The Diviners

by Margaret Laurence.

Quickie recap: Morag had a strange and somewhat unstable childhood, her parents leaving her an orphan at the age of 5, she went to live with virtual strangers and was forever an outcast. As a young woman, she strove to provide a more stable environment for herself and her child, but as she looks back over the years, she finds that maybe she hasn't succeeded at all.

Quickie review: The writing is not for one sentence anything short of superb. Laurence draws a living, breathing web around her characters and biting into the meat of her novels is always satisfying. The Diviners was like buttah.

Quickie recommendation: Margaret Laurence is a genius. Her books aren't just great to read, they're great to read and read again.