Kin

by Lesley Crewe

Beloved and bestselling Cape Breton author Lesley Crewe's novels are now available in bright and bold, smaller format editions. Traditions, created, and subverted. Love, nurtured and destroyed. Friendships, marriages, and the wild beauty of Cape Breton Island. And above all, kin, in all its convoluted forms.
In Kin , bestselling author Lesley Crewe traces the tangled lines of loyalty, tragedy, joy, and love through three generations of families. Beginning with Annie Macdonald, an effervescent seven-year-old living in Glace Bay in the 1930s, and ending with Annie's great-niece Hilary, an idealistic twenty-year-old in Round Island in 2000, the story is complex and riveting. The cast of characters is vast and varied some with the island's deliciously cutting wit, some dour and uptight, some frail, some resilient, and all inextricably bound by their shared histories.
Brimming with humour and poignancy, Kin is a celebration of the heartbreaking, maddening joy that is family.

Genres: Canada, Fiction, Book Club, Historical Fiction, Chick Lit

600 pages, Paperback

First published September 9, 2012

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

[Tiffanie22 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bookclub had us pick any book by this author and I chose this one due to being set on Cape Breton Island. We visited there the first time this summer. It was very cool to read about a few places I could picture - the causeway, the town of Louisburg, Sydney. I very much enjoyed this one! It follows some childhood friends from their early days in the 1930s through to 2011. All the ups and downs, marriages and divorces, births and deaths. Love permeates this family, and in some cases, the kin are those they chose for themselves. A sweet story with all the feels.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story about family, taking place on Cape Breton Island, where I just happen to live. Lesley Crewe's books always make me feel warm inside. My only issue with this one was that I was getting a bit mixed up trying to remember who was related to whom by the end.

[Chloe Kenney · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are soul wrenching, and heart warming. Following the same family across multiple decades has treated me to 500 pages of amazing Crewe.

Cried twice.

Any other author would lose me with the lengthy character list but I always seem to keep track of everyone very well by this author.

I’ve purposely stretched out reading her books because I don’t want these to end, and after I finish this, I only have her newest 2024 release to go 🥲

[Natasha Penney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid, quiet multi-generational story that does capitols the magic of island living, in this case Cape Breton, with the highs and lows of belonging to a large family. It's the second Lesley Crewe book I've read and I do appreciate her effort and the layering of some of the characters in this book. That being said, the writing isn't as crips and fluid in this book as it was in "Amazing Grace", which hampered my immersion in a story about large family dynamics, which I know well.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably closer to 3.5 stars.

Kin is the story of siblings Annie and David Macdonald and Annie's best friend Lila. It traces their lives and their subsequent families from the 1930s into the millenium, mainly based in the Glace Bay area of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. I don't get to read that many books based in my home province and always enjoy the ones I have found. Lesley Crewe is a fairly new author for me. She writes books about friendships and families, mostly all pretty relateable (though the last one I read, Hit & Mrs, was a bit off the wall).

I usually always enjoy a "family saga" book, one that traces several generations. I also usually find that the first and second generation are more interesting and have more detail than the later ones. In this case, most of the book focusses on Annie, David and Lila. The next generation doesn't really get as much of a look in until a good 2/3 of the way through the book but having said that, it's still about the family as a whole.

Family, marriages, relationships, friendships. Good times, bad times, tragedy, birth and death. Just like life. The writing style was a bit different again from the other two books of hers I read, which were each different from each other. This one seemed to have more of an ordinary feel which might have been deliberate since it was about an ordinary family. I enjoyed the mostly Cape Breton locations with a bit of Halifax and Montreal thrown in. Lots of familiarity there for me. The characters are also believable and when you can see that their life decisions feel like a train wreck, you find yourself riding along with them, waiting for the inevitable.

The author doesn't shy away from the difficult and tragic events and a couple of them are particularly sad. But again, that's life as we all know it. We all survive and deal with devastating events and losses and hopefully we have the support of a strong family to help us get through

[Eileen Mackintosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another terrific read from this author. Spanning the years 1935 to 2000, this is a family tale of the joys, secrets, mistakes and sorrows of very relatable people. I certainly shed a few tears but I also had a few good chuckles. I just love Lesley Crewe’s easy reading style and her characters.

A favourite quote:

“She knew how much suffering was still going on in Cape Breton, where a year later, everyone was still trying to deal with their huge loss. It was harder for the relatives who had to live where XXXX XXXXX lived. The presence of her absence was everywhere.” Pg 388

[Heather Lokun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is written as a family’s timeline. I appreciated that it did not go back and forth in time and kept to the natural order of events. Only as the family tree spread its branches did I sometimes struggle to remember who belonged to who.
Kin is a lovely tale of love and loss and life lessons.

[Jen Robley · Rating 4 out of 5]

“ Kin” is a novel that spans a lifetime of a family that faces more than it’s fair share of tragedy and love in equal measure. Lesley Crewe consistently makes me feel like a family member as I’m flipping pages . I flipped the last few through my own tears and thought “ for gosh sakes she’s done it again !”

[CarolynAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book in a while that I didn't want to put down as I was really caught up in the characters' lives. So, while I would not say that the overall plot was strong, I enjoyed the read. Essentially, it is a story that follows an extended Cape Breton family across three or four generations so there aren't exactly 'action' or plot twists but I felt that the characters carried the story. I enjoyed the character development and their inter-relationships so, overall, it was a "nice" book to read with the usual heartbreaking moments and some of the characters are annoying but that's just a fact of life.

[Joanne MacNevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really enjoyable read. I loved the characters, even when they were annoying. The writing was wonderful, and I could get really immersed in the story. There were a couple of truly heart-breaking moments, though, and for those I’ve taken away some stars.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story following a family from the 1930s to 1995.
Set mainly in Cape Breton, but of course family spreads over the years…
Happiness and heartbreak all rolled together into a gripping story.

A huge cast of characters, but it was fairly easy to keep everyone straight

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy family sagas. I enjoyed the story and writing but this story was just too too long.

[Allison Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be my favourite Leslie Crewe novel to date… such a plethora of unforgettable characters, and storylines you never wanted to end. Such a good “slice of life” story about Annie and her Cape Breton kin… I sincerely did not want this book to end. ❤️

[Kim Bonvie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lesley crewe never disappoints. This book wraps you in its embrace allowing you witness real life. CAPER style. Love being able to recognize landmarks as always. The mention of the Lord Nelson Hotel brought back memories!

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Multi-generational story set in Cape Breton Island over a period of several decades. Very true to Canadian lifestyle. The large number of characters makes the story challenging to follow. With frequent descriptions of males the characters are enjoying, it was not surprising to see recipes at the end of the story.

[Kaleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about family, all at the same time Leslie Crewe's Kin is poignant, powerful and heart-wrenching and captures the true essence of family: glorious, funny, tragic, wild and bittersweet.

When I first started the novel, I was bored. It was in part because I kind of hate reading work done by Canadian authors. Especially set in the Maritimes. It’s a bit of a problem I developed in school reading local authors and whatnot. I kind of hated novels set where I lived because I always felt that they just went on and on about the 'great Canadian wilderness' in that preachy tone I'd come to hate.

This novel changed that.

The setting to the novel was as alive as the plethora of characters I fell in love with. Taking place primarily in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, the novel follows three generations of characters beginning with a pair of siblings named Annie and David and their friend Lila in the thirties then following David’s daughters Francis and Colette, and finally ending with Francis’ daughter Hilary in the year 2011. The novel was very ambitious and expertly woven; I absolutely loved seeing the many characters interact across the decades and seeing all the threads come together.

Kin is also an emotional roller coaster and goes between heartwarming to heartbreaking and is the only novel that has actually ever made me tear up and have to set the novel down because I just could not keep going on. Life, love and loss are central themes to the story and how they are dealt with makes this novel one of the best I read in 2012.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodness! That was epic, as kids today would exclaim. It was excellent, addictive, multi-generational family-centred storytelling. This is the 4th book I've read by this author, and I love her style and her well-rounded characters. The storytelling flows smoothly although I did have some difficulty keeping the family members straight, especially as the point of view seemed to change often. I'd need to review in my mind who was whose aunt, grampy etc. But it kept me on my toes. The heart breaking drama was tempered by pithy humor, making the sadness bearable. Excellent Canadian fiction which makes me more determined than ever to visit Nova Scotia, specifically Cape Breton.

[Laurie Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love me a family drama and I love connecting to places in books. I live in Nova Scotia and my father was from Cape Breton. Almost all of the book takes place in Cape Breton, Halifax and Montreal. I can imagine my grandmother sitting down to tell me a yarn and pouring me a cup of tea as I read this. It’s a multi generational family saga that was sweet, yet real, and comforting to read. Cape Breton realness come through!

[Debbie Hoonaard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the story engaging, but the writing style was just too pedestrian for me. And, the publisher needs a copy editor. Some dialogue felt wrong for the era. For example, I don't think people in the 1940s went out to "grab a coffee,".

[Jill Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming from Cape Breton .... I'm loving it !!

[Mj Amirault · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 Stars. Set in Cape Breton. Story of a family and their lives. Rather simply written.

[Shauna Scanlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Leslie Crewe !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I could not put it down! Cried and laughed with it!
Most amazing KIN! Happy reading 📖

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have of course heard of the author Lesley Crewe before, as I am a reader who lives in Nova Scotia. But I thought I had read her before and didn't really care for the book. (I also thought she was a male author...). However, all this time I had been confusing her with Lesley Choyce, who also lives in Nova Scotia, which honestly feels like a very understandable mistake. (Also, I read one of his books more than a decade ago, so while I'm not clamoring for more, I can't honestly say that the book of his I read isn't great).

Needless to say, I had some initial impressions to work through when Kin was chosen for our book club, but I am so glad a book club pushed me to pick up this author and this book because I loved it. Kin is a 500-page book that feels much shorter because it is so easy to speed through. The writing and the story are lovely. The setting is very Nova Scotia, but the multigenerational family tale is on par with Emma Straub.

Kin is a book about family and found family, it is a book about the family we have and the family we choose. It has so much love and lots of real life. The characters are well-written, complex, and loveable. And the story focuses on three firecracker girls as they grow to be strong women who impact the world around them by how they love their families.

(You may want to start building a family tree from the beginning as you read, as lots of characters come up and it sometimes took me a minute to situate the character in their generation as I read, especially the male characters).

This book will make you cry. There are hard moments and grief that are unavoidable when you follow a family for four generations. But love is always present. There is more to warm your heart than to break your heart in these pages.

I think this book may be especially resonant with me because it reminds me of my family. It reminded me of my wonderful parents and their love and support. It reminded me of my wonderful grandparents. It reminded me of grandmothers' baking and small Maritime towns and playing in the trees pretending to be fairies. It wasn't my family but it had so many of the elements of what I love about my family. It made me grieve them, grieve memories, and want to hold onto them tighter.

[Deane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I had read novels by Lesley Crewe but evidently, I haven't. I really enjoyed this novel reading the 502 pages in 3 days.

The writing was so clear and easy to read and follow...I loved the fact that the story started with the year 1935 and ended in 2000. Such a unique way to introduce each group of years with the lives and living starting with the MacDonald family. Abigail, husband Kenzie, children David and Annie. They lived in Cape Breton in Glace Bay.

As each year would appear in print, it meant the story would dwell on things that were important during the few years from the last year to the present. I loved the way the year would pop up and I looked forward to the next few years.

There was a lot of happiness but a lot of sadness e.g. Lila who lost her mother when she was 7, was given to a Mrs. Butts who didn't look after her at all. She and David were in love and while David survived World War II, they wrote each other as often as they could.

It was easier reading when there were just the beginning families but got more complicated as the children grew, got married, had children...but still easy to follow.

I shall watch for more of Crewe's novels....

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kin is set in the Glace Bay area of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Cape Breton is a place my heart will never leave; I love stories set there, so for me, Kin had a leg up to begin with. It's the second Lesley Crewe book I've read. As with Mary, Mary, Crewe skillfully draws three-dimensional characters. She is able to elicit strong feelings either for or against those who people her stories. While there is no definable plot in Kin, the drama of family life through three generations, with all its real-life joy and tragedy, is enough to keep the reader engaged. David, Annie, and Lila dominate the book. I love their story through the years. However, the next generation's story is weaker and the last generation just kind of peters out. Not as much effort is spent on their development and it shows. The story of David, Annie, and Lila was enough of an interest for me so I gave the book four stars. Crewe is a fresh and strong writer with a wonderful ability for character development. I heartily recommend Kin.

[Kelly Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book doesn’t have a big plot line and it doesn’t have a mysterious secret, a heroic protagonist or a villainous antagonist. It doesn’t build to a suspenseful climax or reveal any shocking truths about history. What Leslie Crewe has done is create 4 generations of a family over a span of 65 years that seem more real than some of our own kin. Picking this this book up is like stepping into a parallel reality that you live in along with the Macdonald (little “d”) family and their ordinary lives. But what passes for ordinary on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia is nothing short of magical, at least the way it is told by the author. Being let loose in the summertime to run free with cousins through the pastoral landscapes and along the shores of the Maritimes are the memories that make up my childhood. When Crewe describes the scents and the sounds of Round Island I know them, not just because I remember them but because she brings them alive with trials and tribulations, the love and the laughter of her beautiful characters.

[Rebecca Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m left with the impression that this is a strange and lovely book. I really enjoyed reading it, and so in that sense my 3-star rating isn’t congruent, but a big part of my enjoyment was my wonder at how the book was written. This is where the strange comes in - the writing was, for me, reminiscent of books like the babysitters club series (books I loved!) for reasons I haven’t been able to clearly articulate/pinpoint. My best way I can describe it is that while the characters were dealing with really serious stuff, often, the storytelling of their reactions and coping sounded very casual, very surface level. Things were dealt with quickly, or in not a lot of depth.
Overall, I very much enjoyed reading Kin, but part of this experience was marvelling on a meta level about the writing, and so I would be hesitant to recommend the book to others without a disclaimer about how I experienced it.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will ponder Lila for a long time. She seemed sometimes to do things that would sabotage her own happiness. Perhaps that's due to her start in life. I felt so sorry for Ewen. What a stand up, be there for you, gentle man. He deserved more. I realize that Lila began to understand what a gem he was after her affair, but even then, she still held onto David.

This book kept me reading longer into the night than I wanted. Of course, Annie was the rock that tied everything together. What a cool person to know, so filled with adventure and love. This book takes on a lot of themes in 400 pages...love, deceit, fear, longing, family of course, competition, loyalty, forgiveness, class, loss in many forms. It made me angry, it made me sad, it made me smile. Kind of like kin and life.