The Theory of Crows

The Theory of Crows is set in the beauty and ruggedness of northern Manitoba and is a poignant story told from the perspectives of Matthew, an emotionally distant father, and his teenage daughter Holly, who are unsure if they can repair the increasingly fractured bond between them.

Matthew has pulled away from his wife and teenage daughter as he struggles with his mental health and the choices he's made that now threatened to destroy his family. When tragedy strikes, Matthew and Holly set out on a trek to find the long-lost family trap line and its through this journey that Robertson explores Matthew and Holly's complicated relationship and their road to healing. I enjoyed getting the POVs of both Holly and Matthew as well as the inclusion of letters Matthew has written, but not yet given, to Holly. These give readers insight into his thoughts, struggles, regrets, and desires for his own life and that of his daughter.

This is a quiet but powerful story that explores many themes including strained family relationships, mental health, grief, healing, and the impact of our own struggles on the loved ones around us. The imagery is vivid and the topics poignant and I appreciate that Robertson doesn't shy away from difficult subject matter and manages them with a gentle hand. (see trigger warnings after disclaimer)  

The Theory of Crows is a slower moving and compelling coming-of-age story that gives readers much to reflect upon. It is a tale that blends Indigenous culture with an emotional story centred around a father and daughter who find strength in their past and heritage as they see if they can mend their fractured relationship. 

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to HarperCollins Canada for my complimentary advanced copy which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

Trigger Warnings: Death, loss, self-harm, mental illness

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Author: David A. Robertson

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Indigenous, Canadian

Type and Source: Trade Paperback from publisher

Publisher: HarperCollins Canada

First Published: September 13, 2022

Book Description from Amazon.ca: A poignant and evocative novel about the bonds of family and the gifts offered by the land. When a troubled father and his estranged teenage daughter head out onto the land in search of the family trapline, they find their way back to themselves, and to each other.

Deep in the night, Matthew paces the house, unable to rest. Though his sixteen-year-old daughter, Holly, lies sleeping on the other side of the bedroom door, she is light years away from him. How can he bridge the gap between them when he can’t shake the emptiness he feels inside? Holly knows her father is drifting further from her; what she doesn’t understand is why. Could it be her fault that he seems intent on throwing everything away, including their relationship?

Following a devastating tragedy, Matthew and Holly head out onto the land in search of a long-lost cabin on the family trapline, miles from the Cree community they once called home. But each of them is searching for something more than a place. Matthew hopes to reconnect with the father he has just lost; Holly goes with him because she knows the father she is afraid of losing won’t be able to walk away.

When things go wrong during the journey, they find they have only each other to turn to for support. What happens to father and daughter on the land will test them, and eventually heal them, in ways they never thought