Crows' main character and narrator is Melanie Ratleer. The story begins in Melanie's childhood, where she suffers at the hands of her abusive father. In the first sentence, we learn that her mother is dead. We soon learn that a step-mother and a much-loved step-brother, Matt, live in the home with her. The first part of the book takes us through Melanie's early life. We get to know her and Matt. I really got to like both of them and to despise her violent father. Partway through this section, Matt begins taking drugs, partly to help him cope with the violence in his own life. He eventually suffers a schizophrenic breakdown and is sent to a mental institution. Melanie is unable to reach him, no matter how hard she tries.
The second part of the book takes us to 1977, when Melanie spends summer vacation in rural Wisconsin with her step-mother, who has since left Melanie's father. It is here that we meet Mildred Steck, who becomes the heart of the story. Mildred is an activist, daughter of a very liberal minister, married to a man named Daniel Munk and mother of a little boy named Ben. We learn much about Mildred and her relationships to those around her; indeed, we learn more about her than we do about Melanie. What appears to be a perfect marriage is soon exposed to be a violent marriage, full of fear and hurt. The third part of the book walks us through Mildred's custody battles. When the legal system turns against her, she appears to have no choice but to "disappear" with her beloved little boy, or to lose him forever to an abusive and callous father. She makes the only choice she can, and goes "underground".
The fourth and final part of the novel finds Melanie a judge in New York. We learn many things: she works 100+ hour weeks, has little social life, does not travel and feels she is old before her time. We also learn that it is 1992 and new anti-psychotic drugs are at long last working for her brother, Matt. He is still living with his step-mother in rural Wisconsin and is attempting to salvage his life. Further, the (at the time) new thing called the "Internet" is being used to help women who are, like Mildred, "underground". Both Matt and his mother are somehow involved with this project. Circumstances force Melanie to return to this town where she was so many summers ago. She reunites with her brother and step-mother and becomes interested in the "underground" movement of which they are a part. We get to see the "underground" through the eyes of a judge who has recently been nominated to the federal bench as Melanie examines the family law system from the trenches. She encounters the stories of many women who are similarly situated to her old friend, Mildred. All of this information leads Melanie to reevaluate her life and make some life altering decisions.
This book is really several books in one-all of them are very true to life, touching and heartbreaking. The way the mentally ill are treated is examined through the character of Matt. The way women are treated in the family law system is looked at through Mildred. Domestic violence is examined through Melanie's father and Mildred's husband. If I had no experience with family law or domestic violence, I would have read this book and wondered, "Is this for real?" In my experiences, it is very real.
In Michigan, while going through a divorce, people regularly attend Friend of the Court evaluations. These evaluations, lasting from 30 minutes to an hour, are designed to give the Friend of the Court evaluators enough information about a person to determine whether or not he or she should receive custody of the minor children. Child support, visitation and other matters are also decided. I have told (read: begged) my clients to go into these meetings as emotionless and professionally as possible. I saw firsthand what happened to people (read: women) who went into this meetings crying, ranting about her partner or showing any "undue emotion." Oftentimes, the women were dismissed by the evaluator as "another emotional woman" just trying to get custody because she's mad at her husband. While being upset about a partner (especially when violence is involved) is understandable, it was often used against my clients. Particularly so when their partner showed up to his evaluation and was calm, cool and collected. The Friend of the Court evaluator would often have to decide between the "friendly parent" and "irrational one". And guess who gets preliminary physical custody?
I saw this chilling scenario accurately reflected in "Crows" when Mildred and her husband go through a similar evaluation. I found everything in this book not only realistic, but very probable. I would recommend this book to anyone, particularly anyone with an interest in women's rights, in the legal system or who is contemplating a divorce or other involvement in family court.
There is so much more to this wonderful book, from Melanie's brush with cancer, her father's death, Matt's struggles, Melanie's step-mother, Mildred's father....This is quite simply an excellent character study and an excellent read.