Clear

Charlotte says about Clear:
"A wild and tender novel about the depth of connection that happens in moments of desperate isolation. Davies captures the wild and turbulent scenery of the hebrides and beyond with a poetic yet considered prose, and there were moments within her writing where I almost felt the billowing of my own clothes against the island’s gales, and the taste of salt in the air. I can’t recommend this novel enough, especially its portrayal of hidden softness within masculinity."

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.