The Old Haunts by Allan Radcliffe
Allan Radcliffe's debut novel is a beautiful exploration of individual and collective grief
As with love, each person’s grief is an individual yet shared experience, and there’s a certain comfort to be found in the latter. It’s one of the reasons art of all kinds is so vital to our lives – that ability to invoke empathy and put into words (or pictures) what we are feeling. Allan Radcliffe’s debut novel The Old Haunts is a beautiful example of this. Few novels examine how the relationship between parents and children evolve in such a relatable way.
By jumping from the present day to the past we see how the central character of Jamie discovers who he is – or who he thinks he should be – while keeping his worlds apart, or at least at an uncomfortable distance. Written with an honesty and understanding that is rare, it’s a novel full of love, kindness, and compassion, but also regret and even contrition – a mix of emotions that will be familiar to most. The beauty of the understated prose only accentuates the depth of feeling.
It’s to be hoped that Allan Radcliffe goes on to write many other novels; however, if he never wrote another one, The Old Haunts stands not only as an exemplary piece of writing, but one with the power to help readers better understand themselves, and others. You really can’t ask for much more.