{"product_id":"9781908670120","title":"Mr Darwin's Gardener","description":"\u003cp\u003eA postmodern Victorian novel about faith, knowledge and our inner needs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe late 1870s, the Kentish village of Downe. The villagers gather in church one rainy Sunday. Only Thomas Davies stays away. The eccentric loner, father of two and a grief-stricken widower, works as a gardener for the notorious naturalist, Charles Darwin. He shuns religion. But now Thomas needs answers. What should he believe in? And why should he continue to live?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhy Peirene chose to publish this book: ‘This is Peirene’s most poetic book yet. A tale of God, grief and talking chickens. Like Dylan Thomas in \u003cem\u003eUnder Milk Wood\u003c\/em\u003e, Carlson evokes the voices of an entire village, and, through them, the spirit of the age. This is no page-turner, but a story to be inhabited, to be savoured slowly.’ \u003cstrong\u003eMeike Ziervogel\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘The translation is terrific and the author's grasp of England circa 1880 is utterly convincing.’ \u003cstrong\u003eSally Vickers, \u003cem\u003eObserver\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘It's hard to believe this novel originated in another country. But it did, and the way Carlson shows us to ourselves should make us wonder.’ \u003cstrong\u003eNicholas Lezard, \u003cem\u003eGuardian\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Allow layers of meaning to emerge after you finish reading, and you may be rewarded.’ \u003cstrong\u003eHarriet Paterson, \u003cem\u003eTablet\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘The collective consciousness in this novel is an amazing choir: Carlson makes the souls of Downe Parish sing.’ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eHelsingin Sanomat\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Carlson writes beautifully, wisely and with effortless humour.’ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSuomen Kuvalehti\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLONGLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL IMPAC DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2015\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOBSERVER BEST HOLIDAY READS 2013\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Peirene Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47137458946288,"sku":"9781908670120","price":9.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781908670120_p0.jpg?v=1763622673","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781908670120","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}