Clear

By Carys Davies

Categories: Literature & Fiction

Clear (2024) is a novel by Carys Davies. It won the 2025 Ondaatje Prize. Set in 1843 on a remote Scottish island during the Highland Clearances, it follows a minister sent to evict the island's last inhabitant. Though the two men share no language, a bond forms between them that complicates the eviction and the forces of church and landlord behind it.

Recommended by 1 person

• Sarah Jessica Parker: “[Favorite book of the year so far?] I have been on a really lucky streak of just really good books. ... I'm going to say Clear by Carys Davies. ... It's a very slim book. It's her best ever. And that is saying something. Crazy gifted.”