The Story of Lucy Gault — William Trevor

The Gault family leads a life of privilege in early 1920s Ireland, but the threat of violence leads the parents of nine-year-old Lucy to leave Ireland for England, her mother's home. Lucy cannot bear the thought of leaving Lahardane, their country house with its beautiful land and nearby beach, and a dog she has befriended. On the day before they are to leave, Lucy runs away, hoping to convince her parents to stay. Instead, she sets off a series of tragic misunderstandings that affect all of the inhabitants of Lahardane for the rest of their lives. In this brilliant, subtle, and moving story of love, guilt, and forgiveness, William Trevor has written a novel that stands among the best literature in the English language.