On an isolated beach set against a lonely, windswept coastline, a pale figure sits serenely against a sand dune staring out to sea. His hands are folded neatly in his lap, his ankles are crossed and there is a faint smile on his otherwise lifeless face.
Months later, after a fruitless investigation, the nameless stranger is buried in an unmarked grave. But the mystery of his life and death lingers on, drawing the nearby villagers into its wake. From strandings to shipwrecks, it is not the first time that strangeness has washed up on their shores.
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First, there is a seal with no eyes. – the collector
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(Bloomsbury Publishing, 25 May 2023, e-book, 169 pages, borrowed from Glasgow Libraries via Overdrive, Popsugar Reading Challenge, A Book With At Least Three POV’s)
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I’ve wanted to read Falling Animals since I saw it featured on Between The Covers last year. It sounded like the kind of book I’d enjoy. I loved this book. It’s a quiet sort of book, powerful and not the kind of thing I generally read. It can be good to try something different. The main crux of this short, powerful book is a body that just appears on a beach on a small coastal beach in Ireland with no ID and very little to identify him or his cause of death. The chapters are told from the point of view of various people who become embroiled in the case including the coroner. The book also reveals other strange events that have taken place at the island, while not connected to the man’s death nevertheless echo his fate. This is an intense, powerful read. I’d recommend it.
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