News of the Dead

"Behind the beguiling, interlinked narrative of three characters from different periods of history—an Iron Age hermit, a nineteenth-century literary conman, and a child thrown out into the world from war-torn Europe—is a profound appreciation of a landscape, the rocks, the rain, the streams, trees and mosses of the remote Scottish glen where these three lives are lived. In our own restless, shifting times many of us have lost any sense of rootedness to a particular place. James Robertson’s novel draws us gently back to contemplate the importance of place and nature in our lives. For many of us, an appreciation of our homes and our surroundings has been one good thing that we will take away from our months in lockdown. Now there’s a question, and one I find impossible to answer. Walter Scott was the inventor of historical fiction, and any novel which follows Ivanhoe , say, or Waverley , is treading in his august footsteps. Modern authors must all chart their own course. When it comes to skill and sweep, I’d say that James Robertson has scored an ace. Support Five Books Five Books interviews are expensive to produce. If you're enjoying this interview, please support us by donating a small amount ."