Glitter of Mica

This was a surprising wee novel. Set in a farming community in the northeast of Scotland in a period spanning from pre-war to the 1960s, I'd expected something charming but probably, to be honest, a bit twee. What I got instead was a perfectly framed snapshot of the lives of the inhabitants of a small village, one that didn't shy away from the intimate and often uglier sides of life. The interior monologues of these characters were vivid, raw, and relatable, and much less prudish than I'd anticipated. Jessie Kesson's turn of phrase is just gorgeous, her writing almost stream of consciousness esque in parts, and the circling path of the narrative is cleverly crafted. I note in a few reviews this book is cited as Jessie's weakest work, so I'm very much looking forward to reading more by her.