This was my book group read for May.
I found this book very readable – the style is deceptively simple and yet the themes and character development are deep and thoughtful. Told from the perspectives of a seven year old girl, Clara, whose teenaged sister has run away and now nobody can find her, and the strange man who has moved into the house across the road . Clara had been feeding the cat for the old lady who lived in the house, and can’t understand who the man is and why he’s there.
There are mysteries that slowly unfold and keep the narrative moving along nicely as well as interesting studies of how we humans cope with sadness, and loss, and loneliness. That makes is sound like a depressing read, but that’s not true, if anything I found the book uplifting and satisfying.
Sarah Wray Writer 