Neil Grimmett’s The Bestowing Sun balances art, literature, love and the ragged hard work of country life in a truly compelling story set in rural England. The book is beautifully, lyrically written, smooth as the rolling hills, yet dark and jagged as the weather. A large cast of characters peoples a well-knit farming village, bustling with gossip, fact and fiction intertwined. But the scenery tells its stories too, and the artist paints them.

Sudden shifts in time and place mirror shattering relationships, distracting readers initially, perhaps, before hooking and reeling them in. The fisherman farmer releases his catch. The woman in search of love heads to warmer climates. And the broken artist turns memories and insights into paint, then chases his muse across the world, leaving cracked dreams in his wake. But there is a “grace of love” worth seeking, even when love is lost. And there’s an intensity and beauty in being forced by the author to look through this artist’s eyes—seeing more and grasping for truth, story and love, no matter how deeply disguised.

The Bestowing Sun bestows its light on very real characters who live very different lives. Telling more than words can say, it reveals dark and light through its briefly open window, until in the end, “That was enough.” A wonderful novel!

Disclosure: I was given a copy and I offer my honest review. ( )