A little gem. I had heard so much about this book, at various times and from various people, that I was certain that I was heading for a disappointment. How could anything, not much more than a novella, be that good? Trust me, it is that good. Carr's skill at weaving together time, place, and character, symbolism and imagery, dialogue and authorial voice, in a perfect little whole, is nothing short of breathtaking. Any random page could serve as a masterclass in writing that captures a time, a voice and a heartbreaking set of circumstances.

Whew. I should confess that Carr is playing to some of my favorite topics, as if he had a little checklist next to him as he wrote. Village in northern England? Check. Village church, full of fascinating tombs and memorials, and a bit of a mystery. Check. He had me at "hidden medieval mural." But the way Carr captures the bittersweet recollection of a fleeting episode in life is both very specific (Tom Birkin is a physically and mentally wounded veteran of the World War I trenches, trying to decide whether the peace-time life he has returned to was worth the effort of surviving) and universal (who can't point to some episode in our lives when a different sort of life seems just within grasp - and would we have been happier if we had reached out and taken it?)

Highly recommended.

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