eBook, 208 pages
English language
Published by Scribner.
John, an impoverished Scottish minister, has accepted a job evicting the lone remaining occupant of an island north of Scotland—Ivar, who has been living alone for decades, with only the animals and the sea for company. Though his wife, Mary, has serious misgivings about the errand, he decides to go anyway, setting in motion a chain of events that neither he nor Mary could have predicted.
Shortly after John reaches the island, he falls down a cliff and is found, unconscious and badly injured, by Ivar who takes him home and tends to his wounds. The two men do not speak a common language, but as John builds a dictionary of Ivar’s world, they learn to communicate and, as Ivar sees himself for the first time in decades reflected through the eyes of another person, they build a fragile, unusual connection.
Unfolding in the 1840s in the final …
John, an impoverished Scottish minister, has accepted a job evicting the lone remaining occupant of an island north of Scotland—Ivar, who has been living alone for decades, with only the animals and the sea for company. Though his wife, Mary, has serious misgivings about the errand, he decides to go anyway, setting in motion a chain of events that neither he nor Mary could have predicted.
Shortly after John reaches the island, he falls down a cliff and is found, unconscious and badly injured, by Ivar who takes him home and tends to his wounds. The two men do not speak a common language, but as John builds a dictionary of Ivar’s world, they learn to communicate and, as Ivar sees himself for the first time in decades reflected through the eyes of another person, they build a fragile, unusual connection.
Unfolding in the 1840s in the final stages of the infamous Scottish Clearances—which saw whole communities of the rural poor driven off the land in a relentless program of forced evictions—this singular, beautiful, deeply surprising novel explores the differences and connections between us, the way history shapes our deepest convictions, and how the human spirit can survive despite all odds. Moving and unpredictable, sensitive and spellbinding, Clear is a profound and pleasurable read.
Beautiful writing guided me into an unfamiliar state of mind that felt antique in a way I haven't experienced with other historical fiction. Artful.
Beautiful writing guided me into an unfamiliar state of mind that felt antique in a way I haven't experienced with other historical fiction. Artful.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing me an advanced reader copy of Clear.
John is a Scottish Presbyterian minister who has fallen on financial instability as a result of the schism in the church resulting in his need to start a new congregation. While in this transitive state, he reaches out to his brother-in-law to see if there is any work that could be done, and is offered the opportunity to enforce an eviction on behalf of a wealthy land owner who needs to clear his land, a tiny island between Scotland and Norway. Its sole tenant is a man named Iver, the last of his family who has maintained the land his entire life. Upon reaching the island, circumstance drives the men together to form a deep bond, but the language barrier prevents John from being forthright about why he is there. As John learns more about …
Many thanks to the publisher for providing me an advanced reader copy of Clear.
John is a Scottish Presbyterian minister who has fallen on financial instability as a result of the schism in the church resulting in his need to start a new congregation. While in this transitive state, he reaches out to his brother-in-law to see if there is any work that could be done, and is offered the opportunity to enforce an eviction on behalf of a wealthy land owner who needs to clear his land, a tiny island between Scotland and Norway. Its sole tenant is a man named Iver, the last of his family who has maintained the land his entire life. Upon reaching the island, circumstance drives the men together to form a deep bond, but the language barrier prevents John from being forthright about why he is there. As John learns more about the land and the man, it becomes increasingly difficult for him to reconcile doing what is smart for his family and what is morally right, particularly when unfamiliar feelings begin manifesting.
Don't be misled by the length of this. It's a very quick read but deeply complex. Despite its length, the tight story is exactly as long as it needs to be, the characters are all dynamic and well developed, and the setting is beautifully painted with rich, atmospheric descriptions of the far northern island landscape. I find it impressive that Davies was able to create such an impactful and well-developed story in as few pages as she did. At no point did I feel the story was rushed or stilted. Rather, it fluctuated between moments of peace and tension with ease and concluded flawlessly.
I loved sitting with all the characters and adored each one in a unique way. Our three main perspectives, Iver, John, and Mary (John's wife), were distinct, lovingly crafted and richly human. So much care was put into their development, and it is clear from the author's note that so much effort and work was put into getting aspects of the setting and culture just right. I found it fascinating to read.
The setting alone should captivate you, but it is the characterization that really stands out here. If you are a fan of a gentle dive into complex relationships between flawed people, you should pick this up, you won't be disappointed.
