The setting is a remote island off of Scotland in the 1840’s…during the Scottish Clearance’s, where the rural population was cleared (removed) from the land with forced evictions.
John… a poor Scottish minister leaves his wife in the care of relatives and accepts the job of removing the last inhabitant on this island.
After traveling there he has an injury that leaves him in a coma and with bad bodily injuries.
This is where we meet Ivar.. the man who’s to be evicted… he finds John and takes him to his home and cares for him.
Ivar has only had the sea and various animals as company for many years. He and John don’t speak the same language. So.. when John recovers he won’t know why this man is there.
This is a quiet, and serene novel… beautiful setting..it is sensitive and unpredictable.


Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner for the ARC!

I completed Clear a few weeks after I started reading it. Even though the book was short, at around 200 pages, it did not hook me as I had originally anticipated. I based my excitement to read this book around the premise and summary provided by the author/publisher. While the content of the novel is true, I did not feel as if the book itself spent enough time developing the 'intense' connecting by John and Ivar. And while their character development is clear in the brief time we spend with them both, I had hope to discover even more about them. Regardless, the book overall was well-written and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a short, easy read.

I want to thank the publisher, Scribner, for the ARC of this book.

If you're looking for a light, easy read this book is not it. At the same time, one shouldn't be deceived by the short length of the story. Carys Davies has written a thought provoking story about the Clearances in Scotland in the 1840's. It's a story about relationships, about understanding others even when people are so different. It's about being lonely vs. being alone and about solitude vs. living with others. It's about different kinds of love. It's about truly communicating. It's about consciences. All of this is set against the beautiful backdrop of a northern isle of Scotland which the author does a tremendous job of describing and making one feel as though they are there. It is a quick read, but it's one which will make you think and search for the depth of the work.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a copy.

In 2018 I read Davies <i>’West’</i>, in 2021 I read her <i>’The Mission House’</i> and loved them both, so when I saw she had this new book on the horizon, I knew I wanted to read it. Once again, she managed to pull me into this story from the start, and kept me captive in a wilderness, surrounded by both danger and beauty.

Set in the 1840’s on an island during the last phase of the Scottish Clearances, this is the story of a Scottish minister, John, who must travel to this island, his purpose being to evict the one remaining man still living on the island. He leaves his wife to travel there, hesitant to do what he knows he must - evict this man, Ivan.

Not long after he arrives, John is injured, and Ivan brings him to his property, which serves as his home. There, he is able to care for him. There is no real conversation between them at first, since neither speaks the other's language, but as time passes, a bond is formed, and they come to understand each other.

This was one of those quietly lovely, moving, compassionate, and heartfelt reads for me. One that will stay with me for a long time.


Pub Date: 02 Apr 2024

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Scribner

This is lovely. Slow and quiet, but full of surprising twists. I liked how it showed the contrast between Ivar's life on the island and the visions of the Church authorities, how they wanted to use the land, and how they'd impoverished Ivar's family. I wish we'd seen a little more of what went into Mary's decision at the end.

really liked this short book. nice description of the almost deserted island, weather and surrounding water. did not know about the Clearance that happened in the mid 1800's. the characters of Mary and John Ferguson struggling to make a marriage and be a part of the Free Church of Scotland impressed me. however, Ivar was the real star in this story. to be alone and not lonely until John showed up was a valid point in this plot.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the advanced copy of Clear by Carys Davies. The story which takes place in the 1840s, during the Scottish Clearances, was well written with multiple themes. Although the characters were very likeable, I found the book slow moving and difficult to stay engaged..

I’m very pleased books like these still get published. And from major publishers, no less. I’m talking about small, quiet, literary stories as opposed to the overblown and trite genre clichés that dominate the market.
Clear is a story set on a speck of an island north of Scotland. It takes place in the 1840s, set against the dual backdrop of Scottish church reform and the infamous Scottish Clearances, that disposed so many people of their land.
John, A Scottish minister (one of those who split off during the schism), an impoverish but principled married man takes the job of going to the island to evict its one remaining occupant, a bearded giant of a man named Ivar.
Only once he gets to the island, things don’t quite go according to plan, and John finds himself injured and at Ivar’s mercy. Without a language to communicate and means to conduct his business, all they can do is wait and get to know each other.
What unfolds is a lovely and moving connection established by two very different people in what seems like the end of the world.
Yes, the book does have the trendily modern queer notes (sure, it has to sell, but also here it serves to highlight individual loneliness), but overall, the beauty of the narrative, the vivid rendering of another time and place, the emotionally engaging journey of finding and learning another person…it’s all absolutely terrific. Such a quick enjoyable read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Clary’s Davies moves me again. Having recently read West I looked forward to reading Clear and she did not disappoint. I did not know about the Great Disruption in the Scottish Church or the Clearances done by Scottish landlords.

John, an impoverished Presbyterian minister and his wife Mary are desperate for money and to set up his parish when he takes a position to clear out the last remaining person on an island. Traveling there, he is alone and a fall off a cliff leaves him unconscious when Ivar the sole islander finds him and cares for him. What follows is a story with stark island scenes , Ivar and his animals, and a warm story of human nature and love.

I look forward to reading more of Davies’ work. Thank you #NetGalley and #Scribner for the advanced copy of this book. It was a pleasure to read.

This is a short novel that can be read quickly in one sitting but the author has the unique ability to craft quite a story with deep characterization and lush description of setting in so few words. It reminds me of Claire Keegan, the author of Foster. It’s a tight but complex story. It’s a unique read that won’t be for everyone but the writing craft is definitely masterful

In the 1840s during the Scottish Clearances, John Ferguson, a struggling Presbyterian minister, accepts a job to travel to a remote island to clear the last inhabitant from the land. Ivar, who has grown up on the island, and has been alone for decades, is the last-remaining speaker of the island language. Despite the language barrier, and the underlying reason for John’s visit, he and Ivar build a connection that transcends language. As John learns more and more of Ivar’s speech, Ivar remembers what it’s like to simply be looked at and acknowledged by another person.

Carys Davies’ writing envelopes you both with the setting and characters. The short length is deceiving as there are many themes that keep you deep in thought after completing the book: solitude vs loneliness, conflict with core beliefs, what we think is right and what we feel is right.
The book left me wanting more, but that's part of the beauty of the story.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing me an advanced reader copy of Clear.

John is a Scottish Presbyterian minister who has fallen on financial instability as a result of the schism in the church resulting in his need to start a new congregation. While in this transitive state, he reaches out to his brother-in-law to see if there is any work that could be done, and is offered the opportunity to enforce an eviction on behalf of a wealthy land owner who needs to clear his land, a tiny island between Scotland and Norway. Its sole tenant is a man named Iver, the last of his family who has maintained the land his entire life. Upon reaching the island, circumstance drives the men together to form a deep bond, but the language barrier prevents John from being forthright about why he is there. As John learns more about the land and the man, it becomes increasingly difficult for him to reconcile doing what is smart for his family and what is morally right, particularly when unfamiliar feelings begin manifesting.

Don't be misled by the length of this. It's a very quick read but deeply complex. Despite its length, the tight story is exactly as long as it needs to be, the characters are all dynamic and well developed, and the setting is beautifully painted with rich, atmospheric descriptions of the far northern island landscape. I find it impressive that Davies was able to create such an impactful and well-developed story in as few pages as she did. At no point did I feel the story was rushed or stilted. Rather, it fluctuated between moments of peace and tension with ease and concluded flawlessly.

I loved sitting with all the characters and adored each one in a unique way. Our three main perspectives, Iver, John, and Mary (John's wife), were distinct, lovingly crafted and richly human. So much care was put into their development, and it is clear from the author's note that so much effort and work was put into getting aspects of the setting and culture just right. I found it fascinating to read.

The setting alone should captivate you, but it is the characterization that really stands out here. If you are a fan of a gentle dive into complex relationships between flawed people, you should pick this up, you won't be disappointed.

This is one of the most unusual and unique stories I have ever read! It takes place in Scotland and the Orkney
Islands during the mid 19th century. Landowners want to evict smallholders from their property and us the land for sheep.
An unemployed, married clergyman is sent to an island to force the one inhabitant to leave.
Beautiful descriptions of the island and insightful portrayals of the 2 antagonists.
I loved this book.