Glenfarron — Jonathan Falla

Glenfarron is the tale of a rugged Scottish Highland landscape and the impact of three contrasted generations of outsiders: Polish aircrew at a British military hospital in the 1940s; young Glaswegians who inherit country property in the 1970s; African diplomats in 2006. There is a tragedy of illicit love, a psychological haunting, and a comedy of post-colonial hangovers.

These three histories overlap in a fine texture of place and memory, family passions and guilt. Nobody is left untouched, and by the end all have gone through startling changes. The wounded Polish servicemen arrive as heroes, and are then stunned by rejection. The Glaswegian couple are not what they seem, and their story - which begins with tenderness and creativity - implodes into horror. A collector of African artefacts draws his remote community into a farcical battle to defend their 'heritage' against foreigners. Jonathan Falla's third novel is a triumph of storytelling, saturated with atmosphere and personality.

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