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246 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2023
Julian is 11 when he meets 13-year-old Clare during a family holiday in Umhlanga Rocks. It's an encounter that will affect the rest of his life. Fast-forward to the future where Julian is lying in a coma in hospital. He'd been found at the bottom of the bell tower at his school. Did he jump or was he pushed?
In order to answer this question we are taken between past and present, between the viewpoints of Julian's aunt Jennifer, a functioning alcoholic, his uncle Andrew, who's a psychotherapist and with whom Julian struggles to connect, and Julian's mother, Emma, a famous sculptor. (The writer gives us luminous descriptions of her work.)
The book is structured like a murder mystery. With every episode or viewpoint, we learn more complex details about what could have happened to Julian, what triggered the fall from the bell tower. The book is also about the giving and receiving of gifts. "A gift is never a destination in itself," Andrew tells one of his patients, "but a means to an end - a stepping stone towards somewhere else." What we choose to give and what we choose to receive have major repercussions, both for ourselves and for others.
This book is a beautifully written and stunning exploration of innocence, betrayal and love. It's subtle at times and masterfully gripping at others. A joy to read.