Mary, Mary

by Lesley Crewe

A story of family malfunction. The Leacock Medal-longlisted novel from the author of Relative Happiness—now an award-winning feature film.     In a Cape Breton family of black sheep, Mary is pure as the driven snow. She is patient and kind with her alcoholic grandmother and volatile mother, loyal and attentive to her spoiled cousin, and pleasant and polite all day as a grocery cashier. Her well­-off aunt, the only other normal person in the family, wants to help her more, but Mary’s mother is too prickly and proud. So Mary goes to work, comes home, takes care of her family, and wonders if there’ll ever be more to life.   When a young couple moves into the apartment upstairs, it sparks a series of changes that leads to major family revelations, and Mary discovers that sometimes doing the wrong thing is the exact right thing to do.    Tender, authentic, and crackling with Lesley’s irrepressible humor, Mary, Mary is a book for anyone who’s ever had a family—good, bad, or a messy mix of both.  Praise for Lesley Crewe and her novels   “Crewe’s books are rich with detail, wit and understanding of how family and its roots impact on people’s lives.” —Cape Breton Post   “The Spoon Stealer might just steal your heart.” —Amy Spurway, author of Crow   “Shines a light on the secrets and lies that bind generations of Cape Breton families.” —Toronto Star   “A warm-hearted story of one woman’s journey from a dark and abusive childhood into the light of acceptance and love.” —Atlantic Books Today

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Book Club, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Contemporary, Humor

346 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2016

About the author

Lesley grew up in Montreal, PQ. After graduating from Concordia University with a degree in English and Education, she and her hubby settled down in Homeville, Cape Breton and raised a family.

From 2000-2005, Lesley was a features writer and columnist (Home Fires) for Cape Bretoner Magazine, and from 2005-2009, a columnist (Lesley's Letters) with the on-line magazine, Cahoots.

In 2005 her first novel, Relative Happiness, was published by Vagrant Press, the fiction imprint of Nimbus Publishing. It was an instant bestseller, and was shortlisted for the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award. She has since written nine other novels.

In 2012, Relative Happiness was optioned for film, and in 2014, Lesley's characters came to life on the big screen. The movie was produced by Wreckhouse Productions, directed by Deanne Foley, and stars Australian Melissa Bergland (Winners and Losers), and homegrown Canadian talent like Susan Kent (This Hour has 22 Minutes), Jonathan Torrens (Mr. D, Trailer Park Boys), and Rob Welles (Trailer Park Boys).

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

MARY, MARY by Lesley Crewe was chosen as the first book for our newly formed What Does It Say To You? book club. For the past year or so I have been reading the humorous column written by Nova Scotian Lesley Crewe in the weekly newspaper The Harvester, so I was curious and pleased to read this novel.
I anticipated humour and was rewarded with several "laugh out loud" scenarios, lines, sentences, and paragraphs.
I must say that of all the books I have read about dysfunctional families, this one was the most fun to read. My favourite character, Mary lives with her mother Carole and her alcoholic grandmother, Ethel and does her best to keep peace between them. Before the end of the book, all the characters have endeared themselves to me.
I look forward to reading more easy to read humorous novels written by the talented Lesley Crewe. 4 winking stars ⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book by Lesley Crewe. I privileged to attend a book launch recently for Lesley's Mary Mary and got to hear the first part of this wonderful novel and could not wait to get my hands on the book to read the rest. I was not disappointed in the least. Another winner! Looking forward to the next Lesley Crewe book!

[Sue Slade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary, Mary by Lesley Crewe is my favourite of hers so far. Set in Nova Scotia with lots of family drama and many laugh-out-loud moments, it won’t be one I’ll soon forget. Lesley has become an auto-buy author and I am looking forward to reading more by her.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious! What a fun read, so happy that it was set in Cape Breton (with appearances in Halifax!). Takes me back to the Maritimes, the speech, everything. Fun look at families in all of their dysfunctional glory and the love behind it all. Cross-cut of generations of women in a family and how they grow and overcome. Nothing serious, finished it in a day and a half, but I really quite enjoyed it!

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I read Crewe’s Amazing Grace a couple of years ago and loved it, so I was expecting to feel the same way about this one. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

Instead, I felt like someone gave Crewe a list and said, “You’ve got 250 pages to work with. Cram in as many births, deaths, engagements, weddings, injuries and absent fathers as you can. Go!” Other readers found her characters wonderful; I found them only slightly amusing at best, irritating at worst. Most of it was just too silly. And yes, I “get” Cape Breton humour; it is very similar to the humour I was raised on (Scots-Irish) so I could relate to the expressions and the motives of the characters. I just found the frenetic pace a bit much. I think I would have enjoyed it more if Crewe had focused more on just a few of the events that took place and allowed us to savour the family relationships a bit more, I would have liked it better. As it was, I felt like I was running a race as we seemed to keep bounding ahead in 3- or 4-month leaps every chapter, madly trying to get to the finish line.

I’ll still try another book by this author because I loved Amazing Grace and I like to support Canadian authors when I can, but this one just didn’t do it for me.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Lesley Crewe is one of my favorite authors, she writes of the Cape Breton I love, and of characters who are ever so plausible and make me think of people I've known from the Area. This book did not quite reach out to me as did the author's previous "Amazing Grace" - that's one of my classics. A wonderful, comfortable read.

[Eileen Mackintosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I read my first Lesley Crewe book in July of 2021, I have been working my way through all her titles. This is yet another story filled with characters I love and the family secrets and drama of life. An excellent read.

[Jodi R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

Lots of crazy Cape Breton stuff, always entertaining relationships, unique characters (although not necessarily so unique in CB, lol) and a story that keeps moving. I was really impressed by the pacing of this book - it never slows down for a minute!

There is a death scene made me cry, for reals. I do think a cheater may have gotten off a little too easily, but I am willing to overlook it, I guess. :-)

Great job, Lesley!

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been the Goldilocks of books lately, some are not light enough, and some, like this one, are too light.

While it was wonderful to read a book in a Nova Scotian city that I used to live in, the events that went on in this book were enough to fuel 7 books on their own if they were dealt with properly. There was so much going on in this book, that I found it almost laughable when something else happened.

Another book that wasn't the right fit for me.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story, but had to provide a review due to the audiobook. There are production errors (ex: repeated sentences) and an odd vocal style for one main character that I found distracting. I’d say skip the audio and go for the book.

[Rhona · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little busy, but entertaining enough.

[Linda Churchill · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a joy to read! So funny! Lesley Crewe is my favourite Canadian author…dog lovers will love this book too!

[Amy Dukeshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this, my first introduction to Lesley Crewe’s story telling. I can’t wait to read more!

[R. Jetleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this had been my first book by Lesley Crewe, it would have been my last. It was well written, but the plot, for me, dragged.

[Cindy Crewe]

I like Lesley Crewe books, but won’t make the mistake of listening via audiobook again.
The reader was actually distracting and at times frustrating to listen to. There were frequent stumbles/ coughs/ repeats and the attempt to change her voice for the characters was not impressive

[Di · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about a family who are the whiniest, quirkiest, most entitled people I have ever come across in a novel.
Lots of off the wall humour, not sure if that was the author's intention but that’s how I saw it. Parts of it were plain silly, but when I enjoy a book this much it just does not matter.

Oddly enough it's a book about a dysfunctional family that is fun to read. And, even through the dysfunctionality (is that a word?) they love each other very much.

I am very familiar with the setting too, that always makes a book enjoyable. Fun, quick read!

[Mary B · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5, in reality

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a whirlwind, with so many things happening in a relatively few number of pages. I enjoyed every minute of it though, especially the characters. And life can be like that at times, nothing happens or changes for ever then suddenly it seems everything is happening at once. I'm already looking forward to my next Lesley Crewe book.

[Carmen Volk · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favourite author.

I loved this book. Laughed at times until I cried. Was incredibly touched by the characters and their personalities and the journeys they went on in the story. It is humorous and touching and just makes you feel good.

[Paula Dembeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy Lesley Crewe’s books and have read almost all of them. She writes from the regional perspective of Cape Breton and her home province Nova Scotia, getting the lifestyle, the chatty dialogue and the maritime characters down pat. Her books are always filled with comic scenes, yet beneath it all are significant truths about the messy interactions in ordinary families and the important and sometimes complex values embedded in life itself.

Mary Ryan is twenty-three and works at the local grocery store. She lives with her mother Carol who runs a hair salon from the dining room of their home where the butts of her cigarettes pile up in ashtrays scattered about the house. The home actually belongs to Carole’s mother Ethel, Mary’s grandmother who is sixty-eight and an alcoholic. Apart from sipping a healthy quantity of ginny tea all day, Ethel’s other passions are pink peppermints and the handful of scratch lottery tickets she buys whenever she has the cash or can find it by dipping her hand in Carole’s purse. Carole is not a cook and so Kraft dinner and hot dogs are frequently on the menu for dinner.

The family lives in a duplex with an upstairs apartment they rent to tenants. The apartment is an important source of income as money is always tight. Mary contributes to the expenses with her job at the grocery store but there are rarely any extras for these three people to enjoy.

Both Ethel and Carole have had challenging lives and are stuck in a state of resentment and bitterness which is continually fueled by a volley of nasty comments between them. Neither woman has had a positive experience with men. Ethel’s husband abandoned her when Carole was four and her sister Peggy was two and Carole took care of her younger sister while her mother tried to support them. Carole has always longed for her father although she doesn’t remember him and blames her mother for driving him away.

Nor has Carole’s daughter Mary ever known her father. Her mother has told her little about him, claiming Mary was the result of bad judgement and a one night stand. The only information Mary has is that his name was Dave and he probably lives in Alberta.

Carole never spent much time with Mary when she was growing up. She was too busy trying to earn a living and keeping her mother from imploding. Carole and her mother constantly nag, berate and argue with one another and Mary finds her bedroom the only sanctuary she has from their noisy retorts. She has always been considered a “nice girl”, the calm quiet one in the family with the common sense to know what to do when there is a difficult situation or a problem to be solved. Mary never does anything unexpected. She doesn’t rock the boat or make waves. She just stays in her corner and tries to stay out of trouble. Mary is also well liked at the grocery store where she works. She is always pleasant and polite to her customers and several make a point of getting their groceries at her counter. She has a kind word for everyone, asks about their families their health and how their day is going. The elderly in the community are particularly fond of her.

Peggy, Carole’s younger sister, left home early, lucky enough to marry Ted, a cardiac surgeon. They live in entirely different circumstances in a beautiful home in a nice part of town and have few if any concerns about money. Peggy and Ted have a daughter Sheena, who is spoiled, pretty and has everything she wants -- new clothes, a car and all the latest make-up and hair products. Mary and her cousin Sheena lead very different lives and so they are not close, but they do maintain a friendship. Sheena has recently become engaged to Drew and so Sheena and Peggy are in the midst of planning a huge wedding. They are having a grand time sorting out the details, deciding on hairstyles, selecting dresses, tasting cakes and choosing flowers,

When the apartment above Ethel and Carole’s home becomes vacant, Carol sends Mary to interview the prospective tenants. Carole knows Mary is probably the best one to do the job and gives Mary only one piece of advice: avoid the drug dealers and perverts. Mary chooses a young couple and Carole and Ethel are pleased the income from the rental is now secure.

The world of this extended family is suddenly thrown into chaos when Ted is offered a one year position with Doctors without Borders in Uzbekistan. He has been bored with his medical practice and feels this may give him the kick start he needs. It is a chance of a lifetime but he must pack and leave in two weeks. He promises both Peggy and Sheena he will be back for the big wedding but Peggy is worried about his upcoming absence. She is not used to being alone and worries he may be thinking of leaving her.

Mary is quickly becoming aware of how bored she is with the quiet solitary life she leads day after day. She goes to work, comes home and takes care of her family. Living with her mother and grandmother has always been a strain. Her mother Carol continues to blame Ethel for all her unhappiness and Ethel continues to bark at Carole. Mary feels like she is living with two grouchy toddlers, her bedroom her only sanctuary from their constantly squabbling. She is tired of being the buffer between the two and wonders if this is what the rest of her life will be like. She certainly hopes the future has more to offer and is slowly beginning to realize that she is responsible for her own happiness. She cannot rely on others to create it for her. That means untangling herself from this squabbling family who she loves dearly but who also drive her crazy. She must begin making a life of her own.

Events take an interesting turn as Ted leaves for his new job, Peggy is suddenly alone, Sheena plans for her wedding are disrupted and the new tenants move into the apartment. Suddenly there are times of chaos, anger and sadness but there is also fun, laughter and poignant moments as opportunities arise for change, growth, and reconciliation. These family transitions occur with moments of melancholy and comedy, all well told through Crewe’s wonderful dialogue. Readers can't help but reflect back on moments in their own lives that look a little like these and remember conversations between family members that sound similar.

Like all her books, Crewe renders her story in a chatty humorous style. There are some hilarious moments, one in particular when Peggy falls on the ice and her daughter Sheena attempts a rescue. Crewe’s characters are always delightful, curmudgeonly one moment and wonderful the next. Sometimes the reader wants to knock them on the head, the next, to hold them in their arms in a warm hug. Crewe is a master at creating these lovable, crazy but realistic people in her novels, people who the reader cannot help but hope find happiness.

Thanks once again Lesley Crewe for a very fun and enjoyable read.

[Lana Kamennof-sine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bow down before Lesley Crewe. She created a very plausible plot/story, realistic characters and then in the course of the book subtle evolutions begin and by the end, well, you truly want to know what happens next.

[Laura Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a light and easy read about an everyday family with everyday problems. Each character in the novel had to overcome some sort of personal struggle and in the end, they were all able to succeed. The characters were very relatable, so relatable in fact that I pictured members of my own family in the story! I was very surprised at the style of writing in this novel compared to Crewe’s novel The Spoon Stealer which I read last year. Mary, Mary was very light compared to the heavy conflicts presented in The Spoon Stealer but both had that wonderful element of humor that Crewe so easily threads into the story. This is a great book for when you’re looking for something homey and relaxed.

[Colleen Maclennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by the author Lesley Crewe and was enjoyable. I am familiar with the area of Sydney, Cape Breton and Halifax. Also the family unit is very important and dear to Cape Bretoners. This was so evident in this book. Families look out for one another and neighbors are always there for you. This book has lots of that Cape Breton humour. It also shows the resiliency of these people in times of adversities. All the characters were lovable with their own special quirks. In every family there is that one person who becomes the rock, and in this book gentle but patient Mary. Ending was a little too perfect but some times we need that in our lives that often are full of worries .

[Becky Skillin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a Nova Scotia story, this is it. It’s neat to know exactly where the characters are going. I can picture it because it’s where I live.

Lesley Crewe’s books are delightful, but this one had a slower start. The characters are rough around the edges and it was hard for me to resonate with their troubles. And yet—

The three stars are for how the characters took their time and grew into new experiences that they did not think they could do. It’s enjoyable to watch them struggle and fail but finally accept their family, which in turn helped them see the good that accompanied challenges.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Loveable but imperfect characters; interesting plot twists; an Eastern Canadian theme; and a story line that can move from heart twisting sadness to tremendous comedy. When I closed the cover for the last time, I felt that I would really miss this wonderful story. To me, that is a real sign that I have just read a really good story. Two thumbs up!

[Simonew · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF .So I wanted something a little later, after all the heavy books I’ve been reading lately. But this is going to little too far. I might have appreciated the lighter plot in another circumstances. I listened to the audiobook, and I did not like narrator, nor did I like the writing. Just not for me. Oh well ...

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book; It held my attention in a familiar kind of way.

[Sarah Butland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and all of its heartbreaks and triumphs and definitely recommend it!

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book and read it in one day. It really captured the tone of Sydney and Cape Breton as a whole. If you're not born and raised in Cape Breton then you won't pick up on the nuances and Humour of this story and it might make it feel flat to you. However, it still offers a multi-generational family story of heartbreak, loss and reconciliation. If you don't love stories about dysfunctional families learning to overcome their family traumas and resentments, then this is not the story for you.

What surprised me about this story is that, as Cape Bretoners, I think we all know someone who has a family like Mary. I certainly do. Growing up, I had friends who lived with single moms and their grandmothers. They were harsh, they were quirky, they weren't always fun to be around but you cared about them anyway. You knew deep down that they lived with less than most and the stress of always having to battle for what they had had made them tired, resentful and bitter. But the young people, they had futures, they were going to get out. Some did. Some found themselves lost in the cycle of poverty, with babies at young ages but others took that as a motivation to show their children that they could do better.

This story is sentimental to me because I grew up in Sydney, I walked the streets Mary walked. I know where she lived on George street if I'm thinking of the right Dairy Store. My dad worked 30+ years at Mayflower Mall before retiring so I knew the stores well growing up. I know who owns Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory if they haven't retired. I know lots of folks who work or worked at Sobeys and some of them are really friendly Cashiers. The names given in this story are also very Cape Breton which had me howling with glee at the folks I know who have those names. Ryan's, Hawco's off the top of my head. I know there were a couple more.

What this story delivers that not everyone will experience is a sense of home. For those Capers (Cape Breton Island people) who don't live on the Island anymore, this is a story that makes you feel homesick but it's also the medicine you need to make you feel better. One of my friends told me it felt like being home before I read it and I completely agree. You may not relate to the family and their struggles but if you are a Caper, you'll definitely feel the infusion of Cape Breton love in every page.

Spoilers ahead: read at own risk:::

What also appealed to me about this story is the Psychological aspects of Carole, Mary, Ethel and Peggy. It reminded me of a study I read about toxic (mentally) environments. The basis of the study is that if one person is negative in an environment, it infects others who are often more optimistic making them more negative over time. This was shown in the family dynamic starting with Gran Ethel. She had some hardships and it made her toxic but she didn't want to be. She had developed an addiction to cope. Her mental downfall impacted her Daughters Carole who she lived with and Peggy who married young to get away. Carole, with no support in her life, repeated the cycle with her daughter. Mary laments in the beginning of the story how her mom and gran are never nice to one another, always complaining and putting each other down. Gran is almost always nicer with Mary but Mary and Carole have a difficult and broken communication line. When Carole and Mary find themselves without Gran, Carole slowly starts to change. Her confidence and self esteem are shot for awhile, but she slowly learns that she can be a better person. With Gran Ethel spending some time at Peggy's, we see Peggy become more anxious and resentful with Gran and her sour self, but also more understanding of Carole who had been living with Gran Ethel all her life.

We'd all love to have clarity in our lives and understand others better but it's a dream for some families. I really loved that Crewe made a point of giving both sisters and granddaughters the experiences to an extent of the other. It ended the book on a really positive note after so much pain, trauma and drama happened.

I definitely recommend this book to others. And if you're a Caper, you should read it just because it's Cape Breton infused but I'm sure you'll love the story anyway.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary lives at home with her mother, Carole and her grandmother Ethel in Cape Breton island. They both argue constantly and Ethel is an alcoholic who is addicted to pink peppermints and scratch lottery tickets.

Carole has her own hair salon business which she runs in their dining room. Mary works as a cashier at Sobeys and is kind to everyone. Many of the customers like her so much, there is often a long line-up at her cash register. If she's lucky, she can come home to a home cooked meal which more often happens to be Kraft Macaroni and Cheese because neither her mother nor her grandmother seem to be able to cook!

Mary is good friends with an elderly woman who lives upstairs and often escapes from her toxic home life to Mrs. Aucoin's apartment but when she visits one evening, she finds the elderly woman has passed away. Mary is in charge of finding new tenants and a young couple move in. Daniel is a grandson of the elderly woman who lived there and seems nice while his girlfriend is anything but!

Carole's younger sister is married to a cardiology surgeon and lives in a beautiful home. They have one daughter Sheena who was always close to Mary but Sheena is spoiled rotten.

This would probably be a good book for a book club choice as there is lots that could be discussed. The difficulty of putting an elderly parent in a nursing home, the challenges of a new relationship, appearance of a parent who was diagnosed with a devastating disease that could be passed down to his children, a partner who makes a life altering decision without discussing it with his spouse and on and on!

Love the humor that the author instills through her books and to me, it's typical of the Maritime people!