Bravo, what a read. Easily one of my top reads of the year. I know we are not much into the year yet, but I can safely say it is up there for me.

Cloudless is Dastur's debut but doesn't feel like one. His ability to manoeuvre the narrative, - just like the ups and downs of the Welsh landscape the story is set in - leaves the reader in good hands.

Often while driving in the countryside, I have spotted isolated houses amid acres of land and livestock and wondered about their inhabitants.
Cloudless just took me inside one of them. I could relate to their struggles and rejoice in their optimism. The satisfaction of turning the last page felt similar to walking out of a theatre at the end of a great movie.

Dastur brings the realities of farming life with great prose and there are some striking scenes, marking pivotal moments in the story. There is a strong sense of place and the way he balances the rural and the urban setting is testament to his craft. Also, much has to be said about the peripheral characters who leave an impact on the story and that is where I think the strength of Cloudless lies. The tight narrative where every element serves a purpose.

I really enjoyed getting to know the principal characters Catrin, John, Rhys, Harris and their fallacies that endear them to the reader. The degree of emotional investment is high as the reader is caught up with these character entangled in their actions and motives.

Then there is this element of the personal and the political. Dastur does a seamless job of weaving in this political context about political ambition affecting ordinary lives. This social commentary documents an important time in contemporary history while offering sharp insights into farming life in this bureaucratic age. It is this juxtaposition that elevates Cloudless this story from an ordinary story to one that hits a chord with the reader.

It is a story I will come back to again. For now, I am buying a copy to gift my bookish friend.

What an incredible debut! This is going to be one of my books of the year. The writing is beautiful and Rupert portrays each member of the family in such a way that you feel you know them all intimately. Their flaws and joys are laid bare and I truly felt for each of them. This book will make you think, make you smile, make you cry as it literally sweeps you along. It’s one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page. I’ll be recommending this to all my friends.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for a review.

This is not a cheery book. In fact, if you think the Welsh are mostly miserable, complaining, and struggling with bleak lives in a kind of traditional trope with sheep and rain, this book will confirm your suspicions.

The farming family consists of John who is a compulsive gambler, a struggling sheep farmer and a depressive; his wife Catrin beaten down by life in a sort of palms clenched kind of way and without doing anything about it (well almost); Rhys a fairly disturbed teenager, and an older brother Harri who has joined the army and is currently in Iraq in the middle of conflict following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. They all have secrets which doesn’t help, and worry about Harri in their own ways.

It doesn’t seem to be the case that anxiety about Harri is a driver for their general misery and, more than likely, that is part of what has driven him to join the army! The other part is that he is gay and that’s a secret as well. Anyway, they roll around in squalor and debt (even the dog is on its last legs), Catrin has a miserable affair and, well, you can guess what happens to Harri.

Quite improbably, at the end of the novel everything is sorted out and it is a sort of happy ending.

There’s something about this portrayal of Wales which seems stuck in the 1950s although the book is set in around 2004 onwards. There’s no handy household technology, the farming is primitive and life revolves around the betting shop and the pub. It’s almost a pastiche!

Of course, some people will find it heart-wrenchingly authentic, and it does focus on a shameful period of history, and it does tag on extracts from the Chilcott report to give the story more gravitas but it didn’t quite work for me.

Without doubt an extremely well written book. The prose was a joy to read but the unremitting hardship of farming those Welsh Hills was relentlessness and brought home with Dastur's exacting description. I longed for light relief but unfortunately it never came via the plot, the characters or the weather. Not an uplifting read for me

During the political backdrop of the Iraq war, a farming family in North Wales struggle to survive following their young son’s decision to sign up to the Army. From political international turmoil, to every day pressures of running a farm, to the emotional disconnect between the characters, this book is simple and steady in its storytelling. The story’s different narratives demonstrate each character’s own challenges, showing the larger complexity of them living alongside each other. Punctuated with snippets from the Chilcott Inquiry report, Cloudless is an emotional and beautifully-written read.

The metaphorical skies are anything but cloudless in Rupert Dastur’s debut novel. Set from November 2004- April 2005 with a closing section from 11 years later “Cloudless” broodingly and ominously conveys life on a Welsh farm and the family struggling to make ends meet. This tension is intensified by eldest son Hari away in the army in Iraq- where the skies may indeed be actually cloudless masking the continual threats and dangers.

This is gritty and unflinching and a realistic examination of survival and I loved it. So well written, the language is economical and the quality of the writing is so strong. Catrin and John struggle to communicate, having to just get on with the continual setbacks of the agricultural life, fearing the intrusion of the world outside, particularly through the television news. We, the reader get more of this through astute use of quotes from the Chilcott Report throughout the narrative which demonstrate just what this war turned out to be.

And away from the fighting are the daily pressures for the couple and 16 year old son, Rhys, no longer seeing the point of school work. Such pressure this family is under demands a release valve, unfortunately for them it is a gambling addiction for John and a person from the past for Catrin who represents something she may have missed out on.

Catrin also has music, an incongruous grand piano squeezed into the hallway of the farmhouse offering moments of escape and a chance to earn something independently away from the vagaries of the weather and bureaucracy. This escape is used magnificently in a section towards the end of the novel.

It really does feel in its 298 pages that not a word or idea is wasted. These characters are brought to life through their fears, flaws and frustrations and though there is quite a bit here on the realities of farm life that made this urban dweller squeamish it certainly packs a punch that will stay with me for a long time. The only thing I can recall which had a similar visceral effect on me demonstrating such heart within rural toughness is the 2017 film “God’s Own Country” which I also loved.

This author is a writer, editor and publisher and has been both awarded and been involved with literary prizes. He has come up with such an impressive work of literary fiction that I will not be surprised if the big prize judging panels do not start to single this out. He becomes the third author this year to get my top rating (take a bow Karissa Chen and Garrett Carr) and the fact that they have all done it with debuts published in 2025 is an indication for me as to how strong the publishing world is at the moment and how future-proofed it is looking with publishers getting behind these debuts and helping to launch hugely potential literary careers with such polished work.

“Cloudless” is published on 27th February 2025 by Fig Tree, an imprint of Penguin Random House in the UK. Many thanks to them and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

I loved this book and its portrayal of life on a North Wales sheep farm at the time of the Iraq war. Harri, the eldest son of John and Cathrin, who run the farm, is fighting in Helmand. Meanwhile, John is struggling with a gambling addiction and Catrin gets a glimpse of what might have been when she bumps into an old boyfriend and starts an affair. The younger son, Rhys, is struggling to live up to his mother’s academic aspirations for him. The story follows them through their individual crises and the inevitable bad news from Iraq. There is redemption however and the story finishes on a hopeful note.

This story has an incredible attention to detail. I’m from a similar background and lived on a farm in my early years and can still remember talcum powder being applied to workers’ feet when coming in from outside.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Set in the 90s this is a domestic drama of quiet intensity. . The book is contemplative, plot is minimal but the characters have depth and realism, and the inclusion of excerpts from the Chilcott Inquiry adds context and contrast. I particularly admired the way that Dastur reflected very accurately the mindset of a middle-aged woman. I could really relate to the tender descriptions of Caitlin’s nostalgia for her sons’ childhoods. A slow-burn, the ending is powerful and moving.

I requested this book because of its North Wales setting. The setting was beautifully and at times poetically evoked. The harsh realities of hill farming in difficult times isn't shied away from, as John the Dad struggles financially and his gambling becomes out of control. Meanwhile musical Catrin is trying to make a living as a music teacher, but is tempted by the arrival of an old flame.

What both of them are trying to forget is the danger that their son, Harri is in as he fights in Iraq. There are quotations from the Chilcott enquiry which give the background to this political situation. Meanwhile their other son, Rhys, is trying to deal with his parents' increasingly fractured marriage and Catrin's determination that he stays on at school.

The millpond ripples of this family's crisis is felt across their local community and Harri's situation has far reaching consequences too.

This was a masterly written , subtle and psychologically truthful novel. Highly recommended.

Tracey

Exeter Roman Gate

☁️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇬🇧🇮🇶🐑 🎹⛰️📖
Cloudless by Rupert Dastur

I cried reading this debut novel from British writer Rupert Dastur.

It’s autumn 2004 and Catrin and John are sheep farmers in North Wales. They’ve raised two sons, Harri and Rhys, and their marriage is struggling in the wake of Harri’s departure to Iraq, serving with the British forces there following the Allied invasion.

As they await Harri’s return home to Wales, they retreat further inside themselves and away from each other to cope with the fear that something will happen to Harri. John has developed a gambling problem and accomplished pianist Catrin is exploring the rekindling of an old flame with her former beau Matt.

In gorgeous prose, these flawed but very human characters are wonderfully drawn, with very real hopes, longings and fears. The chapters are punctuated with excepts from the Chilcott Report and the number of casualties lost in the war (or “Iraq Body Count”).

As a mother of three sons and a sworn pacifist myself, I felt Catrin’s pain and worry over Harri, and fury over the sheer futility of a war that should never have happened.

A powerful, humane debut novel that (intentionally or not) makes the case for peace as well as any other novel I’ve read. 4.5/5⭐️

Sincere thanks to @penguinbooksuk for the arc via @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Cloudless will be published next week.

This is one of my favorite types of books. Where we learn about a family or a cast of characters. And this author did it so well.
I was invested in this Welsh family almost immediately. And felt so very sad for them at time.
There is lost love. Lost potential lives. There is war and enlisting and what that means for those left at home. There's the very real.struggles within a family and then further out.
The tedious farming life was written well. It's not easy at the moment. Never mind when a family seem ready to implode both individually and one eachother!
It isn't a lighthearted read. But it's depth and successful prose made it all worth it

What an interesting debut. Subtle prose filled with empathy and sensitivity.
The book is about a Welsh family and its struggles, but it's also about the micro and macro world. Our personal tragedies are devastating to us at a time but ultimately in a bigger perspective are they as big as we think? And how tragedy on the other side of the world may impact the life of an ordinary family, who seems to have nothing to do with it?
It's a sad but enjoyable story.

This is a well written and thoughtful book, with believable characters and an author who obviously has strong opinions about the Iraq war.
But it is very bleak, there is maybe a glimmer of hope at the end but it is been a traumatic journey for both protagonists and readers to get there.
It's very difficult to "award" stars for a book of this type - maybe 4 for the writing which did keep me readng through the gloom of the story
Thank you to netgalley and Penguin UK for an advance copy of this book.

Set during the time of the second Gulf war, this book follows the fortunes of a small farming family in Wales. The father, John, has worked the farm all his life and wants to hand it over to his sons. But the increasing difficulties with the costs of farming push him further into a gambling addiction. His wife, Catrin, gave up a life at university and a more glamorous future to stay in Wales. The return of an old sweetheart shows her the life she could have had and tempts her away from her family. The eldest son, Harri, signed up to the army before the war started and is now stuck in the middle of it. The younger son, Rhys, is living through the troublesome teenage years in a difficult atmosphere at home while they all wait for Harri to, hopefully, return. All of these events and experiences threaten the farm and the life they all lead.

From early on in this book, I was fairly certain I was going to give it a good review but my reaction to the end made me realise I’d underestimated how invested I’d been in the characters and the story. It’s not always an easy read with the themes of gambling and war but it really gripped me and is one I would definitely recommend to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

It is autumn 2004 and in a farmhouse on the hills outside Llandudno, a family endures the agonizing wait for their son to return from Iraq. His decision to join up has left them reeling, yet there are other pressing concerns to be met at home: the working of the farmland that has been theirs for generations and what to do with their troubled younger son.

This is a beautifully written book. The descriptions of landscapes, people and animals are breathtaking. It immediately envelops the reader in the central family with all the problems which surround them. Great writing and satisfying reading.

I liked this book.
The background was a Welsh farming family's life.
The eldest son was fighting in the Iraq war, and the father was a gambler. The mother was a pianist who gave lessons.
Meanwhile running a sheep farm in Wales was not easy going.
The characters were superb. The storyline was good, the anecdotes were good.
As often is the case with this type of novel the wrap-up was hurried.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 *

This was an interesting and emotional read!

I enjoyed seeing glampses of both the main characters, as well as their son's letters in between (which were particularly emotional in my opinion, and a great addition!). Harri's chapter when he's back home for a few weeks during break was by far my favourite!

I didn't quite care for all the detail in the farm life unfortunately, but that's more personal taste than anything else - I felt confused by a lot of it. But John's battle with gambling, and the road to recovery was super engaging.

I felt for Catrin the most, and really enjoyed her chapters.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free digital copy of this book!

Interesting and intermittently moving study of a farming family under pressure, whether due to financial pressures, gambling, the desire for an emotional connection or through the stress of a son serving in Iraq. Use of excerpts from the Chilton inquiry reinforces the serious tone, and there’s an inexorable sense of heading to disaster on numerous fronts (home and military),

Whilst there is an emotional connection, I also felt that there was a stiltedness at times, and some rather heavy foreshadowing which I found not in keeping with the general quality of some of the writing. There are some heavy handed comparisons of e.g fuel duty officers and the search for WMD which I found a bit much - the point had been made more subtly.
Overall an interesting read, and as a debut novel it shows clear promise for the future.

The book was a good read about a family with troubles and challenges which will be relatable for many. Within families there are often secrets, some with serious consequences as happens within this story. As it evolves with different scenarios you could be led in various directions but eventually everything comes together but with unexpected results.

The novel was beautifully constructed. The surroundings and countryside descriptions are wonderful and everything is built around their lives on a farm. Cleverly bringing in the contrasts of life in Iraq and life on the farm disintegrating under extreme stress both within the marriage of Catrin and John but also with both needing to look outside their cocooned life whilst trying to hold things together for their two sons who are both struggling with their own turmoil.

This was an excellent novel bringing together topics which would change the lives of future generations.

A debut novel from an award winning short story writer – the novel after a poetic epigraph (RS Thomas’s 1950s “The Welsh Hill Country” with its bleak description of the decay and isolation of rural Welsh farming life) the book then opens its first chapter (November 2024 with a subtitle of the Iraq Body Count – a public database of violent civilian deaths in the illegal invasion of Iraq 2003 onwards) and then an excerpt from the 2016 Chilcot report which marshalled the damning evidence against the cover ups that were used to justify it.

The remainder of the book takes place over the period to April 2005 – each dated chapter repeating the Body Count/Chilcot extract idea before a later section in 2016 just when the report is published, about which one of the characters says: “The Chilcott Inquiry had at last been made available to the public: published in twelve volumes containing more than two and a half million words of dry prose. It had all the facts but none of the heart.”

And this novel seeks to provide the heart but alongside a tale of a family caught up in the war but in their own battles and cover ups, a family trying to run a farm in the Welsh Hills and suffering the sense of bleakness, decay and isolation captured in the poem.

Catrin, perhaps the main character in a book which moves around third party viewpoints but majors on hers, was a musician (piano player and composer) when at Bangor University where she dated an artist Matt – but while she went off to Slade School of Fine Art in London she decided to stay near her parents and aim for the Eiteddfod and then (to the disappointment of her opinionated mother – probably the hidden star of the novel) settled down with John a local farmer attracted to the practicality and settledness of his lifestyle (still playing the piano and giving lessons)

They later have two children – the oldest Harri wanting to escape from his home, insists on an army career (seeing it more as a route to travel and technical training) but bad timing means he is called up to a six month stint in Iraq War and both Catrin and John are haunted by worry for him (and increasingly resentment as the war cause starts to unravel).

Both though have their secrets – Catrin restarting an affair with a Matt who suddenly reappears on the scene as part of an art project in Snowdonia, John hiding not just a many year gambling addiction but the economic ruin he has caused to the farm and the family’s finances as a consequence. Their younger son Rhys is becoming increasingly troubled at school without really saying why and Harri’s relationship with a school friend and worker on the farm Simon is also part of the cover up.

And all of this plays out against the life of a farm which is described in unsparing and unsentimental detail and includes scenes of bird and rabbit shooting, fox hunting as well as the different stages of sheep raring.

I thought this was a really well crafted novel – I really liked the subtle way in which the cover up theme is pursued; the contrast and comparisons between the violence of the farm and of Iraq and the complex portrayal of a family (and particularly a marriage) starting to disintegrate under internal and external pressures. I am not completely convinced the Chilcott extracts really worked beyond the initial conception of the device – there did not seem to be much of a link at all (other than temporal) between the excerpts and the main narrative and I did wonder if more could have been done here. Harri’s presence in Iraq did also seem likely throughout to lead to a dramatic denouement, and interestingly the 2016 section was perhaps more sentimental in its resolution than I had expected from the very unsentimental treatment of farming.

But this is an excellent debut which nicely brings together two really interesting ideas – both of which are oddly topical with the new government and the return of the influence of Blair (and others around him who pursued the war) and with the recent controversy over inheritance tax on agricultural lands (John’s legacy to his children is a key driver of many of his actions in the novel).

Recommended.