The Weight of Days

The Weight of Days tells the compelling story of Jane Gable who, one chilly autumnal day in 1968, arrives unannounced on the doorstep of Reverend Frank Jehan, a vicar on the island of Guernsey who has little time left to live. She has come to uncover the truth of what happened to her great-uncle, Lieutenant Anthony Wilkins, who was executed for desertion during the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917. Reverend Jehan has been living with the terrible secret of Wilkins' death ever since and is now forced to confront it and finally admit the truth. The Weight of Days will transport you to the mud of Flanders and a Guernsey seaside guest house, and effortlessly entwines a thought-provoking narrative with issues of philosophy, religion, war, class and love. ''This is a wonderful book. Set in the 1960s and the First World War, Voute uses a small cast of flawed but beautifully drawn characters to explore the terrible and enduring legacy of war: secrets, guilt, judgment and a lifelong search for forgiveness - the role of God in such horror. The tense and well-written narrative drives you towards a startling truth, and a sort of redemption. But Voute implies there is always compromise when it comes to human relationships and I couldn't help wondering how I would have behaved, given such dire circumstances. I highly recommend The Weight of Days." - Hilary Boyd, author of THURSDAYS IN THE PARK