Ein Monat auf dem Land

Summer 1920 in the North English village of Oxgodby: When a Londoner steps off the train at the station, the whole village quickly learns of it: He is the restorer tasked with uncovering the medieval mural in the local church. But what lies behind the facade of this stuttering man, plagued by chronic facial tics? Tom Birkin fought in World War I and was abandoned by his wife as a traumatized veteran. He hopes to heal in the tranquility and simplicity of Yorkshire. And indeed: The closer he gets to the masterpiece hidden behind the church ceiling, the closer he also comes to himself and to others. Gradually, he manages to open up to the world around him, perhaps even to love. The month in the countryside is a month of healing. What Birkin experiences here will stay with him for the rest of his life. J. L. Carr tells the story of a man who...