Clear.

"Clear" by Carys Davies is a stunning novel set against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of Scotland's remote northern islands during the 1840s. The story follows John, an impoverished Scottish minister, dispatched to evict Ivar, the lone inhabitant of a secluded island. Despite his wife Mary's serious misgivings, John embarks on this daunting task, only to suffer a severe fall upon arrival. Rescued and tended to by Ivar, the two men—though initially unable to communicate—begin to understand each other through John's creation of a dictionary of Ivar's world. As they build an unexpected connection, the novel explores themes of resilience, change, and hope amidst the final stages of the Scottish Clearances. "Clear" is a deeply moving and unpredictable tale that captures the profound differences and connections between people, the shaping force of history, and the enduring strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.