The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What does a mother do when her only son is in prison with a life sentence? She buys a crumbling shack by the sea and builds a labyrinth in the backyard.

To proceed, she must become part of the little seaside community. Her neighbours are, quite frankly, a strange lot. But who is she to judge, given her curious childhood as the daughter of the chief medical officer of an asylum?

One by one, she attracts various odd-bods to the project: the shy teenager, Lexie; the illegal immigrant, Jurko; the aloof neighbour, Ray. The activity of making something draws them together and gives everyone a sense of purpose and hope. This is a spiritual project as much as it is a physical one. Somewhere amongst the chaos, she also rediscovers herself.