lawson’s bestselling, prize-winning Crow Lake, The Other Side of the Bridge, Road Ends and A Town Called Solace.
It is deep winter, 1969. As the Vietnam War drives young men north across the Canadian border, widower Jack’s quiet life is overturned by two accidents that happen on the bend in the road into town. First comes a dog in a bad way. Next a draft dodger, seriously injured, lying in the snow. Suddenly, Jack’s cabin is busy with a growing cast of characters—and all the baggage, dreams and desires they’re carrying.
The atmosphere chills when Jack’s daughter Sally drops by one day and doesn’t like what she sees. What Sally does next changes everything, for everyone but herself.
This exquisite snow globe of a novel is a refuge, a story of connection and moral complexity set in the beloved world of Mary Lawson’s bestselling, prize-winning Crow Lake, The Other Side of the Bridge, Road Ends and A Town Called Solace.
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Expected publication November 10, 2026
About the author
Mary Lawson
15 books1,182 followersMary Lawson is a Canadian novelist best known for her acclaimed novels Crow Lake, The Other Side of the Bridge, and A Town Called Solace. Raised in southwestern Ontario, she studied psychology at McGill University before moving to Britain, where she worked as an industrial psychologist and later married fellow psychologist Richard Mobbs. Her experiences in Ontario, particularly summers spent in the Muskoka region, influenced the Northern Ontario settings of her fiction. Lawson began writing short stories for women's magazines before turning to novels later in life. Crow Lake, published in 2002 after years of work, became an international success and was published in 22 countries. The Other Side of the Bridge became a Canadian bestseller, while A Town Called Solace was longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2021.
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Winter in the small Canadian town of Solace is pretty tough, especially when the snow begins to fall.
The winter of 1969 though, brings two accidents that will change the lives forever, of a bereaved old man, a badly injured student draft dodger, (as protests about the Vietnam War drove young men north across the Canadian border), and an equally badly injured stray dog.
The old man, Jack, takes in the badly injured dog. He also takes in the injured student, Chris. From his normal solitude, which he treasures, Jack’s life becomes very busy, but his cabin becomes a place of healing, both of the body and the mind. That is until Jack’s daughter Sally turns up and spoils everything for everyone.
Set in Northern Ontario, this is such a heartwarming story, demonstrating how a little kindness and a listening ear can work their magic. Lives come together in love, grief and hope, as we the readers look on with a poignancy that tugs at the heartstrings. There are no great mysteries here, no non stop action, just a keenly observed depiction of life at its most ordinary - ordinary but nevertheless utterly compelling! And, I have to say how much I adored Lola the dog. A treasure of a read, just pure delight!
*My thanks to Mary Lawson, Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
The winter of 1969 though, brings two accidents that will change the lives forever, of a bereaved old man, a badly injured student draft dodger, (as protests about the Vietnam War drove young men north across the Canadian border), and an equally badly injured stray dog.
The old man, Jack, takes in the badly injured dog. He also takes in the injured student, Chris. From his normal solitude, which he treasures, Jack’s life becomes very busy, but his cabin becomes a place of healing, both of the body and the mind. That is until Jack’s daughter Sally turns up and spoils everything for everyone.
Set in Northern Ontario, this is such a heartwarming story, demonstrating how a little kindness and a listening ear can work their magic. Lives come together in love, grief and hope, as we the readers look on with a poignancy that tugs at the heartstrings. There are no great mysteries here, no non stop action, just a keenly observed depiction of life at its most ordinary - ordinary but nevertheless utterly compelling! And, I have to say how much I adored Lola the dog. A treasure of a read, just pure delight!
*My thanks to Mary Lawson, Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage for my ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Since I first read Mary Lawson’s Crow Lake and then each of her subsequent novels, she has been on my list of favorite writers. With each novel, we get a genuine sense of place in Northern Canada , so perfectly you can feel the brutal cold and see the mounds of snow as she allows us to live in these places for a while. She combines this sense of place with characters you care about, as she takes us into their hearts and minds. She’s done it again in this her latest novel, taking us back to the small town of Solace, a town of her imagination and gives us these ordinary people living in tough conditions, ordinary characters who reflect the extraordinary side of our humanity.
Jack Gallagher, living the life of a recluse, grieving the loss of his wife, doesn’t realize how lonely he’s been until he saves a nearly dead dog on the side of the road or when he saves a young American draft dodger, Chris after an accident on the same road. He opens his home to them both and his heart to the beauty of life’s connections. There are some lovely characters who play a role in the healing of bodies and souls - Tomas Mahler, the Vet and Ellie, the nurse and of course , Lola , the beautiful and loyal dog.
And as in life, things get complicated . Nothing is perfect in Lawson’s world as in life and the equilibrium of these relationships is upset by Jack’s daughter, bitter about what she perceives as a lack of love from her parents . Their fates are forever changed, but they are better people for having connected as they did. In an opening note to the advanced copy I read, Lawson notes that she’s not a prolific writer. “My biggest problem, always, is working out what to write about—or rather who to write about, because character is everything in my books, and regular story evolves from the characters.” As in Lawson’s other novels, it was hard to leave these characters, but it was worth the wait to meet them .
I received a copy of this from Penguin Random House through NetGalley.
Jack Gallagher, living the life of a recluse, grieving the loss of his wife, doesn’t realize how lonely he’s been until he saves a nearly dead dog on the side of the road or when he saves a young American draft dodger, Chris after an accident on the same road. He opens his home to them both and his heart to the beauty of life’s connections. There are some lovely characters who play a role in the healing of bodies and souls - Tomas Mahler, the Vet and Ellie, the nurse and of course , Lola , the beautiful and loyal dog.
And as in life, things get complicated . Nothing is perfect in Lawson’s world as in life and the equilibrium of these relationships is upset by Jack’s daughter, bitter about what she perceives as a lack of love from her parents . Their fates are forever changed, but they are better people for having connected as they did. In an opening note to the advanced copy I read, Lawson notes that she’s not a prolific writer. “My biggest problem, always, is working out what to write about—or rather who to write about, because character is everything in my books, and regular story evolves from the characters.” As in Lawson’s other novels, it was hard to leave these characters, but it was worth the wait to meet them .
I received a copy of this from Penguin Random House through NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"It made him ache . Aside from Hannah he'd never had a what you call a close friend. He hadn't missed until now."
A top read for winter 2026
It is winter 1969 and we return to the small Northern Ontario town of Solace. This is the story of Jack Gallagher- a widower of a year - who lives quietly in the town of Solace. A former war photographer and husband of acclaimed artist Hannah Gallagher, he quietly exists in a solitary state until two accident impact upon his life. Two accidents in the same location- the first being the discovery of an injured dog ;"Lola" and the second being the discovery of a young man, Chris who is seriously injured after a car accident.
Somehow out of his control, Jack finds himself playing host to both injured parties- his single life is transformed overnight - and in doing so he finds life takes him on a journey of self-discovery and the confrontation of harsh personal realities from his own daughter as well as growing understanding that being with good people( and a dog ) can enhance life.
Similarly, Chris- a draft dodger of the Vietnam war- has to confront his decisions and the feelings towards his new life in Canada and the people around him.
As with the superb Town Called Solace ( Booker long-listed 2021), Mary Lawson follows a similar format of alternating chapters between characters as they reflect upon circumstances and events.
It is the astute and moving observations and feelings of the characters that make this new book as equally riveting. Some authors have that rare skill of producing quality over quantity - perceptive and poignant writing that leaves the reader aghast and hungry for more but equally recognising that what has been said is enough without becoming sentimental or too cliche ridden- Mary Lawson is one of those unique authors.
Similar to Ann Patchett and Elizabeth Strout, Mary Lawson has created a world of characters that grip us whilst digging deeper into the fallibilities, the imperfections but also strengths and beauty that make us human. Every single one of the characters in this novel feels so fully formed it is if we have known them for years.
Solace in Winter is a truly wonderful read and highly recommended as a Top Fiction Novel for Autumn 2026- brilliant read for a book group.
Thank you to Chatto and Windus Publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy for an honest review.
A top read for winter 2026
It is winter 1969 and we return to the small Northern Ontario town of Solace. This is the story of Jack Gallagher- a widower of a year - who lives quietly in the town of Solace. A former war photographer and husband of acclaimed artist Hannah Gallagher, he quietly exists in a solitary state until two accident impact upon his life. Two accidents in the same location- the first being the discovery of an injured dog ;"Lola" and the second being the discovery of a young man, Chris who is seriously injured after a car accident.
Somehow out of his control, Jack finds himself playing host to both injured parties- his single life is transformed overnight - and in doing so he finds life takes him on a journey of self-discovery and the confrontation of harsh personal realities from his own daughter as well as growing understanding that being with good people( and a dog ) can enhance life.
Similarly, Chris- a draft dodger of the Vietnam war- has to confront his decisions and the feelings towards his new life in Canada and the people around him.
As with the superb Town Called Solace ( Booker long-listed 2021), Mary Lawson follows a similar format of alternating chapters between characters as they reflect upon circumstances and events.
It is the astute and moving observations and feelings of the characters that make this new book as equally riveting. Some authors have that rare skill of producing quality over quantity - perceptive and poignant writing that leaves the reader aghast and hungry for more but equally recognising that what has been said is enough without becoming sentimental or too cliche ridden- Mary Lawson is one of those unique authors.
Similar to Ann Patchett and Elizabeth Strout, Mary Lawson has created a world of characters that grip us whilst digging deeper into the fallibilities, the imperfections but also strengths and beauty that make us human. Every single one of the characters in this novel feels so fully formed it is if we have known them for years.
Solace in Winter is a truly wonderful read and highly recommended as a Top Fiction Novel for Autumn 2026- brilliant read for a book group.
Thank you to Chatto and Windus Publishers and NetGalley for the advance copy for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I read this whole book trying to prolong my pleasure by rationing it slowly, almost mourning the moment when I'd finished and could never again read it for the first time.
That is the effect of Mary Lawson's books. There are not a lot of them, but I've read them all, her first, Crow Lake, twice.
Mary Lawson is a Canadian writer who lives in the UK. Her Canada makes me long for the country with something like homesickness although I've never lived there. I long for the snow, the trees, the ice, the cabins in the woods, the people! There is nothing that doesn't feel like home to me, and there is no rational explanation for that.
I felt this way long before the politics in the USA became untenable and shameful. . . . Speaking of which, this book, where a young American Vietnam draft-dodger’s story collides with the reader during the reign of our current corrupt US government makes this book timely. I think Lawson might have written it any time, but having it land right now, while so many Americans—both those who lived through Vietnam and those who didn’t—are both ashamed and longing for Canada’s sanity and government—gives it special resonance in the States.
Mary Lawson's novels are as good as it gets.
In Solace in Winter, we are back in the fictional Northern Ontario town of Solace, introduced in her 2021 novel A Town Called Solace. There is an old photographer living alone in the middle of nowhere. He comes to the rescue of two different beings who had accidents in the same harrowing unexpected turn in the road. And I could go on, but plot is for you to relish by reading this book.
What I want to talk about is why this book has such a steady heartbeat you feel it pulsing inside your own. The writing is straight-forward and unpretentious so it might look easy. But the kind of perfect-pitch honesty of human emotions and behavior is something few writers convey. There is not a false beat. No hiding of any impulse because the writer is afraid of a certain level of revelation. No pretense. No reader manipulation. Just a seemingly effortless human/animal/land story, full of synapses to allow dramatic tension to hold, pulling the reader forward. And the physical comedy—I've seen this in Lawson's earlier books but had forgotten it: the kind of all-out physical scene that playwrights write, but rarely do novelists. The writing is not lyrical, yet it evokes such visuals that, although they were fully fleshed out in my mind's eye, part of me wanted to see them in real life—particularly some tapestries, described in such a way that it described Mary Lawson's writing of this book.
If this novel were a food, I'd eat it as slowly as I could, to make it last. If it were air, I'd breathe it as low into my body as it would go, and I'm sure it would smell of some heavenly flower with no name. Maybe what I'm really talking about is Love.
Mary Lawson writes with Love for her subjects—both human and other. Her Love casts a spell.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for the advance reading copy for review. The book will launch in the USA and Canada on November 10th.
For those in Winnipeg, Canada, I'm jealous—as of this writing, the one scheduled promotion stop for Mary Lawson is December 2nd, 7 pm:
MCNALLY ROBINSON BOOKSELLERS GRANT PARK PLAZA
SUITE 4000
4000-1120 GRANT AVENUE
WINNIPEG, MB R3M 2A6
If I lived anywhere in the vicinity, I'd be there. To learn more about Mary Lawson, go to her website. Even her bio conveys her warmth.
That is the effect of Mary Lawson's books. There are not a lot of them, but I've read them all, her first, Crow Lake, twice.
Mary Lawson is a Canadian writer who lives in the UK. Her Canada makes me long for the country with something like homesickness although I've never lived there. I long for the snow, the trees, the ice, the cabins in the woods, the people! There is nothing that doesn't feel like home to me, and there is no rational explanation for that.
I felt this way long before the politics in the USA became untenable and shameful. . . . Speaking of which, this book, where a young American Vietnam draft-dodger’s story collides with the reader during the reign of our current corrupt US government makes this book timely. I think Lawson might have written it any time, but having it land right now, while so many Americans—both those who lived through Vietnam and those who didn’t—are both ashamed and longing for Canada’s sanity and government—gives it special resonance in the States.
Mary Lawson's novels are as good as it gets.
In Solace in Winter, we are back in the fictional Northern Ontario town of Solace, introduced in her 2021 novel A Town Called Solace. There is an old photographer living alone in the middle of nowhere. He comes to the rescue of two different beings who had accidents in the same harrowing unexpected turn in the road. And I could go on, but plot is for you to relish by reading this book.
What I want to talk about is why this book has such a steady heartbeat you feel it pulsing inside your own. The writing is straight-forward and unpretentious so it might look easy. But the kind of perfect-pitch honesty of human emotions and behavior is something few writers convey. There is not a false beat. No hiding of any impulse because the writer is afraid of a certain level of revelation. No pretense. No reader manipulation. Just a seemingly effortless human/animal/land story, full of synapses to allow dramatic tension to hold, pulling the reader forward. And the physical comedy—I've seen this in Lawson's earlier books but had forgotten it: the kind of all-out physical scene that playwrights write, but rarely do novelists. The writing is not lyrical, yet it evokes such visuals that, although they were fully fleshed out in my mind's eye, part of me wanted to see them in real life—particularly some tapestries, described in such a way that it described Mary Lawson's writing of this book.
If this novel were a food, I'd eat it as slowly as I could, to make it last. If it were air, I'd breathe it as low into my body as it would go, and I'm sure it would smell of some heavenly flower with no name. Maybe what I'm really talking about is Love.
Mary Lawson writes with Love for her subjects—both human and other. Her Love casts a spell.
Thank you to Penguin Random House for the advance reading copy for review. The book will launch in the USA and Canada on November 10th.
For those in Winnipeg, Canada, I'm jealous—as of this writing, the one scheduled promotion stop for Mary Lawson is December 2nd, 7 pm:
MCNALLY ROBINSON BOOKSELLERS GRANT PARK PLAZA
SUITE 4000
4000-1120 GRANT AVENUE
WINNIPEG, MB R3M 2A6
If I lived anywhere in the vicinity, I'd be there. To learn more about Mary Lawson, go to her website. Even her bio conveys her warmth.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Mary Lawson returns us to Solace, Northern Ontario, in the winter of 1969 where widower, Jack Gallagher, finds himself at the centre of two bizarre incidents. First he finds a dog at the side of the road. He rescues the animal and soon finds himself an unwilling carer.
More bizarrely only a short time later he finds a car wrecked in the exact same spot; this time he finds Chris Hansen, a young American draft dodger, close to death. Again Jack becomes an unwilling carer for the boy with the help of Tomas, the local vet and Ellie, a nurse and wife of the local cop.
However as Chris begins his recovery the small band of helpers find themselves thrown into circumstances they did not expect and Chris' feelings about his new life begin to change along with his feelings about those caring for him; feelings that may cause many more problems than anyone anticipated.
Mary Lawson writes such wonderful characters, landscape and dialogue that you often find yourself lulled into a false sense of security. Her stories feel like warm hugs until the narrative turns on you and she gives you a very healthy dose of reality.
Winter in Solace is set at the height of the Vietnam draft when nearly half a million young men were sent to fight an escalating war and more than 10 percent of them either died there or suffered life changing injuries. It certainly puts the fear Chris feels into context. He presents as a confused and sympathetic character but, as with all the main characters in her novels we are reminded that people are rarely either purely good or bad.
I tried so hard to eke this beautiful novel out for as long as I could but it really is impossible to stop reading Lawson's stories. I loved Winter in Solace as I have loved all her books. Jack, Chris and Ellie amused and appalled me in almost equal measure. I did fall completely in love with Lola the dog and baby Henry along with the descriptions of the landscape and solitary lifestyles.
Mary Lawson, you can do no wrong. Very highly recommended.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Katrina Northern at Vintage for the digital review copy. Very much appreciated.
More bizarrely only a short time later he finds a car wrecked in the exact same spot; this time he finds Chris Hansen, a young American draft dodger, close to death. Again Jack becomes an unwilling carer for the boy with the help of Tomas, the local vet and Ellie, a nurse and wife of the local cop.
However as Chris begins his recovery the small band of helpers find themselves thrown into circumstances they did not expect and Chris' feelings about his new life begin to change along with his feelings about those caring for him; feelings that may cause many more problems than anyone anticipated.
Mary Lawson writes such wonderful characters, landscape and dialogue that you often find yourself lulled into a false sense of security. Her stories feel like warm hugs until the narrative turns on you and she gives you a very healthy dose of reality.
Winter in Solace is set at the height of the Vietnam draft when nearly half a million young men were sent to fight an escalating war and more than 10 percent of them either died there or suffered life changing injuries. It certainly puts the fear Chris feels into context. He presents as a confused and sympathetic character but, as with all the main characters in her novels we are reminded that people are rarely either purely good or bad.
I tried so hard to eke this beautiful novel out for as long as I could but it really is impossible to stop reading Lawson's stories. I loved Winter in Solace as I have loved all her books. Jack, Chris and Ellie amused and appalled me in almost equal measure. I did fall completely in love with Lola the dog and baby Henry along with the descriptions of the landscape and solitary lifestyles.
Mary Lawson, you can do no wrong. Very highly recommended.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Katrina Northern at Vintage for the digital review copy. Very much appreciated.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An understated powerful read. 4.5/5
In full
This is mainly set in a small Canadian town in the winter of 1969. The town concerned is Solace which the author has written about before. I enjoyed the previous book a lot. Solace is a town where little happens until it does and then it becomes gently (& powerfully) "alive" in an understated way. In this book a man (Jack) finds a dog that has obviously been hit by a car on a snowy road near his house. The dog is barely alive. Jack, who is ageing, decides to take the dog to the nearby vet. The owner is unwilling to pay for the treatment as the dog may well not survive. The vet (Tomas) and Jack are reluctant to see the dog put down. Strangely Jack is on the same road a week later and finds a man in a car half buried in snow and badly injured. There is no doctor locally so again Jack goes to Tomas the vet for help.
The book follows these incidents and while the narrator changes from time to time in the main the book is concerned with Chris and Lola (the man and the dog) with Jack as a central character. Jack lost his wife not long ago and is something of a recluse living in a small and fairly basic cabin. He was a war photographer earlier in his life and the images he created powerfully affected him. Now he looks to landscapes for his photography.
The characters and setting are well used in this book. While there are other important characters Jack really worked very well for me - I found him completely believable. Chris and Ellie both played their parts well. Part of this book concerns the Vietnam war and the impacts of that too were well done.
Solace has a feel of a peaceful place until the waters are disturbed. Once those waters are disturbed who knows what the outcomes will be. I love the deep simplicity of Mary Lawson's writing. She is someone who shows a real understanding of people and behaviour. I am a fan of her writing and this is a very good example. I'd probably suggest starting with A Town Called Solace however this is a standalone read. The more I reflect on this book the more I realise just how much I loved it. Was the ending what I wanted - no! However it was perfectly valid and understandable. 4.5/5
My thanks to the author and the publisher for an advance copy of this book
In full
This is mainly set in a small Canadian town in the winter of 1969. The town concerned is Solace which the author has written about before. I enjoyed the previous book a lot. Solace is a town where little happens until it does and then it becomes gently (& powerfully) "alive" in an understated way. In this book a man (Jack) finds a dog that has obviously been hit by a car on a snowy road near his house. The dog is barely alive. Jack, who is ageing, decides to take the dog to the nearby vet. The owner is unwilling to pay for the treatment as the dog may well not survive. The vet (Tomas) and Jack are reluctant to see the dog put down. Strangely Jack is on the same road a week later and finds a man in a car half buried in snow and badly injured. There is no doctor locally so again Jack goes to Tomas the vet for help.
The book follows these incidents and while the narrator changes from time to time in the main the book is concerned with Chris and Lola (the man and the dog) with Jack as a central character. Jack lost his wife not long ago and is something of a recluse living in a small and fairly basic cabin. He was a war photographer earlier in his life and the images he created powerfully affected him. Now he looks to landscapes for his photography.
The characters and setting are well used in this book. While there are other important characters Jack really worked very well for me - I found him completely believable. Chris and Ellie both played their parts well. Part of this book concerns the Vietnam war and the impacts of that too were well done.
Solace has a feel of a peaceful place until the waters are disturbed. Once those waters are disturbed who knows what the outcomes will be. I love the deep simplicity of Mary Lawson's writing. She is someone who shows a real understanding of people and behaviour. I am a fan of her writing and this is a very good example. I'd probably suggest starting with A Town Called Solace however this is a standalone read. The more I reflect on this book the more I realise just how much I loved it. Was the ending what I wanted - no! However it was perfectly valid and understandable. 4.5/5
My thanks to the author and the publisher for an advance copy of this book
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
After a month of horror and all things spooky season, I needed something with little levity and a gentler tine to balance out my reading life, and Solace in Winter fit the bill beautifully. There’s something incredibly comforting about a story centered on the idea of community. Not just the people who happen to live near one another, but the kind of community that shows up when life gets difficult. Set in a small Canadian town during the winter of 1969, the story brings together a grieving widower, an injured young man fleeing the Vietnam draft, and an abandoned dog under circumstances that change the lives of everyone involved.
What I appreciated most is the reminder that life can be complicated, people can be deeply flawed, and tragedy doesn't stop the world from offering moments of genuine kindness. Sometimes, the people who need help the most are strangers, and sometimes, helping them changes you, too.
This is a heartfelt, quietly moving story about connection, compassion, and the unexpected ways people become part of one another’s lives. Whether you’ve been lucky enough to experience that kind of genuine community yourself or are still hoping to find it, there’s something here to appreciate. A lovely change of pace from my usual dark and disturbing reading. Apparently, even in spooky season, my heart occasionally needs a little warmth.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Mary Lawson, and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
What I appreciated most is the reminder that life can be complicated, people can be deeply flawed, and tragedy doesn't stop the world from offering moments of genuine kindness. Sometimes, the people who need help the most are strangers, and sometimes, helping them changes you, too.
This is a heartfelt, quietly moving story about connection, compassion, and the unexpected ways people become part of one another’s lives. Whether you’ve been lucky enough to experience that kind of genuine community yourself or are still hoping to find it, there’s something here to appreciate. A lovely change of pace from my usual dark and disturbing reading. Apparently, even in spooky season, my heart occasionally needs a little warmth.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Mary Lawson, and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Reading a book by Mary Lawson is like enjoying time with a friend. People talk about “comfort food”. I feel that this author's books are “comfort reading”! My only complaint is that she takes so much time between books.
This is her second book set in northern Ontario. Solace is a fictional town but it is close to towns that I have visited or driven through. It always helps me to imagine a setting when it is a place I am familiar with. The time frame is 1970ish, the days of student protests against the Vietnam War and draft dodgers coming to Canada.
Solace in Winter is a book about human relationships. Not necessarily male/female, but human to human. The main characters all fulfill a need with another. Even an injured dog entered the relationship cycle. It shows that people need other people, even when they don’t realize it. There are unexpected connections.
Winter (as indicated in the title) plays a part in the plot development. The characters are believable, though there are a couple that are not likable.
The story ambles along, a bit of a slow burn, but a cozy story like the fireplace that warms the cabin of the main location. Suddenly, just as things are wrapping up, it gets very complicated. Quickly. The plot did not turn out as I expected.
I am left wanting more. Ms Lawson is not known for writing sequels, but I would be very open to the possibility. Even hopeful.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
This is her second book set in northern Ontario. Solace is a fictional town but it is close to towns that I have visited or driven through. It always helps me to imagine a setting when it is a place I am familiar with. The time frame is 1970ish, the days of student protests against the Vietnam War and draft dodgers coming to Canada.
Solace in Winter is a book about human relationships. Not necessarily male/female, but human to human. The main characters all fulfill a need with another. Even an injured dog entered the relationship cycle. It shows that people need other people, even when they don’t realize it. There are unexpected connections.
Winter (as indicated in the title) plays a part in the plot development. The characters are believable, though there are a couple that are not likable.
The story ambles along, a bit of a slow burn, but a cozy story like the fireplace that warms the cabin of the main location. Suddenly, just as things are wrapping up, it gets very complicated. Quickly. The plot did not turn out as I expected.
I am left wanting more. Ms Lawson is not known for writing sequels, but I would be very open to the possibility. Even hopeful.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Winter in Solace is a novel built on the quiet, powerful truth that the connections we choose can matter just as much — and sometimes more — than the ones we inherit. Mary Lawson has always understood this better than almost any writer I can think of, and this book feels like one of her most tender explorations of how strangers can become anchors, confidants, even family in ways that surprise us.
What stands out is how Lawson shows connection forming in the small spaces: a shared silence, an unexpected kindness, a moment of recognition between two people who didn’t expect to matter to each other. Those moments accumulate until you realise the emotional centre of the story isn’t about dramatic twists but about the slow, steady knitting together of lives. It’s the kind of insight you also find in Anne Tyler — that gentle belief that ordinary people, placed in each other’s paths, can change one another profoundly.
Lawson’s gift is making these relationships feel both fragile and inevitable. She writes family bonds with honesty — the tensions, the disappointments, the love that doesn’t always know how to express itself — but she also shows how a stranger can sometimes see you more clearly than someone who’s known you for decades. In Winter in Solace, those unexpected connections become lifelines, reshaping the characters’ sense of belonging and self.
And, as always with Lawson, the magic is in the emotional intelligence. If you described the plot of her novels out loud, they might sound quiet, even plain. But like Tyler and Elizabeth Strout, Lawson understands human relationships with a depth that makes every page feel alive. She writes the inner workings of people — their fears, their hopes, their hesitations — with such clarity that you feel folded into their lives.
Winter in Solace is ultimately a story about how connection saves us: how reaching out, even tentatively, can reshape a lonely life; how the people we least expect can become the ones we rely on most. It’s a beautiful, deeply felt novel, and another reminder of why Mary Lawson’s work has meant so much to me across every book she’s written.
What stands out is how Lawson shows connection forming in the small spaces: a shared silence, an unexpected kindness, a moment of recognition between two people who didn’t expect to matter to each other. Those moments accumulate until you realise the emotional centre of the story isn’t about dramatic twists but about the slow, steady knitting together of lives. It’s the kind of insight you also find in Anne Tyler — that gentle belief that ordinary people, placed in each other’s paths, can change one another profoundly.
Lawson’s gift is making these relationships feel both fragile and inevitable. She writes family bonds with honesty — the tensions, the disappointments, the love that doesn’t always know how to express itself — but she also shows how a stranger can sometimes see you more clearly than someone who’s known you for decades. In Winter in Solace, those unexpected connections become lifelines, reshaping the characters’ sense of belonging and self.
And, as always with Lawson, the magic is in the emotional intelligence. If you described the plot of her novels out loud, they might sound quiet, even plain. But like Tyler and Elizabeth Strout, Lawson understands human relationships with a depth that makes every page feel alive. She writes the inner workings of people — their fears, their hopes, their hesitations — with such clarity that you feel folded into their lives.
Winter in Solace is ultimately a story about how connection saves us: how reaching out, even tentatively, can reshape a lonely life; how the people we least expect can become the ones we rely on most. It’s a beautiful, deeply felt novel, and another reminder of why Mary Lawson’s work has meant so much to me across every book she’s written.
June 10, 2026
A really beautiful and human story about what it means to connect. The writing was very easy to get lost in, as was the environment and background setting. I felt as if I knew the walls of the cabin, and knew the characters (especially Ellie and Patrick) personally. A perfect example of character driven storytelling with a beautiful message.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #SolaceInWinter #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #SolaceInWinter #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I read and much enjoyed Crow Lake more than 20 years ago so was delighted to be able to read Lawson's new book prepublication. It did not disappoint!
The setting: Solace, a small town in Canada. Winter, 1969. A widower, Jack comes across a dog in the road, who's had a bad accident. Enter a veternarian, Tomas. A week later, Chris, a draft dodger [from the US, against the war in Vietnam], has a terrible car accident. Jack becomes the safe haven for both Chris and the dog and Tomas treats them both. Add in lovely young nurse, Ellie who assists in Chris' recovery, Ellie's husband--a poilce officer, and Sally, Jack's estranged daughter. Chris' parents {I loved his mother] and his good friend Patrick also enter the scene though are not primary characters. I liked everyone save Sally and though I understand her fractious relationship with her father--SPOILER ALERT--I could not forgive her for engendering the trajectory in the last part of the book. That said, I don't know how I would have ended it.
I could not put this book down. I was captured by this quiet, beautiful tale and its humanity. Of family, kindness, winter, and small-town living [though New York City and Philadelphia also figure]. The characters and setting are vividly drawn. Highly recommend.
4.5
I read and much enjoyed Crow Lake more than 20 years ago so was delighted to be able to read Lawson's new book prepublication. It did not disappoint!
The setting: Solace, a small town in Canada. Winter, 1969. A widower, Jack comes across a dog in the road, who's had a bad accident. Enter a veternarian, Tomas. A week later, Chris, a draft dodger [from the US, against the war in Vietnam], has a terrible car accident. Jack becomes the safe haven for both Chris and the dog and Tomas treats them both. Add in lovely young nurse, Ellie who assists in Chris' recovery, Ellie's husband--a poilce officer, and Sally, Jack's estranged daughter. Chris' parents {I loved his mother] and his good friend Patrick also enter the scene though are not primary characters. I liked everyone save Sally and though I understand her fractious relationship with her father--SPOILER ALERT--I could not forgive her for engendering the trajectory in the last part of the book. That said, I don't know how I would have ended it.
I could not put this book down. I was captured by this quiet, beautiful tale and its humanity. Of family, kindness, winter, and small-town living [though New York City and Philadelphia also figure]. The characters and setting are vividly drawn. Highly recommend.
4.5
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An elderly man living alone. A dog left for dead after being hit by a car. A young vet who is one of the invisible pillars holding up his community with quiet determination. An angry woman who has always felt shut out by her parents' close relationship. A happily married police officer in a small town in a remote part of Canada. A young man seeking to escape the draft in America as the Vietnam War rages on.
The collision and interweaving of these individual destinies is as unlikely as it is life changing. This book is as beautiful as it is understated. Barring one element of the story which I felt was predictable and unnecessary, I loved all of it. And notwithstanding that aspect, I would recommend this as an absorbing read to anyone looking for a memorable tale about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange 6An elderly man living alone. A dog left for dead after being hit by a car. A young vet who is one of the invisible pillars holding up his community with quiet determination. An angry woman who has always felt shut out by her parents' close relationship. A happily married police officer in a small town in a remote part of Canada. A young man seeking to escape the draft in America as the Vietnam War rages on.
The collision and interweaving of these individual destinies is as unlikely as it is life changing. This book is as beautiful as it is understated. Barring one element of the story which I felt was predictable and unnecessary, I loved all of it. And notwithstanding that aspect, I would recommend this as an absorbing read to anyone looking for a memorable tale about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
The collision and interweaving of these individual destinies is as unlikely as it is life changing. This book is as beautiful as it is understated. Barring one element of the story which I felt was predictable and unnecessary, I loved all of it. And notwithstanding that aspect, I would recommend this as an absorbing read to anyone looking for a memorable tale about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange 6An elderly man living alone. A dog left for dead after being hit by a car. A young vet who is one of the invisible pillars holding up his community with quiet determination. An angry woman who has always felt shut out by her parents' close relationship. A happily married police officer in a small town in a remote part of Canada. A young man seeking to escape the draft in America as the Vietnam War rages on.
The collision and interweaving of these individual destinies is as unlikely as it is life changing. This book is as beautiful as it is understated. Barring one element of the story which I felt was predictable and unnecessary, I loved all of it. And notwithstanding that aspect, I would recommend this as an absorbing read to anyone looking for a memorable tale about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Mary Lawson has written the kind of novel that reminds me why I love literary fiction. Set in Northern Ontario in the winter of 1969, Solace in Winter is a quiet, deeply moving story about ordinary people whose lives intersect in unexpected ways. There are no great mysteries to solve or nonstop action to keep things moving. Instead, Lawson gives us something much more satisfying: a keenly observed portrait of people trying to make sense of their lives, with all their complications, sorrows, kindnesses, and possibilities.
Jack, a widower living a quiet, solitary life in his cabin, finds his routine turned upside down when he encounters an injured dog and then a seriously injured young American fleeing the Vietnam War draft. Suddenly, his home becomes a place of refuge, and his solitude gives way to the demands and complications of caring for others. Jack's daughter, Sally, isn't nearly as comfortable with these unexpected changes, and her reaction adds another layer to the story. Lawson understands that even well-intentioned acts of kindness can stir up uncomfortable feelings and expose differences in how people see the world.
What I loved most was the way Lawson shows people gradually finding their way toward one another. These characters have their own histories, disappointments, and private burdens, and they don't always understand each other or know what to say. But sometimes simply being there, offering help, or taking the time to listen is enough to begin changing things. The relationships develop with a naturalness that makes them feel true to life, and the emotional impact sneaks up on you rather than being forced.
And then there's Lola the dog! There's something especially touching about the way an animal can bring people together, offering affection and companionship without the complications that so often accompany human relationships. Having recently read another novel featuring a dog, I'm becoming quite a fan of the role a caring canine can play in a story.
I also appreciated that Lawson doesn't turn these ordinary lives into something artificially dramatic. Grief doesn't disappear overnight, family tensions aren't magically resolved, and kindness doesn't solve every problem. Yet there is hope here, and it feels earned. The novel is a reminder that people can make a difference in one another's lives through small, seemingly insignificant acts of compassion.
Solace in Winter is gentle without being saccharine, poignant without being manipulative, and utterly compelling despite its quiet pace. I was drawn into these lives and found myself caring about what happened to the people inhabiting Lawson's snowy corner of Northern Ontario. Sometimes a book doesn't need dramatic twists or larger-than-life events to leave a lasting impression. Sometimes it simply needs to remind us of the good people can do for one another. This one did exactly that, and Lola made it all the better.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Vintage Digital for providing me with a copy of the book. It will be published on November 19, 2026.
Jack, a widower living a quiet, solitary life in his cabin, finds his routine turned upside down when he encounters an injured dog and then a seriously injured young American fleeing the Vietnam War draft. Suddenly, his home becomes a place of refuge, and his solitude gives way to the demands and complications of caring for others. Jack's daughter, Sally, isn't nearly as comfortable with these unexpected changes, and her reaction adds another layer to the story. Lawson understands that even well-intentioned acts of kindness can stir up uncomfortable feelings and expose differences in how people see the world.
What I loved most was the way Lawson shows people gradually finding their way toward one another. These characters have their own histories, disappointments, and private burdens, and they don't always understand each other or know what to say. But sometimes simply being there, offering help, or taking the time to listen is enough to begin changing things. The relationships develop with a naturalness that makes them feel true to life, and the emotional impact sneaks up on you rather than being forced.
And then there's Lola the dog! There's something especially touching about the way an animal can bring people together, offering affection and companionship without the complications that so often accompany human relationships. Having recently read another novel featuring a dog, I'm becoming quite a fan of the role a caring canine can play in a story.
I also appreciated that Lawson doesn't turn these ordinary lives into something artificially dramatic. Grief doesn't disappear overnight, family tensions aren't magically resolved, and kindness doesn't solve every problem. Yet there is hope here, and it feels earned. The novel is a reminder that people can make a difference in one another's lives through small, seemingly insignificant acts of compassion.
Solace in Winter is gentle without being saccharine, poignant without being manipulative, and utterly compelling despite its quiet pace. I was drawn into these lives and found myself caring about what happened to the people inhabiting Lawson's snowy corner of Northern Ontario. Sometimes a book doesn't need dramatic twists or larger-than-life events to leave a lasting impression. Sometimes it simply needs to remind us of the good people can do for one another. This one did exactly that, and Lola made it all the better.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Vintage Digital for providing me with a copy of the book. It will be published on November 19, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
‘Solace in Winter’ is the first book by Mary Lawson that I’ve read, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. I’ve already gone back through the list of her previous novels and added them all to my TBR.
The pace of the novel is very quick, with no unnecessary descriptions or filler, making it the kind of book you can blaze through—ideal if you’ve been in a bit of a reading slump. That said, it never feels rushed or lacking in depth. Lawson has a light, unshowy writing style that allows the characters and their circumstances to speak for themselves, without labouring the emotional impact.
One of the things I particularly appreciate about the book is its lightness of touch. It deals with a number of emotionally charged subjects, including grief, isolation and the cost of war, but it never becomes heavy. It invites you to think more deeply about these topics, should you wish, but doesn’t force you, allowing you to engage with the book at whatever level suits you.
The overall tone is kept warm by the addition of Lola the dog—who I absolutely adore—and the cosy found-family vibes, making this the perfect book for winter and one to return to whenever you need a little warmth. Against the brutality of war and the smaller cruelties of people like Jack’s awful daughter, Lawson also shows us the best of human nature. The balance feels just right, never tipping into either gloominess or sentimentality.
Overall, a very enjoyable read, and I’m looking forward to working my way back through Lawson’s earlier novels.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Mary Lawson, and Chatto & Windus for the ARC.
⚠️ Drug use
The pace of the novel is very quick, with no unnecessary descriptions or filler, making it the kind of book you can blaze through—ideal if you’ve been in a bit of a reading slump. That said, it never feels rushed or lacking in depth. Lawson has a light, unshowy writing style that allows the characters and their circumstances to speak for themselves, without labouring the emotional impact.
One of the things I particularly appreciate about the book is its lightness of touch. It deals with a number of emotionally charged subjects, including grief, isolation and the cost of war, but it never becomes heavy. It invites you to think more deeply about these topics, should you wish, but doesn’t force you, allowing you to engage with the book at whatever level suits you.
The overall tone is kept warm by the addition of Lola the dog—who I absolutely adore—and the cosy found-family vibes, making this the perfect book for winter and one to return to whenever you need a little warmth. Against the brutality of war and the smaller cruelties of people like Jack’s awful daughter, Lawson also shows us the best of human nature. The balance feels just right, never tipping into either gloominess or sentimentality.
Overall, a very enjoyable read, and I’m looking forward to working my way back through Lawson’s earlier novels.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Mary Lawson, and Chatto & Windus for the ARC.
⚠️ Drug use
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a pleasure to read this lovely book.
Set again in the town of Solace, this concerns Jack, a recent widower, and the two road casualties he finds: Lola the dog and Chris the American draft-dodger. Both have similar injuries and need Jack’s care. Ellie, the local nurse and the policeman’s wife, helps with Chris,
This is a book that covers many human traits including jealousy, avarice, and caring. Most of the bad ones are contained within one person here, while just about everyone else displays the good ones, especially being caring. And who can’t help but love Lola! Such a sympathetic dog.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Set again in the town of Solace, this concerns Jack, a recent widower, and the two road casualties he finds: Lola the dog and Chris the American draft-dodger. Both have similar injuries and need Jack’s care. Ellie, the local nurse and the policeman’s wife, helps with Chris,
This is a book that covers many human traits including jealousy, avarice, and caring. Most of the bad ones are contained within one person here, while just about everyone else displays the good ones, especially being caring. And who can’t help but love Lola! Such a sympathetic dog.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Jack is a widower who lives in the small Canadian town of Solace. He keeps to himself and is used to being alone. It is winter and that is always a challenge. Jack comes around a corner and finds a dog who has been hit by a car. He carries the dog to the local vet and ends up with the dog recuperating in his cabin. Next, he comes around that same corner and there is a car, wrapped around a tree and a young man terribly hurt. He has the dog with him and lays him close to the young man, covers them both and goes to seek help. In a couple of weeks, he has a badly injured young man in his home, along with the dog, both recuperating. Winter has set in.
This story is set in 1969 and the young man is an American draft dodger. He barely got to Canada before this accident befell him. The book has a small cast of characters and each one is pretty well laid out, but it is a study about Jack and his adult daughter who lives elsewhere and this young man and Ellie, a nurse who comes by to help. Sometimes, relationships can be so badly damaged that there isn't really a way to fix them and that is clearly portrayed in this book. When we are not open to healing or growing, we turn in on ourselves and make every one miserable. Even with that, this is such a charming story that one can't help but wish it to go on for years.
I loved everything about this book, but got a little mad at the ending. I wanted more and not in the direction that it took. A book that makes you think and draws you in, even if it does not give you all you want, is a book well written.
I would like to thank Knopf Canada and NetGalley for this ARC. It was most enjoyable.
This story is set in 1969 and the young man is an American draft dodger. He barely got to Canada before this accident befell him. The book has a small cast of characters and each one is pretty well laid out, but it is a study about Jack and his adult daughter who lives elsewhere and this young man and Ellie, a nurse who comes by to help. Sometimes, relationships can be so badly damaged that there isn't really a way to fix them and that is clearly portrayed in this book. When we are not open to healing or growing, we turn in on ourselves and make every one miserable. Even with that, this is such a charming story that one can't help but wish it to go on for years.
I loved everything about this book, but got a little mad at the ending. I wanted more and not in the direction that it took. A book that makes you think and draws you in, even if it does not give you all you want, is a book well written.
I would like to thank Knopf Canada and NetGalley for this ARC. It was most enjoyable.
Read
September 29, 2026Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An old man who lives alone in a cabin after his artist wife’s death and who apparently enjoys his solitude. A young man – a graduate student and draft dogger – who flees to Canada and ends up wounded in the secluded town of Solace, spending two months with Jack in his cabin. A wounded dog who brings comfort and joy to the men, when they didn’t even know they needed comforting. A young woman who gave up her career as a nurse for the man she married fourteen years ago. All these characters have in common their feelings of loneliness, boredom, fear, frustration. Set in the fictional town of Solace, Ontario, their stories blend during the cold white Canadian winter, miraculously creating a feeling of warmth. Warmth that comes from the human feelings, from the human need of sharing, and also from the bonding with animals. A beautiful sketch of human psychologies, mixed with a vivid description of nature and animal affection.
An old man who lives alone in a cabin after his artist wife’s death and who apparently enjoys his solitude. A young man – a graduate student and draft dogger – who flees to Canada and ends up wounded in the secluded town of Solace, spending two months with Jack in his cabin. A wounded dog who brings comfort and joy to the men, when they didn’t even know they needed comforting. A young woman who gave up her career as a nurse for the man she married fourteen years ago. All these characters have in common their feelings of loneliness, boredom, fear, frustration. Set in the fictional town of Solace, Ontario, their stories blend during the cold white Canadian winter, miraculously creating a feeling of warmth. Warmth that comes from the human feelings, from the human need of sharing, and also from the bonding with animals. A beautiful sketch of human psychologies, mixed with a vivid description of nature and animal affection.
September 24, 2026
Absolutely beautifully written, this novel is set in northern Ontario and reminded me of my 19 years in the Northwest Territories. Mary Lawson tells the story in such a compelling way that I was engrossed from the start. Each character comes to life, including the wonderful dog, Lola. I wish I could give it a strong 4.5 stars.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this novel.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this novel.
September 17, 2026
I loved this book just like I live all her books. Turn to Lawson if you want memorable realistic characters (the main character being Solace) , messy situations and inevitable reprocussions. They're quiet books and beautifully written.
June 7, 2026
Favourite book of the year so far!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a rare 5 stars plus book for me. Top quality writing and storytelling. I will be recommending it to everyone I know.
Set in Northern Canada in 1969. Recently widowed war photographer Jack is living alone in a cabin with his late wife’s artistic and valuable tapestries adorning the otherwise bare walls.
Across the border in the US, anti-Vietnam war demonstrations are taking place and university graduate Chris is desperate to avoid being drafted.
Every single character in this book feels real and relatable. In addition to draft-dodger Chris, and widower Jack who I would love to get to know better, there is a vet who doubles as a doctor, Karl, the only cop for miles who is married to Ellie, Patrick, Chris’ flat mate, and Jack’s estranged daughter Sally.
Even if this wasn’t such a great story, any book that starts with the rescue of an injured animal gets my vote. Not long after rescuing Lola the dog who has been run over and giving her a home while she convalesces, Jack finds Chris in an even worse state and reluctantly agrees to take him in too after the hospital discharges him. Ellie, a young mother and nurse, tends Chris every day while he’s on the mend.
The story takes place over one Canadian winter. The snow is falling outside and instead of feeling put upon, Jack begins to realize that he’s enjoying the company. Finding her father sharing his life and money with a dog and draft-dodger does not do anything to improve Jack’s already difficult relationship with his daughter Sally. Meanwhile, sexual tensions are developing and more than one person is unsure of Chris’ intentions.
“Strangers but not strangers, brought together by pure chance and finding common ground “
I didn’t want this book to end and felt quite emotional when it did. In fact, the first thing I did after finishing it was to order Mary Lawson’s previous Solace book which I haven’t yet read (shame on me).
Thank you Vintage Books for the ARC
Set in Northern Canada in 1969. Recently widowed war photographer Jack is living alone in a cabin with his late wife’s artistic and valuable tapestries adorning the otherwise bare walls.
Across the border in the US, anti-Vietnam war demonstrations are taking place and university graduate Chris is desperate to avoid being drafted.
Every single character in this book feels real and relatable. In addition to draft-dodger Chris, and widower Jack who I would love to get to know better, there is a vet who doubles as a doctor, Karl, the only cop for miles who is married to Ellie, Patrick, Chris’ flat mate, and Jack’s estranged daughter Sally.
Even if this wasn’t such a great story, any book that starts with the rescue of an injured animal gets my vote. Not long after rescuing Lola the dog who has been run over and giving her a home while she convalesces, Jack finds Chris in an even worse state and reluctantly agrees to take him in too after the hospital discharges him. Ellie, a young mother and nurse, tends Chris every day while he’s on the mend.
The story takes place over one Canadian winter. The snow is falling outside and instead of feeling put upon, Jack begins to realize that he’s enjoying the company. Finding her father sharing his life and money with a dog and draft-dodger does not do anything to improve Jack’s already difficult relationship with his daughter Sally. Meanwhile, sexual tensions are developing and more than one person is unsure of Chris’ intentions.
“Strangers but not strangers, brought together by pure chance and finding common ground “
I didn’t want this book to end and felt quite emotional when it did. In fact, the first thing I did after finishing it was to order Mary Lawson’s previous Solace book which I haven’t yet read (shame on me).
Thank you Vintage Books for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
1969. The Vietnam War was in full force and destroying the lives of young American men by the 100's. Those who chose to avoid the draft often moved to Canada and sought refuge there.
Chris is one of those men. A recent college graduate whose dreams of pursuing further education and thus avoiding the need to leave the country were suddenly dashed, Chris packed up his life in New York City and trekked to Canada. A terrible car accident leaves him helpless, near death and very lucky that a local, Jack Gallagher, finds him. It is ironic that Jack found another victim a little while earlier, a lovely dog he's named Lola who is now staying with him. Jack gets Chris the help he needs, but then also takes him in. Jack's little cabin suddenly feels very full.
Winter in a very small, isolated town is quiet, lonely and leaves people with lots of time on their hands. Time that sometimes is used to imagine diversions and escapes from their reality. Ellie, the nurse who volunteers to care for Chris, is also the wife of Solace's only police officer. Sally is Jack's daughter. She is an unhappy woman, nowadays we'd refer to her as a victim, but mostly of herself. She carries lingering anger at her father and mother, but since the mother is dead, Jack takes the brunt. Sally stirs up drama that will upset everything and definitely Jack, Chris and Ellie.
This was a good story. Rooted in history, but fiction. Book clubs will enjoy reading this and then discussing the many questions it raises.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.
Chris is one of those men. A recent college graduate whose dreams of pursuing further education and thus avoiding the need to leave the country were suddenly dashed, Chris packed up his life in New York City and trekked to Canada. A terrible car accident leaves him helpless, near death and very lucky that a local, Jack Gallagher, finds him. It is ironic that Jack found another victim a little while earlier, a lovely dog he's named Lola who is now staying with him. Jack gets Chris the help he needs, but then also takes him in. Jack's little cabin suddenly feels very full.
Winter in a very small, isolated town is quiet, lonely and leaves people with lots of time on their hands. Time that sometimes is used to imagine diversions and escapes from their reality. Ellie, the nurse who volunteers to care for Chris, is also the wife of Solace's only police officer. Sally is Jack's daughter. She is an unhappy woman, nowadays we'd refer to her as a victim, but mostly of herself. She carries lingering anger at her father and mother, but since the mother is dead, Jack takes the brunt. Sally stirs up drama that will upset everything and definitely Jack, Chris and Ellie.
This was a good story. Rooted in history, but fiction. Book clubs will enjoy reading this and then discussing the many questions it raises.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I have read all of Mary Lawson's books, so I was really pleased to receive an advance review copy of her new novel, Solace in Winter.
The book focuses primarily on Chris and his decision to leave America and travel to Canada in order to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War. The winter setting in this small Canadian town is beautifully described, and I just loved Lawson's writing. Solace itself becomes a character in the story, with such a strong sense of place throughout the novel.
I was invested in all of the characters, and Lawson's writing really allows the reader to get inside each person's thoughts and feelings. I connected particularly with Chris, Patrick and Jack. I also liked how each chapter was told from a different character's point of view, which helped build a fuller picture of their lives and relationships.
The novel explores themes of loss, love, change, friendship, family dynamics, and kindness, all handled with Lawson's characteristic insight and compassion.
I appreciated the additional historical information about draft dodgers included at the end of the book. I hadn't known about the decision made by the US government in 1977, when President Carter granted amnesty to many Vietnam War draft evaders, so I found that especially interesting.
This is a thoughtful and beautifully written novel that will appeal to both existing Mary Lawson readers and those discovering her work for the first time. This book is a 5-star read for me, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
The book focuses primarily on Chris and his decision to leave America and travel to Canada in order to avoid being drafted into the Vietnam War. The winter setting in this small Canadian town is beautifully described, and I just loved Lawson's writing. Solace itself becomes a character in the story, with such a strong sense of place throughout the novel.
I was invested in all of the characters, and Lawson's writing really allows the reader to get inside each person's thoughts and feelings. I connected particularly with Chris, Patrick and Jack. I also liked how each chapter was told from a different character's point of view, which helped build a fuller picture of their lives and relationships.
The novel explores themes of loss, love, change, friendship, family dynamics, and kindness, all handled with Lawson's characteristic insight and compassion.
I appreciated the additional historical information about draft dodgers included at the end of the book. I hadn't known about the decision made by the US government in 1977, when President Carter granted amnesty to many Vietnam War draft evaders, so I found that especially interesting.
This is a thoughtful and beautifully written novel that will appeal to both existing Mary Lawson readers and those discovering her work for the first time. This book is a 5-star read for me, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It is now many years since I read Mary Lawson's other novels yet as I began this book I was transported back to another world - winter in the Arctic conditions of small town Canada. There is something very special in the way the author curates her narratives. For me it is the combination of small settings within a much wider political and moral context along with a small cast of characters who we read and learn about within the context of their interactions and surroundings. We are either in the bitter weather of a frequently cut-off settlement or within a small cabin set up to withstand the elements.
I so admire this writerly skill which, from my perspective, Lawson sits amongst the best - Anne Tyler, Elizabeth Strout, Annie Proulx and Sherwood Anderson.
Set in 1969 we are taken back to the Vietnam War, American sabre rattling and populist disaffection with the war, protesting and fleeing over the North American border to Canada. At an accident hotspot, narrow roads, ice and snow we meet our protagonists. An American draft dodger (Chris), a bereaved older man (Jack) along with a dog and a vet who form the pivot of the story.
Being so enclosed and isolated drives the character driven novel and through their proximity to one another, truths are secreted and revealed by the intimacy of the setting.
I found it compulsive, realistic, thoroughly engaging and I did feel embedded in the "deep midwinter".
With thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK for the opprotunity to read and review
I so admire this writerly skill which, from my perspective, Lawson sits amongst the best - Anne Tyler, Elizabeth Strout, Annie Proulx and Sherwood Anderson.
Set in 1969 we are taken back to the Vietnam War, American sabre rattling and populist disaffection with the war, protesting and fleeing over the North American border to Canada. At an accident hotspot, narrow roads, ice and snow we meet our protagonists. An American draft dodger (Chris), a bereaved older man (Jack) along with a dog and a vet who form the pivot of the story.
Being so enclosed and isolated drives the character driven novel and through their proximity to one another, truths are secreted and revealed by the intimacy of the setting.
I found it compulsive, realistic, thoroughly engaging and I did feel embedded in the "deep midwinter".
With thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK for the opprotunity to read and review
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Solace is a tiny town in Northern Ontario, far removed from anything.
Jack is a recent widower who lives in a lonely cabin there. It's winter, and he finds a dying dog hit by the side of the road in the snow. Similarly, a few weeks later, he finds a dying young American draft dodger in a wrecked car in the snow. He rescues them both, takes them both in, and his life is changed forever.
The book, although not lengthy, contains many essential themes. Parent-child relationships that are taut with long-held resentment. The harm that the Vietnam War did to an entire generation of Americans, and the awful choices it forced young men to make. The interrelationships of a small community that illustrate genuine love. The value of a husband-wife bond and commitment. And how much healing and joy a dog can bring to a person, especially one in grief.
I love Mary Lawson's voice as she tells a tale -- as if she understand the exact thoughts in characters' heads, and their motivations. In sparse prose, she digs deep into the psyche of each person as they deal with loss, healing, rekindled hope in life, and the brutal cold of a Canadian winter.
Lawson's plotting is subtle but very gratifying. You know you're in the hands of a pro, the way she carefully weaves together the lives of a small town, isolated in a cabin, for months. Each event, however small, feeds into the greater plot and meaning of her story. I didn't want to put the book down, she had me so hooked. Five stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy of this book.
Jack is a recent widower who lives in a lonely cabin there. It's winter, and he finds a dying dog hit by the side of the road in the snow. Similarly, a few weeks later, he finds a dying young American draft dodger in a wrecked car in the snow. He rescues them both, takes them both in, and his life is changed forever.
The book, although not lengthy, contains many essential themes. Parent-child relationships that are taut with long-held resentment. The harm that the Vietnam War did to an entire generation of Americans, and the awful choices it forced young men to make. The interrelationships of a small community that illustrate genuine love. The value of a husband-wife bond and commitment. And how much healing and joy a dog can bring to a person, especially one in grief.
I love Mary Lawson's voice as she tells a tale -- as if she understand the exact thoughts in characters' heads, and their motivations. In sparse prose, she digs deep into the psyche of each person as they deal with loss, healing, rekindled hope in life, and the brutal cold of a Canadian winter.
Lawson's plotting is subtle but very gratifying. You know you're in the hands of a pro, the way she carefully weaves together the lives of a small town, isolated in a cabin, for months. Each event, however small, feeds into the greater plot and meaning of her story. I didn't want to put the book down, she had me so hooked. Five stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This gorgeous novel returns to Lawson’s fictional town of Solace in the 1960s. A remote outpost in the wilds of Canada, always beautiful but a freezing, snowy wasteland in the winter months and cut off from civilization for days at a time, some have tried and failed to endure the extreme conditions, and those who stay form a small, tight-knit community where news travels fast. Recent widower Jack happens upon two separate road accident victims quite by chance at the same blackspot- a farm dog whose owner is not prepared to pay for his treatment, and an American draft-dodger avoiding the Vietnam War which is killing and maiming so many of his contemporaries. Jack’s help saves both their lives and will irrevocably change his own and that of others. The characters are so real and their personalities so beautifully portrayed in all their emotions, quirks and motivations. Even characters whose actions are difficult to justify are treated sympathetically, so that we can glimpse the deeply felt moral code of Chris’s unyielding father and the bitterness of Jack’s daughter Sally who has never felt seen or valued by her parents and still feels passed over by her father. There is warmth and humour in everyday incidents and Solace itself is a vivid presence, both comforting and sometimes threatening. There is a lingering unease that this bittersweet interlude of fleeting happiness will have to end, but also a profound hopefulness prevails and the sense that things may not always stay the same, but change can come unexpectedly and for the better. I loved it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is the first novel I read by Mary Lawson and I don't think it will be the last! A really interesting story which weaved (!) several thought-provoking subject strands into a narrative which sustained my curiosity to the end in a most satisfying fashion: the Vietnam war (the novel is set in 1969), being an artist, parenthood, love relationships, the inner v social life... always a moral, ethical dimension in each of the strands. The story is told in a straight forward manner, with plenty of humour and irony, and emotional understanding - poignant too.
The characters: an old, solitary widower living in Canada's deep North, his daughter; a vet and his family; a young US male student of good family, his parents and a friend; a strong policeman in his late 30s married to a nurse. The plot: two accidents force the old widower to actually act and change his habits... what ensues is told in an appealing cinematic way, with hints of narrative possibilities and perhaps dramatic denouements which keep you wondering and aren't totally confirmed as the plot progresses... what actually does happen is half intuited but the surprise to this reader at least was real and extremely satisfying!!
I thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this excellent, most entertaining and thoughtful novel which I thoroughly recommend: loads of discussion and debate are assured, either with yourself or fellow readers!
The characters: an old, solitary widower living in Canada's deep North, his daughter; a vet and his family; a young US male student of good family, his parents and a friend; a strong policeman in his late 30s married to a nurse. The plot: two accidents force the old widower to actually act and change his habits... what ensues is told in an appealing cinematic way, with hints of narrative possibilities and perhaps dramatic denouements which keep you wondering and aren't totally confirmed as the plot progresses... what actually does happen is half intuited but the surprise to this reader at least was real and extremely satisfying!!
I thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this excellent, most entertaining and thoughtful novel which I thoroughly recommend: loads of discussion and debate are assured, either with yourself or fellow readers!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Chris is a US student and on graduation is quickly drafted to the Vietnam War. He flees to Canada and a winter car crash in Solace.
Jack, a widower living in a cabin outside town, finds him and after complex surgeries takes him in to recover.
This is the story of that time: the interactions with Tomas the vet, the only medical option in a small town frequently snowed in, and with Ellie, the nurse who wanted to treat the sick in a hospital full of people, but who lives in a small town with only minor ailments to heal, Ellie with three children and her cop husband Karl, seen in the previous Solace story, who adores her.
Jack, with his complex history of a reclusive artist wife, and a daughter Sally who was never really loved by her parents. Lola, the dog run down and abandoned who Jack is temporarily caring for.
And Chris with his complex relationship with his over-achieving father, and his mother who just wants to love her son. And his best friend Patrick, a friend who is there no matter what or how far away.
All set against the tragedy of a pointless war that took so many, both to the war zone in Vietnam but also to Canada who so many see as the only option.
A story that encompasses many lives, all well outlined, and the harsh reality of a far north winter.
A good story, lost one star because A Town like Solace is such a difficult act to follow
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC
Jack, a widower living in a cabin outside town, finds him and after complex surgeries takes him in to recover.
This is the story of that time: the interactions with Tomas the vet, the only medical option in a small town frequently snowed in, and with Ellie, the nurse who wanted to treat the sick in a hospital full of people, but who lives in a small town with only minor ailments to heal, Ellie with three children and her cop husband Karl, seen in the previous Solace story, who adores her.
Jack, with his complex history of a reclusive artist wife, and a daughter Sally who was never really loved by her parents. Lola, the dog run down and abandoned who Jack is temporarily caring for.
And Chris with his complex relationship with his over-achieving father, and his mother who just wants to love her son. And his best friend Patrick, a friend who is there no matter what or how far away.
All set against the tragedy of a pointless war that took so many, both to the war zone in Vietnam but also to Canada who so many see as the only option.
A story that encompasses many lives, all well outlined, and the harsh reality of a far north winter.
A good story, lost one star because A Town like Solace is such a difficult act to follow
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC
October 7, 2026
It is deep winter, 1969. As the Vietnam War drives young men north across the Canadian border, widower Jack’s quiet life is overturned by two accidents that happen on the bend in the road into town. First comes a dog in a bad way. Next a draft-dodger, seriously injured, lying in the snow. Suddenly, Jack’s cabin is busy with a growing cast of characters – and all the baggage, dreams and desires they’re carrying.
But the atmosphere chills when Jack’s daughter Sally drops by one day and doesn’t like what she sees...
A beautifully written, atmospheric novel with some memorable characters within a slowly developing story. The growth of the friendship between Jack and Christian takes time and is shown as awkward on both sides but a short visit by the charismatic Patrick softens and eases the way they communicate and interact. Family relationships are explored; Christian and his father, Jack and Sally, Ellie and Karl and how Sally's jealousy lands like a bomb amidst the group. I especially liked the ending . And who could fail to love Lola?
My thanks to NetGalley and PenguinRandomHouseUK for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
But the atmosphere chills when Jack’s daughter Sally drops by one day and doesn’t like what she sees...
A beautifully written, atmospheric novel with some memorable characters within a slowly developing story. The growth of the friendship between Jack and Christian takes time and is shown as awkward on both sides but a short visit by the charismatic Patrick softens and eases the way they communicate and interact. Family relationships are explored; Christian and his father, Jack and Sally, Ellie and Karl and how Sally's jealousy lands like a bomb amidst the group. I especially liked the ending . And who could fail to love Lola?
My thanks to NetGalley and PenguinRandomHouseUK for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
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