Archaeologist Deian returns to the island of his childhood, where his mother disappeared without a trace. Sister Viv, closet heretic and host of the annual conference of hermits, has erected for her a gold memorial declaring her unofficial sainthood. Documentary-maker Leri, meanwhile, is pursuing a story she is keeping from her assistant and lover, Greta. This has less to do with birds and saints’ bones than with real bloodshed. During one hot August week, lives collide as Bardsey twirls once more for the cameras. A black comedy about finds, losses, secrets, privacy and intrusion... and how the most important things always happen off-camera.
“The most compelling novel I’ve read in years; a love story, a thriller, and a profound meditation on language and identity.” — Peter Florence, Guardian Hay Festival
“Wry, engaging and perceptive... a beautifully rendered story of multiple forms of... excavation – spiritual, linguistic, filmic and sexual.”— Owen Sheers
“The most compelling novel I’ve read in years; a love story, a thriller, and a profound meditation on language and identity.” — Peter Florence, Guardian Hay Festival
“Wry, engaging and perceptive... a beautifully rendered story of multiple forms of... excavation – spiritual, linguistic, filmic and sexual.”— Owen Sheers