“If a tree is starving, its neighbours will send it food,” observes Farouk, one of the characters in Donal Ryan’s wise and compassionate novel. We meet him as a doctor, living with his wife and daughter in a Syrian town where war is gradually escalating. After weeks of arguing with his wife, Farouk visits the market square, where “the crucified boy swung the argument”. Ryan, whose previous books include The Spinning Heart, winner of the Guardian first book award, has rightly been praised for his gift for empathy. Be kind.”• From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan is published by Doubleday (£12.99).

Source: The Guardian March 11, 2018 09:00 UTC