When I first picked up Donna Morrissey's novel Kit's Law, I was somewhat apprehensive. After having reviewed mostly best-sellers and novels-made-movies all semester, I was worried about reading a novel written by someone I'd never heard of. Not only was her name entirely unrecognizable, but the book jacket noted that this was her first novel.
It was a first novel, however, that earned Morrissey the award of First-time Author of the Year by the Canadian Booksellers Association. Thinking that it may not be as bad as I had originally anticipated, I decided to take a risk on an unknown name. It didn't take long for me to realize that the risk was well worth it.
Kit Pitman, almost 13 years old, lives on the coast of Newfoundland with her feisty grandmother and mentally challenged mother. The town, Haire's Hollow, is a small, old-fashioned village that thrives on local gossip and prides itself on being devout and God-fearing, mostly thanks to the heavy hand of Reverend Ropson. The Pitman women are the most isolated of the townspeople, owing to Josie's retardation and Kit's illegitimate birth. But Lizzy, the outspoken leader of this trinity of women, guards her daughter and granddaughter from falling victim to the disapproval of their neighbors.
But when Kit's beloved Nan dies unexpectedly, she and her childlike mother are left to fend for themselves. The Reverend and his cohorts, Mrs. Ropson, May Eveleigh, Jimmy Randall, and Mr. and Mrs. Haynes, confer with regards to Kit's future. Despite attempts to have Josie sent to a mental institution and have Kit adopted or taken in by the orphanage, the gentle Dr. Hodgins convinces the conspirators that mother and daughter are perfectly capable of caring for themselves with a helping hand from the town. With that decree, Kit and Josie set off to survive without the protection of Lizzy.
Even after Lizzy dies, she maintains a strong presence in the novel and remains an important character. As Kit faces the difficulties and responsibilities thrown upon her, Dr. Hodgins reminds her that her beloved Nan would be proud of her. When things appear to be at their worst, she retreats to her grandmother's rocking chair for comfort and solace. She continues to harvest berries from Lizzy's secret partridgeberry patch, the envy of all the townspeople of Haire's Hollow, and make jam according to her grandmother's recipe.
What saves the novel from becoming dangerously sentimental is the series of sub-plots that Morrissey weaves into this intricate portrayal of a strained mother-daughter relationship. The comings and goings of alleged murderer and moonshine runner Shine keep the reader attentive, wondering when he'll make his next appearance with his rabid dog and what kind of havoc he will wreak on the Pitman women when he does. Kit's romance with Sidney, the Reverend's son, swings between sentimental and suspenseful. The relationship takes countless turns following their initial acquaintance in school, from their first kiss to their clandestine marriage to the astounding revelation about their past.
The mark of a truly wonderful novel is the empathy it creates in the reader for its characters. Morrissey does a remarkable job of gradually revealing the novel's characters so that, by the end, you feel as though you have made new friends. Both Kit and Josie are astoundingly believable characters, and the tragedies that befall them are far from trite or exaggerated.
Kit's Law is a little heavy on the descriptive side, with detailed accounts of the rocky terrain that surrounds the modest cottage that Kit calls home and wordy descriptions of the weather and the state of Josie's mass of red hair. What makes it tolerable is the lively and heartfelt dialogue that masterfully breaks up the longer, more descriptive passages. Emotions are vividly portrayed in the conversations of the characters and inadvertently reveal their personalities.
In all, Kit's Law is a delicious read on many levels. Complexities that would otherwise be burdensome to a reader are the backbone of the novel. It is not a quick read, and it has yet to hit The New York Times Best-Seller List, but it's the kind of book you could read either on the T or before you go to sleep. Heartfelt and entrancing, this debut novel deserves to be on your summer reading list.
Kit's Law, by Donna Morrissey, Mariner Books, Grade: A-
