This is by far the best book I’ve read all year. I want to press it into the hands of everyone who loves books. The language, the lyricism, the landscape. Grace! Colly! - I never wanted it to end. It’s a heartbreaking coming-of-age tale, following 14-year-old Grace across Ireland in search of work and sustenance during the Irish Famine, having been cast out by her pregnant mother.
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The language is sometimes challenging, though never unreadable, and there are passages of incredible beauty and insight. The landscape is almost a character itself, so prominently does it feature, along with hunger, darkness and light.
It is above and beyond everything I have read this year. Some people will pick it up and dislike it, but for me, this is the most beautifully written, lyrical, heartfelt and heartbreaking story I have read in a long time and I know that it’ll be a long time before I read another book like it.
As far as I know, this book has been nominated for no prizes, and has received little mainstream press, and it deserves ALL the prizes and all the press.
And those endpapers!

Alas, this book was archived before I got chance to read it.