The Scottish landscape serves as the backdrop for this family saga on the list of 1001 books you must read before you die. Partly narrated in the first person by Prentice McHoan, the college-aged middle son of a relatively well off Scottish family, there are several mysteries unfolding over third-person flashbacks involving several generations. A book that famously starts off with an exploding grandmother has a lot to live up to, but if the reader can navigate through the various timeframes, there are many rewards in the form of interesting characters and their ideas and engaging with the big and small questions about life and death. I enjoyed this one a lot.

Share/Like this Review?