By Piyali C.

The more I read the more I realize how little I know. I was confused about the title of this exquisitely written novel, Clear, that talks about human connections. Why “clear?” I learned the significance in the Author’s Note, where I read about how 474 ministers broke away from the Scottish Church in the year 1843 to rebel against the system of patronage and form the new Free Church. I also learned about the controversial Clearances.

In the novel, John Ferguson is an impoverished priest of the New Church forced to participate in a significant social upheaval in Scotland at the time: the Clearances that began in the Lowlands, spanning from the mid-eighteenth century to the mid-nineteenth century. Farmers were forcibly removed from their lands by the landowners to use those fields for crops, cattle, and sheep. The farmers and their families were dispossessed of their livelihood and forced to move to concentrated lands where they could not produce enough food for sustenance, which resulted in mass exodus to industrialized cities. Many sold all their belongings to find passage on ships to the United States, Canada, or Australia to start anew. 

John Ferguson takes up the job of evicting the lone tenant, named Ivar, of a remote island. Ivar has been living by himself for over a decade with his old horse, a blind cow, and a few hens and sheep. John’s wife, Mary, is opposed to this dangerous journey, but John is adamant about earning enough money to build his own church facility to practice the teachings of the New Church. Upon arrival, John falls off an island cliff, sustaining life threatening injuries. Ivar, the man whom John has come to evict, finds the unconscious John and nurses him back to health. Despite their language barrier, the two men find a connection, while John faces a dilemma about having to disclose to Ivar, his savior and friend, his real reason for the journey. Mary, in the meantime, has had no communication from John; she sells everything to buy passage to travel to the island herself to find out what has happened to him. The story takes an interesting turn when the three main characters come together. 

Clear is not only a story of immense beauty; it is also a big-hearted story of hope, ambition, and most of all, the interconnectedness of human hearts. The paucity of words in the book somehow intensifies the beauty and the depth of the characters, the plot, and the setting. Through the magic of Carys Davies’ beautiful writing, the readers can hear the waves crashing against the rugged rocks of the island, feel the heat of the fire that Ivar builds to stay warm, and taste the slightly burnt milk mixed with cornmeal that Ivar feeds John to sustain his broken body. The book touches all our senses as we read the story. The words transport us onto the island, and we live John and Ivar’s life and feel their connection along with them. We understand Mary’s concern as she frets at the lack of communication from her husband and marvel at the ending, when all three characters converge on the island. What will happen to them next?

Clear by Carys Davies is available in print and e-book formats.

Piyali is an instructor and research specialist at HCLS Miller Branch, where she facilitates two book discussion groups: Light But Not Fluffy and Global Reads. She keeps the hope alive that someday she will reach the bottom of her to-read list.