Beautiful and masterfully crafted; Carys Davies delivers a unique and moving novel about a minister tasked with evicting the lone inhabitant from a small distant island. During the 1840s the Scottish Clearances were in full effect, removing thousands of poor residents through mandatory evictions. John, a poor Scottish minister desperate to earn some income, takes the job of removing Ivar from a remote island. When John finally arrives at the island, he immediately falls off a cliff and is nursed back to health by Ivar, who has no idea what John's arrival means for him. Used to being solitary, with only his animals and the ocean for company; he quickly takes to John. Together they work past their language barriers and begin to understand each other; forging a much deeper companionship and outlook on life. Impeccably narrated by Russ Bain whose Scottish timbre effuses the story with authenticity and soul. Short and simple; Clear is a thought-provoking historical novel that showcases the nuance of words, the complexity of relationships, and hauntingly beautiful atmospheric writing.
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