It’s the autumn of 2016; nothing is as it seems and it won’t be ever again, Elisabeth senses it, can see it but feels lost. It’s not like she can do anything about her changing reality because her mind is preoccupied with the worrisome thoughts of Mr. Gluck
Mr. Daniel Gluck who used to be their neighbour and then lost touch altogether after the Demands- Elisabeth and her mother, moved houses; has re entered their lives as an elderly familiar figure who is currently residing in a nursing home. He is just not an elderly familiar neighbour but he used to be a friendly guiding figure in little Elisabeth’s life. So, how can she abandon him in a nursing home to live like a log when he never ignored her unlike other adults in the village, all those years ago.
Mr. Daniel Gluck as Elisabeth Demand calls him, used to be a songwriter during the swinging sixties and has been an ardent art lover ever since. His influence has led Elisabeth to follow a path in artistic education and specifically look for a long lost pop culture artist whose works they used to discuss during their walks around village.
That artist- Pauline Boty comes in this story as a significant character, more like a third person occupying an important position in Elisabeth and Daniel’s story. Elisabeth is so much consumed by their discussions surrounding Boty’s works that she chooses her work-life as to be the main topic of college dissertation. So, one way or another she feels connected to Mr. Gluck after such a major passage of time
The remarkable discovery of Boty’s long forgotten works of art, the friendship and philosophical exchange between Elisabeth and Daniel leading to the present day of rediscovering his life constitutes main part of this book. Well, we have to keep in mind the fact that it’s just the beginning of their stories as this book is the first in quartet of books and acts as an opening act with an open ended plot line
Another important factor are the Brexit negotiations which form as the background for Elisabeth in present day. Considering her artistic leanings, she is dismayed by the barbed wires going up around her village. The way author notes these subtle changes and connects with the disconnected thoughts in our protagonist’s mind makes it an interesting read.
I am certainly looking forward to continue this journey with rest of the books in this series. Having said that, this novel on its own merit is definitely worth a read as an independent book.