Having loved 'A Place Called Winter' where Patrick Gale first introduced us to Harry Cane, modelled on the life of his great-grandfather, I was very excited to learn that this book continues Harry's story, and though 'A Place Called Winter' was an exceptional book, this doesn't disappoint. Gale's writing is wonderful. Fabulous scene-setting and his characters are described with such tenderness and acceptance, flaws and all.

Harry Cane had made a life for himself in Canada as a wheat farmer. But when his lifestyle was challenged and he was forced to sell up, he decides to return home to England where he might be reconciled with the daughter he left behind all those decades earlier.

Betty now has a family of her own, husband, adult daughters and grandchildren and for all of them, Harry's arrival brings about the opportunity to question themselves, what they believe and stand for, the relationships they hold, and how they might approach the years ahead.

It's another stunning book from Patrick Gale. We learn of life in England after Harry's arrival from the perspectives of different members of the family and the particular challenges they each face. And Gale draws on memories and letters from his family to inform and inspire this novel - stories of life as a prison governor, for example, when the death penalty was still an option and when homosexuality was illegal. 

I loved this book and am mesmerised by the life of Harry Cane, his gentle dignity and his acceptance of his lot in life. 

Read my interview with Patrick Gale here.