Coming of age in a small Welsh village in the later 1910s. More a collection of tales than a "novel" but beautifully written, reeks of atmosphere. (It’s well worth the few minutes to read the translator’s introduction because he explains the naming practices; it’s a very small village and few people go by their “formal” names. Instead, you have people called by their professions or their relationships to others: Little Will Policeman’s Dad, Grace Ellen Shoe Shop, Frank Bee Hive, Bob Milk Cart, Johnny Beer Barrel’s Dad, and Price the School.) According to one of the commentaries I read online, the English translation “miraculously [conveys] the incantatory biblical and Celtic cadences of the original.” I believe it. Indeed, I should note that the cadences and "feel" of the language are so strong, even in translation, that it took me a number of pages before I became truly comfortable with it. But once having done so, the voice seems inevitable and inextricable from the text. Without knowing a word of Welsh, I'd say it's a truly lovely translation. Very highly recommended. ( )

Fantastic novel. Read it for the 2020 Wales Readathon. Wrote about it on my blog — https://chriswolak.com/2020/03/22/one-moonlit-night-by-caradog-prichard/ ( )