Clear: A Novel [J0386]

2024 HCDJ in Gift-Worthy condition. 1843. On a remote Scottish island, Ivar, the sole occupant, leads a life of quiet isolation until the day he finds a man unconscious on the beach below the cliffs. The newcomer is John Ferguson, an impoverished church minister sent to evict Ivar and turn the island into grazing land for sheep. Unaware of the stranger's intentions, Ivar takes him into his home, and in spite of the two men having no common language, a fragile bond begins to form between them. Meanwhile on the mainland, John's wife Mary anxiously awaits news of his mission. Against the rugged backdrop of this faraway spot beyond Shetland, Carys Davies's intimate drama unfolds with tension and tenderness: a touching and crystalline study of ordinary people buffeted by history and a powerful exploration of the distances and connections between us. Perfectly structured and surprising at every turn, Clear is a marvel of storytelling, an exquisite short novel by a master of the form.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "This novel is about isolation, property and land, faithfulness, friendship, and forgiveness, A lot in such a small book. I loved the Scottish island setting, the characters and the story."; "For a short book this packs a punch - actually, several punches! Beautifully descriptive and so gentle in its development of the relationship in the main plot, the story is well worth the time."; "A beautiful pearl of a novel. Slight, spare, precious. The language is gorgeous, the themes important and so relevant now. A book to read in one sitting and then re-read slowly savouring the wonderful writing."; "Exceptional. I've been in a reading slump and this fixed it. The three main characters are incredibly well written with depth and humanity they all seem like real people and not just characters. The plot moves along at a good pace; it doesn't drag and there's not a lot of unnecessary fluff if any at all. The author does an incredible job of setting every scene. Overall an incredibly satisfying read I highly recommend"