First Monday Book Group: Clear

Join us on the first Monday of the month at 6:00 pm for our First Monday book group. March’s book is Clear by Carys Davies. Bring your suggestions for next month’s book!

There are 26 copies of Clear available through interlibrary loan. Please contact the Circ Desk if you need assistance reserving a copy: 542-5075, ext. 2.

Registration is appreciated.

More about the book: The story is set in the 1840s during the final stages of the infamous Scottish Clearances. Ivar has lived alone on an island for decades, with only the animals and sea for company. The Clearances have already forced his family from the land. John Ferguson, an impoverished Scottish minister, has accepted the job of evicting Ivar. Soon after arrival, John slips on the craggy coastline. Ivar discovers his unconscious body and  takes it upon himself to patch up the minister. They do not share a common language. Ivar speaks Norn, an island relative of Danish and Norwegian on the brink of extinction. To John, it’s a language uniquely suited to the unforgiving surroundings. What he would call simply “a rough sea,” Ivar terms “skreul,” “pulter,” or “yog,” depending on the peculiarities of the roughness. This novel explores the differences and connections between us, the way history shapes our deepest convictions, and how the human spirit can survive despite all odds.