How do you despair?
A conspicuous undercurrent of grief courses through Graham Swift’s latest book, Wish You Were Here. It is an exploration of sentiments and recollections of a married couple, already haunted by their shared history when another tragedy strikes. Set in 21st century England coasting the beautiful Isle of Wight, life is none the more rural for Jack Luxton, a descendant of dairy farmers, who at the height of bovine-borne disease had exchanged his family’s debt-ridden farm for a living as proprietor of holiday caravans. With hardly any family left except his wife Ellie, he has not been in contact with younger brother Tom, a soldier, for nearly thirteen years since the latter left the Luxtons’ crumbling patriarchal gaze. When Jack receives news belatedly of Tom’s death as casualty of an Iraq bombing, he turns inward, imposing a wall between him and Ellie, and a journey of regret, resilience and reconciliation ensues.
Continue reading “Book Review: Graham Swift’s Latest Novel “Wish You Were Here”
