T H E M I S S I O N H O U S E

By Carys Davies.

Four Stars.

Thank you again to Tandem Collective and Granta Books for the Gifted copy, to join in with the readalong 🌺

“Perhaps – he found himself saying to the old man, Jamshed, as they drove through the town and Byrd sat on the floor of the clattering auto just behind him – it was the combination of the strange and familiar that suited him. Perhaps there was a balance that was just right for his personality. Perhaps it provided him with a sort of perfect equilibrium.”

Set in a former British hill station in India, Hilary takes refuge, living a simpler life than back home. Hilary stays in a mission house next door to a Church, where the Father and his adopted daughter look out for him. As his relationship with the daughter grows, it may not be the safe place he was looking for.

It felt natural and in a way, perfect.

Davies’ writing wraps you in a familiar blanket, transporting you gently into a different part of the world, to meet well developed characters. It was a book that, every time I put it down, I wanted to read just one more sentence, just one more chapter. Mr Byrd is struggling with his place in the world, with the ups and downs of his mental health and trying to find his calling. I feel that at least some of us can relate to that, at the moment. Although the ending was not expected, it felt natural and in a way, perfect.