Flesh of the Peach by Helen McClory

Helen McClory’s debut novel is an invigorating follow-up to her much-lauded debut: the Saltire Scottish First Book of the Year award-winning On the Edges of Vision. Tracking the movements of 27-year-old Sarah Browne after the death of her estranged mother Maud, Flesh of the Peach is both a gripping re-imagining of the traditional American road trip and a character examination whose deep focus is testament to the author’s forensic detailing and abiding humanity.

The book’s chronology is complex and satisfying, fleshing out a character in transit in more ways than one. From her early years in Cornwall with her mother and sister Lucy, to the relationship she eventually begins in America with Theo, McClory paints Sarah from a respectful distance: with care and without judgement. A passage recalling a teenage summer is rich foreshadowing: “Don’t put me in charge,” says Sarah as Lucy encourages her to approach two surfers on the beach.

Useful reference points? Try Pedro Almodovar’s recent Julieta: a return to form for the Spanish auteur and a deftly rendered visualising of the works of short story exemplar Alice Munro. Flesh of the Peach's unfliching exploration of loss and grief aligns with that movie (and its source material) in both tone and mode: McClory frames her brief chapters like scenes, and her shot selection and edits serve her purpose well: heightening drama and propelling her taut narrative.