I really enjoyed this story and thought the author did a great job of bringing the remote island location to life. I loved the friendship that develops between the characters and I loved the ending; it was a happy ending and unexpected. I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me an e-copy of this book, in return for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Clear by Carys Davies. In 1843 a minister is sent to a remote island to evacuate the remaining inhabitant. The story here is about what happens on the island after the minister is injured and the bond he forms with the man on the island. It is a quick read with beautiful scenery.

Clear is a short novel, but one with a lot of impact. It’s the 1840s and Scotland is in the final stages of “the clearances” which displaced huge numbers of people in rural areas. The idea of the clearances was to enable the large landowners to populate the areas with sheep instead of people with small farms. It’s also the time when a large number of Presbyterian ministers broke away and started a new church, in protest of landowners control of clerical appointments. John Ferguson is one of those who broke away and therefore has very little in terms of income to support him and his wife. So he accepts a temporary job, where he has to journey to a remote island off the north coast of Scotland, to remove the single remaining resident there.

What happens when Ferguson arrives on this remote island is the story of Clear. The writing is beautifully descriptive of the landscape and of how Ivar manages to support himself on the land. What a challenging way to live! Ivar discovers Ferguson when he has fallen and is badly injured. Although Ivar initially has no idea who he is or why he has come to the island, Ivar takes him in and cares for him while he heals. Ferguson and Ivar work hard at communicating, since Ivar speaks a virtually dead language, one unknown to Ferguson. Ferguson makes extensive notes, kind of a dictionary, as their relationship develops. It’s a lovely story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I loved this quiet novel about the clearances in Scotland. It's a thoughtful, thought-provoking look at a time and place that many of us don't know about how. Highly recommended.

I believe that reading this novel was simply a matter of the wrong book for the current moment. It was beautifully written, by I unfortunately found myself eager to be finished with it. It it had been longer I may not have finished.

A brief historical coverage for those who’d like to know more about the Scottish clearances and how lives were affected. Short chapters and primarily just 3 main characters. The ending left a lot unsaid and I would have liked to know more about how John and Ivar’s lives progressed. A good book club title. 3.5 stars

Such an interesting and different story! John and Ivar's bonding, born out of necessity for help and human connection is beautiful and I'll be thinking about it for a long time.

A story about the clearances of the Orkney Islands by English landowners, a way of life that no longer exits and the people affected by it.

A poor minister who is working to start a new church after breaking with his old one, takes on the job of traveling to a remote Orkney island to inform the last resident that he must leave. His wife does not agree with the plan but supports him anyway. John makes his way to the island where he ends up injured and in the care of the resident, Ivar. Unable to speak each other's language, the two manage to form a friendship and understand each other. John's wife Mary decides to go after him after learning of similar jobs that have not ended well.

The characters are well drawn, the setting and descriptions of the island are amazing, and the story of friendship and understanding is engrossing.

Thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for the ebook. In the 1840’s, a Scottish minister reluctantly takes on the job of evicting a lone farmer on an island that a company has taken over. The minister has a debilitating fall and the farmer takes him in to heal. The two men speak different languages, but find a way to be with each other that is unlike any relationship they’ve had before.

This is beautifully written but I felt sort of disconnected. I don’t know if it’s my own ignorance or reading habits because I can’t find fault with the writing or story.

"Clear" transports readers to the rugged shores of a remote Scottish island in the 1840s, where an impoverished minister, John, faces an unexpected journey of resilience and connection. Tasked with evicting the island's last inhabitant, Ivar, John's encounter with the solitary man transforms into a tale of unlikely companionship and profound understanding.

As John grapples with his duty and Ivar confronts his solitary existence, a silent dialogue unfolds between them, bridging the gap of language and culture. Through the meticulous crafting of a shared dictionary, they navigate their differences and unearth the bonds that unite them, against the backdrop of the tumultuous Scottish Clearances.

John is an unemployed Scottish minister who accepts the job of clearing out Ivar, the sole inhabitant of a small island, because somehow he would be in the way of the sheep that the owner of the island intends to raise there. (As an aside, some people are just mean.) John’s wife Mary is concerned for him, and her concern is justified when John is injured in a fall on the island. Ivar (unaware of John’s mission) nurses John back to health and the two men develop a friendship, despite the fact that they can’t speak the same language.

Chekhov advised that a playwright should never put a loaded gun on the stage if it isn’t going to go off. So once a gun was introduced at the beginning of this book, and repeatedly referred to, I expected the gun to be fired. The presence of that gun created a tension throughout the book. However, this spare, elegant, subtle story had a more quiet impact than a gunshot. It was really lovely. I have enjoyed this author’s writing style in the past, but this was my favorite of the three books I’ve read.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

In 1840's Scotland, land owners were busy evicting farmers from their land because they had found a way to make even more money. "Clear" is the gorgeously imagined and executed story of a broke and conflicted minister hired to evict the last remaining resident from a remote island. Things quickly grow complicated when the minister takes a serious fall and is nursed back to health by the hermit. All of his official papers were ruined when he fell and there is a serious language barrier to deal with. What follows during the month on the island is a touching story of the power of human connections.

It takes an accomplished writer to make such a beautiful story seem effortless. I was set on giving an enthusiastic 5* review until I turned the last page and the story felt unfinished. Still an excellent read that I recommend without hesitation.

I received a drc from the publisher via NetGalley.

During the infamous Scottish clearances, John, a minister trying to earn a living, agrees to travel to a remote island beyond the Orkneys to remove the last and only occupant, Ivar. When John’s wife, Mary learns that some of the clearances have ended violently, she impulsively begins her own journey to the island in order to get John out of this potentially dangerous situation. Meanwhile, John becomes seriously injured in a fall and is taken care of by Ivar. As he recovers, John becomes fascinated by Ivar’s unusual language and dedicates his healing time to learning to communicate with Ivar, who is unaware of John’s true mission. All is revealed about the time that Mary arrives and the situation is resolved quickly.
I’ had some knowledge of the clearances prior to reading this book but was interested in a more personal fictional account. I found Ivar’s character fascinating and the relationship that developed between him and John was unexpected and made the book more interesting. Mary’s role was also a creative addition to this story and I certainly enjoyed her determination. This book was disappointingly very short and I think it had much more potential. There were really only three characters and I wish each of them was developed more and I would like more of their backstories. I kind of liked the mysteriousness of the relationship between the two men but wanted more of a story once Mary arrived on the scene. The book just seemed to end abruptly. For me, this book had great potential that just wasn’t carried out.

Lovely story of two men growing close to one another despite not knowing the other's language. I also learned a lot about the Scottish Clearances. Atmospheric and great character building.

Clear by Carys Davies was such a lovely reading experience. I felt the same way reading this as I did reading Claire Keegan's books. The story is tender and quiet and I felt so much for the three main characters. Highly recommend this one and it's a short, quick read. I mostly read the digital copy, but I found the audiobook on Spotify and listened to the last 25% and the narration was perfect.

Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC.

This book takes place in the 1800s and follows 3 characters, a Reverend; the Reverend's wife; and a man the Reverend has been chosen to "clear" from an island.

This book was deeply touching, and the relationships between the characters is really where the book shines. I wasn't aware that the Reverend's wife was going to play such a large role in the story, but I was glad every time a section from her perspective came up, even though it meant drawing focus from the relationship that is arguably at the heart of the story: the one between John and Ivar. If I had one complaint, I think this book would be perfect if it was 100 pages longer. Everything wrapped up very neatly in a bow, and I would have liked to see Ivar and Mary interact more together, especially because they are both going to go through huge life changes. By the time Mary and Ivar meet, there are only maybe 10 pages left in the book.

I was also really absorbed by Ivar's relationship to words and how that impacted how he viewed the island. I wish that there had been a little bit more about Ivar saying goodbye to his home, and his feelings on leaving. However, this was still a really enjoyable read, and I found the relationships between the characters to be believable.

Clear by Carys Davies takes us to 1843, Scotland in the final stages of the Scottish Clearances during which rural inhabitants from the Scottish Highlands were forcefully evicted to clear the lands for sheep pastoralism. 1843 also saw the Disruption of the Church of Scotland which saw a large number of evangelical misters walk away from their jobs and their income to form the Free Church of Scotland that would be free of patronage and interference from the British Government.

As the story begins, we meet Reverend John Ferguson, an impoverished minister struggling to raise funds for his congregation, who has accepted a well-paying “temporary factoring” assignment. His task entails surveying the terrain of a remote island north of Scotland for its adequacy to meet the requirements landowners have planned and “clear” the island of its sole inhabitant, a man by the name of Ivar whose remaining family has long since left the island. Along with his papers and a calotype of his wife Mary, John also carries a pistol given to him by the landowner’s factor who assigned him to this task. Ivar lives in solitude in a stone hut with only his animals for company. Within the course of a month, John is to persuade him to leave the island. But when an accident lands him in Ivar’s care and he spends more time with Ivar connecting with him on a deep personal level despite not sharing a common language, John is conflicted over his mission. Ivar, who had been craving companionship, develops a strong attachment to John, unaware of his true reasons for being on the island. Miles away, when Mary is made aware of the potential perils John may face in his task, concerned for his safety, she takes it upon herself to travel to the island. The narrative follows these characters as their paths converge.

Clear by Carys Davies is a stunning novel that transports you to the Scottish Highlands with its vividly described settings and into the hearts of its characters in sparse yet lyrical prose. The author deftly weaves the three threads of this novel into a cohesive narrative. Please note that the pacing of the narrative is slow, which I thought suited the nature of the story and allowed a deeper and an intimate exploration of the thoughts and emotions of its characters - Ivar’s loneliness and his kindness and compassion; John’s internal conflict as he ponders over his duty, the beliefs that have governed his life and vocation and his emotions; and Mary’s determination, loyalty and sacrifice. The narrative is presented from the perspectives of John, Ivar and Mary and touches upon themes of solitude, isolation and how human connection can be forged in mysterious ways. To bear witness to two characters learning to communicate with one another despite the lack of a common language was truly humbling. The author’s use of Norn words lends authenticity to Ivar’s character and the time and place in which the novel is set. Please read the Author’s note, where she discusses the historical context of this novel and provides a brief glossary of Norn words found in the narrative. There were certain aspects that I wish would have been developed further, but this in no way detracted from my overall reading experience.

This is my second time reading Carys Davies ( my first Carys Davies novel was The Mission House, which I also enjoyed) and I was not disappointed. With its vividly described atmospheric setting, rich historical context, exquisite writing and memorable characters Clear by Carys Davies is a compelling read – the kind of story that stays with you long after you have turned the final page.

Many thanks to Scribner for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This beautiful, moody and understated love story gave a glimpse into a time and place that is not known to many. The chilly setting on a remote Scottish isle was enhanced by the author's introduction of the lost Scottish dialect. The brevity of this novel reflected the barren and sparse setting of the story, and although I wish I could have spent more time with these characters, the longing of wanting more seemed to be in sync with this haunting setting.

A beautiful 5 stars for 'Clear' by Carys Davies. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What looks like a simple story on the surface reveals a tale of complexity and depth.
In the 1840s, a poor minister takes on a mission to 'clear' the last resident off a remote Scottish island, while his adored wife stays behind on the mainland.

But once there, our minister John has a horrible accident and ends up being rescued by this last resident, Ivar.
As Ivar nurses John back to health, they work on a way to communicate and tell each other their stories.
As their friendship builds, John is faced with a choice of either carrying out his mission to 'clear' Ivar or remaining loyal to him.
Meantime, John's wife Mary sets off on a mission to find out why her husband hasn't returned home.

The writing is stunning, and reminded me of Claire Keegan's 'Small Things Like These' and 'Foster.'
This is not a long book, but it will long stay with me. Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC, my review is my own opinion.