THE title Harvest does little to convey the myriad of concepts at the core of this compelling tale.

Change, progress, acceptance – they’re all here, woven skilfully by award-winning writer Jim Crace into a timeless story that everyone can relate to.

In this, we’re taken through a week-long journey of life in an unnamed English village set sometime in the medieval age, told through the eyes of widower Walter Thirsk.

After harvesting season ends, a group of strangers arrive, and the suspicion they provoke in the villagers eventually leads into a series of events that change the inhabitants’ lives forever.

Thought-provoking and poetically written with a profound attention to detail, Crace creates an intriguing moral fable that will stay with you long after you’ve finished the last page. It’s certainly another enchanting novel to add to his growing catalogue of best-sellers.

8/10