THIS is a book of rare beauty. In sparsely elegant writing, Carys Davies explores how solitude can become connection and eventually intimacy.

The framework for the story is provided by two of the seminal events of Scottish history. The Great Disruption of 1843 was a split in the Church of Scotland over the appointment of ministers. During the Clearances, crofters were evicted by landowners to make the land available for more profitable sheep farming.

The Revd John Ferguson was among the ministers of the Kirk who resigned. He needed money. So he undertook a mission on behalf of a landowner to a remote island in the far north. He was to tell Ivar, the sole inhabitant, that he must leave the island to make way for sheep.

But John was injured in a fall from a clifftop and was rescued by Ivar. Now Ivar becomes the one who cares for the person sent to evict him. Now they begin a journey into mutual understanding — gradually learning to communicate in Ivar’s remarkable and ancient dialect.

Even when Ivar comes to understand what the purpose of John’s mission is, the relationship continues to grow. At one point, they revel in a glorious dance that challenges John’s Presbyterian inhibitions.

Then John’s wife Mary arrives — concerned for his safety. She is a person of compassion and empathy: she realises that a significant relationship has developed between the two men. As they prepare to leave the island, she says to John, “He could come with us. Instead of two, we could be three.” Her empathy and compassion thus negate the cruelty of the Clearances.

This is a delightful and sensitive book. Two men — neither of them used to deep relationship with other men — find unexpected joy that transcends the original purpose of their meeting.

 
The Rt Revd David Chillingworth is a former Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.

Clear
Carys Davies
Granta £12.99
(978-1-80351-040-8)
Church Times Bookshop £11.69