The novel opens with an apparently fatal car crash and then goes back in time to introduce us to the main characters, some of whom are presumably involved in the accident. All four of the main protagonists are linked in some way and all connected to a small English village. Each of them is invested in their rural environment, as is the author herself as increasingly becomes obvious as the book progresses. Her nature descriptions are beautifully written and show an expert eye. It’s a quiet and slow novel with some fine writing but I found it ponderous and although the setting is vividly evoked I found the characterisation lacking in depth, especially with the minor characters. I didn’t relate to any of them and thus wasn’t invested in finding out who had died in the car crash – which remains to a certain extent enigmatic anyway. Just not one for me, I’m afraid.