In Another Light. Andrew Greig

Andrew Greig, the Scottish novelist, poet and mountaineer has written a brilliant, moving and exciting book that swings in time from the British colony of Penang in the 1930s to the present day Orkney Islands. Edward Mackay suffers a severe brain trauma, and when he comes out of it, he begins to reassess his life and that of his late father, who was both older and distant. With more investigation, Dr. Alexander Mackay proves to have been involved in scandal in Penang, and the ramifications extend to today. The connections of past to present, plus the tight knit relationships in the two island communities provide a vivid canvas for Greig, and he makes the most of it. He is the real deal - a novelist with a sense of poetry, and with a gift of narrative, description and a feeling for his characters that is very appealing. He rolls the narrative along, and you roll with it. I don't know why Andrew Greig is not better known here. His writing is just terrific. His book "The Return of John McNab" is high adventure, and "That Summer" is one of the best novels about the impact of the battle of Britain on ordinary people. "Preferred Lies" is a wonderful overview of Scottish golf. Check Greig out. "In Another Light" is a great read, with mature insight into the relationships between fathers and sons, men and women, and what it takes to keep life moving forward. Highly recommended!