I found this a really compelling read, an original character study of an aging man in a small Dutch village, whose life seems to have passed him by, a moving portrait of a man left behind by the modern world which is overturning all his certainties. Paul Kruzen, in his 50s, lives with and cares for his elderly father, and each day is much like the previous one. It always was a quiet life and now, with so many people having left the village, those who remain seem at odds with the new globalised world, exemplified by the Chinese, Poles and Russians who have made it their temporary home. Paul is hurt and damaged by the past, especially his mother’s abandonment when he was a small child, the present is bleak and the future hopeless. He has a friend, or rather someone he is used to being with, but Hedwige himself is just as much an outsider. It’s a poignant tale of loneliness and disappointment which even the efforts of Saint Rita, the patron saint of lost causes, can do little to alleviate. Well written, with insight and empathy, this poignant tale made a real impact on me. Highly recommended.